Saturday, August 9, 2014

Step 5: Applying Your First Color Coat

You got paint on the body! Congrats on reaching an exciting milestone in your new creation: applying color!

    The next couple steps are where the magic happens to get the infamous striped look the EVH popularized! The process, in short, will be simple. 
     1. Apply black coat
     2. Stripe off and paint white coat
     3. Stripe off and paint red coat
     4. Lacquer up
     5. Sand to a shine




But first things first! Let's get that primer coat smooth!

     After the primer coat has had time to completely dry, you will want to get a piece of 1200 grit sand paper and LIGHTLY sand over the body to ensure that you have a smooth finish. I stress lightly because the paint will sand off easily, especially around the edges and corners. This is your last chance to make sure the body is smooth to ensure the rest of the coats go on smoothly. IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBT THAT THE BODY ISN'T SMOOTH, TAKE THE TIME NOW TO EITHER SAND THE BODY FLAT OR BUILD UP A COUPLE MORE LAYERS OF PRIMER AND SAND AGAIN! Don't be afraid or too impatient! You can buildup as many layers as you like and sand down until you get that perfect flatness.

     Once you are satisfied and any buildup layers of primer you may have added have had the time to dry, take a damp cloth and wipe over the entire surface to remove any and all dust and debris, especially focusing in areas such as the pockets and cavities.

     Let the guitar dry off for a few minutes, and ADD SOME PAINT, MAN! YEEAAHH!!

     This process will be exactly the same as the process for applying the primer coat. Start off the guitar and start your spray. Move the spray in an even motion towards the other edge of the guitar and continue off the edge to ensure you don't buildup a "spot" of heavy paint. Continue back and forth, up and down, alternating directions with each layer. Revert back to Step 4: Applying a Primer Base Coat to see the painting process and tips. When you are finished with that, your guitar should look like this!




 Let this layer dry for and cure for at least 48 hours and move on to Step 6: Applying the White!




Step Links: 
-Overview
-Step 1: Materials
-Step 2: Stripping the Paint
-Step 3: Filling Holes and Dings
-Step 4: Primer Base Coat
-Step 5: Applying First Color Coat
-Step 6: Applying The White

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