Thoughts on appliance gloss spray paint

[Zenitram]

As in this stuff:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/White-Appliance-Gloss-Spray-Paint-250ml-No-CFCs-Interior-Exterior-Quick-567459-/150850865647?pt=UK_DIY_Material_Paint_Varnish_MJ&hash=item231f6989ef

I have a couple of cheap basses that I am going to sort out, one is ply and has a nasty cheap sunburst finish, and the other is solid wood but has a fairly crappily applied purple coat of paint (you can see brush strokes).

The poundland shop down the road sells this spray paint for a quid a can, and I was wondering if it might work on these bodies. I imagine it'd need lacquer or something on top to finish it.

What do you think? Is there any reason it won't work? Or any reason it will work? Stupid idea? Will my basses look like shiny new washing machines afterwards?

[Grangur]

Zenitram, you asked:
[i]...I was wondering if it might work on these bodies[/i].
No reason why not. Take your time rubbing down before hand. Use medium grain sandpaper to start and then finish with some really fine grain paper. 320 grain will be ok to finsh. Don't even think of spraying until the body is seriouly clean and smooth. Dust off the body with a CLEAN cloth (no grease). DON'T rub down in the same place as you're going to spray. Rubbing down makes dust. You don't want dust in your spraying area.

Spraying: Find a nice clean space to work in. While i think of it.... while spraying VENTILLATE the room! Don't die in the fumes and don't smoke!!

Take your time in the spraying, don't rush. Spray in a light-even mist with the can at a distance of about 500mm, so the jet isn't too intense.

Spray with smooth, even strokes, side to side. When you get to the end of each stroke go past the edge of the bass body before you change direction. The reason for this is because if you stop and change direction over the surface, the point at which you do this will get too much paint. This way runs happen - bad news.. start over.

Prepare yourself to do loads of thin coats. When finished you may find you've got small nibby-bits in the surface. You can remove these when it's dry by rubbing over with your hand, or rubbing over with the BACK of the sandpaper. If in doubt; use fine sand paper (as fine as you can find to buy) and, maybe re-spray and hope for better next time. But don't lose sight of the fact that it's the lacquer that will leave the shine. SMOOTHE even paint finish is what you're after.

[i]I imagine it'd need lacquer or something on top to finish it.[/i]
Yes, probably. Use Nitrocelulose lacquer. This is the stuff [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nitrocellulose-Lacquer-Aerosol-Clear-GLOSS/dp/B007VBCLS0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367050779&sr=8-1&keywords=nitrocellulose+lacquer"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nitrocellulose-Lacquer-Aerosol-Clear-GLOSS/dp/B007VBCLS0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367050779&sr=8-1&keywords=nitrocellulose+lacquer[/url]
When doing this try to do it in a clean environment. A bare, well cleaned room with no carpet and no windows and loads of extraction fans is ideal... but you won't have this luxury.

[i]What do you think?[/i]
Bass is cool and I'd like to have the opportunity to do these for myself too.

[i]Is there any reason it won't work? [/i]
Yes, if you're a plonker and you rush it.

[i]Or any reason it will work?[/i]
Err.. you read and followed these points?

[i]Stupid idea? Will my basses look like shiny new washing machines afterwards? [/i]
White's not to my taste, but hey! They're yours and with a cool pickguard and stuff, who knows.

Post pics of them before, after, durring etc. I'd like to see them.

[Zenitram]

Thanks for that thorough reply Grangur. So I need to sand until smooth, but not sand until all paint removed, right? The reason I'm thinking of respraying is that I though it would be easier than going down to bare wood (which I would prefer, to be honest, even on the ply bass). I live in a flat with no workshop or garage, and no sanding tool or heat gun or anything. And I'm a cheapskate.

Maybe it's not such a great idea. Hmm. Or buy a heat gun and go at the bodies with that and a load of sandpaper, then finish with Danish oil.

I will think on.

[lettsguitars]

Doesn't give any inclination as to what type of paint it is. If you are going to laquer it any way why bother buying other products when you can just use solid colour laquer in the first place. You will need a sealer/primer anyhow. If you want to do it on the cheap just get some nitro laquer from halfords or b&q.

[lettsguitars]

Yea and you really dont wanna be spraying in your flat man. You could end up a bit dead.

[Grangur]

Zenitram, you can sand through the paint, but as John says, you'd need a primer to be sure it's going to give a good flat finish.

John's also probably right about the choice of supplier. I've see appliances go an interesting patchy yellow after a time. So why not avoid the risk and go for a cool metallic purple/blue/whatever from day 1?

Another thought... if you make a cheap dummy neck and screw this into the pocket, you can clamp this into the jaws of a "covered" workmate/clamp and spray both sides without having to turn it. so you'd reduce the time of the process.

[Zenitram]

Right, so spraying is probably not the best option, given the whole death thing.

Stripping back to the wood it is, then. Probably. When I get round to it.

Thanks people.

[yepmop]

Grangur is spot on with his advice.

As an alternative that I've used is to apply a good quality paint stripper and then place the body in a black bin liner for a day is quite affective, though you will still need to sand down. but be warned about the fumes and getting it on your skin etc.

Also, when your'e down to bare wood a light covering of white spirit will remove any crease before applying sealer/undercoat is a good idea.

Another choice that I've not done is to just remove the lacquer and then apply an undercoat, but in the case of the hand painted one will probably not work so good.

I used Halfords paint and it gives good results but allow a good week or so before applying the lacquer.