I want too get into guitar finishing...

[KRamone27]

but do not know what would be good equipment to have a decent spray setup. What size spray gun, what size compreser etc...
Thanks, Kevin

[Sarah93003]

Hey, I'd like to learn more about this as well. I'd also like to know some of the techniques for removing an existing finish properly and then how to prep it for a new finish. Any gurus's want to help us out? Pretty please!

[FritzCat]

I'm in the midst of refinishing my Joe Maphis. Lots of info on reranch.com, they have a forum as well. Tons of info on http://www.projectguitar.com/ as well.

[GattonFan]

+1 on the Guitar ReRanch Refinishing forum ... one of the best places for info on refinishing. No need to re-invent the wheel when there's a ton of information just a click away. The link is in the "Links" section.
Dennis

[dubtrub]

Kevin,

All the equipment I have is from the seventies so I can recommend what the current options are. I use a Binks Model 18 spray gun, ands my air compressor unit is an electric 3 hp motor, twin cylinder compressor with a five gallon tank. For spraying lacquer you need something that will maintain at least 30 lbs of constant pressure, although I spray with a lot less adjusted at the intake of the gun. You will definitely need a water trap both on the compressor and preferably one as the air enters the gun.

I picked up an extra gun for spraying enamel, also a Binks Model 18 off eBay for $15. It did have to be torn apart and cleaned good. Probably you could find an air compressor on Craigslist. Another alternative would be to check out Harbor Freight if you have one in your area. They have equipment made in China fairly inexpensive. I recently purchase one of their touch guns for $13. That's what I used to do the sunburst on Mel's parts rite. I was pleased with it, but it was a bear to take apart. Once I broke all the part loose, they had apparently been tightened by a gorilla, I was impressed with it. Bill Gruggett does all his painting with the American version of this same touchup gun, which is either a Binks or DeVilbiss.

[KRamone27]

Thanks for the response Danny, I always see guns that come stock with a 1.6 nozzle, is this the norm and acceptable for spraying lacquer?

[MWaldorf]

This is beyond my level of technical expertise, but whatever Danny is using definitely works!

[sleeperNY]

I was in the auto body repair business for over 30 years. I have sprayed almost every finish that is or was out there. I own 6 or 7 (Can't remember without looking LOL) spray guns and most are all Binks models including the model 18 that Danny uses. That is a great choice for lacquer as it was made for that kind of finish. I myself used on my parts right a newer gravity feed HVLP touchup gun. It worked great with the size of parts in a guitar and is easy to maintain. I also have a small air compressor that runs on 110 and has a 16 gallon tank. The air compressor is of the most importance here. It must maintain more air pressure than you need to do the job. Not enough air will ruin a paint job faster than just about anything else. Bottom line is to buy quality equipment ( doesn't have to be the most expensive ) and you should have no worries. Lacquer is about the easiest finish there is to spray and have look good'

Jim

[oipunkguy]

Just one thing to consider Kev, clean up time. If you are spraying a clear in nitro, you can keep doing it through out the day, but really no longer. of course with colors you have to clean up each time you want to spray a new color, obviously, which could get time consuming. I've had white specs show up in a finish when a gun wasn't cleaned out properly. Just keep that in mind as a heads up. Sometimes for small jobs a rattle can is a lot more practical, but the sweet thing about a gun is that you can adjust the pressure for different finishes. This comes in handy doing a burst, it's much easier to control with a gun.
And practice. If you are spraying in your shed, you need to watch out for dust. If you have any questions just PM me. hope this helps.

[oipunkguy]

Hey, I'd like to learn more about this as well. I'd also like to know some of the techniques for removing an existing finish properly and then how to prep it for a new finish. Any gurus's want to help us out? Pretty please!

here you go Sarah

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