I want an red opaque gloss mandolin

[Jim MacDaniel]

I have asked the wife for one of those campfire mandolin kits from StewMac, and am really thinking hard about trying to achieve an opaque gloss red finish as on the Flatiron Cadet in the below pic. As a result, I have a few questions to help me getting started on researching a solution.

1) What sort of finish did Flatiron likely use on this instrument?

2) What sort of finish options might your recommend for a newbie without spray equipment, but with a lot of patience, to help me achieve a similar effect?

3) Are there any particular on-line, print, or video resources that you might recommend I use to help me on this project?

4) Do you have any other related advice as input to this project? (Besides not attempting this at home ;)

[Jim MacDaniel]

(forgot the pic...)

[Bill Snyder]

Guitar Reranch (http://reranch.com/) might have what you need. A lot of people finish solid body instruments with their products and I would think if you are wanting an opaque finish their products might work. I believe Bill Bussman (Old Wave Mandolins) has used some of their paint for solid colors on acoustics.

[mangorockfish]

I don't know, but I think that is a pretty cool picture.

[kww]

It may be heresy, but you would be amazed at the quality of canned spray paint these days. Get yourself scrap wood to play with, go down to your local hardware stores and pick up a selection of reds. Practice a bit, and you can probably get exactly what you are looking for for $5.99. Once you have found the brand and color you like, I would invest in some of the same species of wood, apply sanding sealer, and practice on that. That way, when you spray your instrument, you've simulated exactly what you want to do. Builds confidence, and helps ensure a perfect result.

[Rick Lindstrom]

I used to make black soundboards for my hammered dulcimers by spraying the sound board with cheap flat black spraycan paint. A couple of coats of that, then some sanding sealer and finally the lacquer.

You could probably do the same thing if you can find the color of red you want in a spray can. If you can't find flat, you'd want to scuff sand before the lacquer I think- it would make a better surface for the lacquer.

One caveat- using my method, the grain lines telegraph through the finish. If you want a perfectly flat finish, you could seal the soundboard with shellac and sand it perfectly flat before painting.

Rick

[Bill Snyder]

If you spray lacquer over hardware store spray paint test it on scrap to make sure the two finishes are compatable.

[kww]

Absolutely test everything on scrap before doing it to something you have invested hundreds of hours assembling.

A bit more detail in the sequence (as usual, I have only done this in the context of automobile restoration and furniture repair, so if a luthier says I'm wrong, listen closely to the luthier):
Apply a few coats of sanding sealer, sanding in between coats.
Spray a coat of paint.
Sand that coat completely off. I mean completely. That way, you have sanded off any high spots.
Apply another coat of sanding sealer, because you probably sanded some spots bare.
Sand.
Spray a couple coats of your finish color. (no sanding)
Spray a contrasting color.
Sand the contrasting color off.
Spray a couple coats of finish.
Spray a contrast coat.
Sand off the contrast coat.
Wash, rinse, repeat until you feel the contrast coats was a waste of time and effort.
Spray finish coat, buff, and polish.


Sanding the contrast coats off takes care of grain telegraphing: if the grain raises as a result of the finish, the contrast coat will lie in the low spots of the grain. In order to sand it off, you have to sand off the high spots on the grain.

[sunburst]

KWW, I know high end car paint jobs are done with the contrasting colors and lots of sanding to level and smooth everything out, but It's a waste of time and materials on wood because wood moves a lot. I know 'bondo' and other body fillers move differently than sheet metal, and work can eventually show through on car bodies, but the grain lines in spruce will telegraph through any finish you apply that is thin enough for musical instruments.

A sealer would be good, but I'd probably spray the bare wood with colored lacquer, and if I wanted a deeper shine, I'd spray the clear lacquer over it thick enough to level sand and buff, and be done with it.

[thistle3585]

I did an instrument awhile back in seafoam green I sprayed a couple coats of clear lacquer to seal the wood followed by a coat of pigmented lacquer from Reranch.com then followed up with a couple coats of clear lacquer. I actually level sanded the pigmented lacquer without problem.