A 'how to' for High Gloss Finishing

[GM]

You're welcome! Hope it performs as well as mine have.

GM

[PB2]

Originally Posted by zxgravediggerxz

for next time.... What freakin pain should i use?!?! Any particular brand/type? How is acrylic? I dont think i want to use an Enamel any more, it looks like it never gets hard enough. And waht about my compound and polish?!? They totally seem to miss the mark, looks like i cant use them by hand!!!! They never break down to a dust/fiber/white cream and once i start wiping it off it feels like i am wiping off grime!!!

I know a bit about this from the few times that I painted cars. You really ought to read a basic writeup on auto painting because it applies to what you are trying to do. For many years paints fell into two broad categories, enamels which are designed to go on in one coat and not require buffing when applied correctly, and lacquers which are intended to be wet sanded and polished. Show cars are typically done in lacquer. Lacquers before roughly the 1960s were nitrocelulous based, later they were acrylic based and called acrylic lacquer. One advantage of acrylic lacquer is that a less skilled painter can make up for poor application through wet sanding and buffing and this is what I believe you should use. It is generally accepted that you cannot fix a botched enamel job through sanding and buffing. There are many more modern paint types that require special spray guns, and special respirators that you probably do not want to use.

Acrylic Lacquer paint was the common auto paint used by GM in the 70s and 80s until more advanced formulations and the VOC laws came into effect. Dupont was the main supplier but not in rattle cans. Fender used this Dupont Automotive paint to paint their electric guitars - the colors, except for a few, were automotive colors:
Vintage Guitars Info - Fender custom color finishes on vintage Fender guitars

Last I checked, and you have to be careful because the formulations are changing - do your research, Duplicolor and Plasticoat are spray acrylic lacquer auto touch up paints. One of our auto parts stores can usually get any auto color in the Plasticoat large cans within 24 hrs. A good automotive paint supply store should be able to put any auto color paint into a rattle can for you but they are not inexpensive. As soon as you do a big job it becomes much more cost effective to buy a spray gun and most suggest this anyway for the many advantages.

I'm interested in spraying very small jobs with rattle cans and I think it would be good to start a new thread on it since I don't think it was the original intent of this thread.

[Renron]

"I'm interested in spraying very small jobs with rattle cans and I think it would be good to start a new thread on it since I don't think it was the original intent of this thread."

If it is for a high gloss finish it's applicable to this conversation.
Not everyone has access to or wants to use spray guns.
I love the HVLP and conversion guns I have. Fantastic finishes.
Not a speaker but still gloss finish. This was NOT polished out. Straight off the gun finish. Target EM6000 over General Finishes Espresso (my recipe) All waterbase for obvious reasons.

[zxgravediggerxz]

Originally Posted by PB2

I know a bit about this from the few times that I painted cars. You really ought to read a basic writeup on auto painting because it applies to what you are trying to do. For many years paints fell into two broad categories, enamels which are designed to go on in one coat and not require buffing when applied correctly, and lacquers which are intended to be wet sanded and polished. Show cars are typically done in lacquer. Lacquers before roughly the 1960s were nitrocelulous based, later they were acrylic based and called acrylic lacquer. One advantage of acrylic lacquer is that a less skilled painter can make up for poor application through wet sanding and buffing and this is what I believe you should use. It is generally accepted that you cannot fix a botched enamel job through sanding and buffing. There are many more modern paint types that require special spray guns, and special respirators that you probably do not want to use.

Acrylic Lacquer paint was the common auto paint used by GM in the 70s and 80s until more advanced formulations and the VOC laws came into effect. Dupont was the main supplier but not in rattle cans. Fender used this Dupont Automotive paint to paint their electric guitars - the colors, except for a few, were automotive colors:
Vintage Guitars Info - Fender custom color finishes on vintage Fender guitars

Last I checked, and you have to be careful because the formulations are changing - do your rese.................

Yep, I have been reading a lot lately actually and I have stopped at a lacquer paint and have discovered that the alkyd based paint is.... **** basically and takes really long time to cure properly (like almost never) and when you spray multiple coats you better do it right after one another otherwize you get to see the layers if you sand trough the top layer....

This is what i bought now Rustoleum Lacquer Spray in Chinese Red and it is Acrylic Lacquer actually. I haven't tried it yet but it looks promising.

A little update, in my previous pictures of the lamp I have had a crack develop in the wood due to humidity i guess and you can see a line so i got pissed off and decided to scrap that enclosure and build another one out of MDF with lock miter joints



Your comment was very helpful! Thank you, it confirmed that Acrylic Lacquer Hi-Gloss is the way to go I guess.

I am actually almost ready to paint the new lamp. Hopefully it goes good and i get to use the same procedure for the speakers i am building.

Btw I am going to use a Foam Roller with B-I-N® SHELLAC-BASE PRIMER i read it is really good somewhere, any advice? I really want to roll it on cuz i dont want to deal with the spray untill the color.... even than i kind of want to roll the color on too but idk about that :/

Originally Posted by Renron

"I'm interested in spraying very small jobs with rattle cans and I think it would be good to start a new thread on it since I don't think it was the original intent of this thread."

If it is for a high gloss finish it's applicable to this conversation.
Not everyone has access to or wants to use spray guns.
I love the HVLP a...........

Yeah this lamp is my high gloss project and eventually this experience will transition into the speakers i am building. It's all about getting the right technique and materials here i think.

[richie00boy]

Rolling on the primer should be ok as you can sand it back a lot. Same with the top coat, you can roll it on, but it just takes more effort sanding back to the nice finish that if you sprayed it. And you use more paint obviously.

[GM]

Originally Posted by Renron

Not a speaker but still gloss finish. This was NOT polished out. Straight off the gun finish.

So-so vision and crappy monitor keeps me from seeing it very well, but the relatively sharp reflections implies a fine gloss finish! You're making me want yet another 'toy' I can ill afford.

GM

[evanc]

Renron crib looks awesome. I to almost always use waterborne spray. I like the general finish much more then the target coating. Seems to lay out nicer, less problems with fish eyes, and holds on better when sprayed on a vertical surface.

[PB2]

Excellent site for picking colors:
Blue Corvettes at PaintRef.com

http://paintref.com/paintref/index.shtml

[Renron]

EvanC,
I've yet to use General finishes top coat, but on the next project I will get an opportunity.
I really like the fact that Target EM6000 burns in between coats. No witness lines if you sand through different layers. Don't even need to sand between coats unless you've got a run or a bug. I've never had a problem with fish eyes either, but then I always use de-waxed shellac between the stain and top coat. I have 2 guns too, one for oil and one for WB.
What GF product do you like to spray? I'm building a bookcase and mantle next. Suggestions would be great.
Sorry, a little off tangent but still on topic. Obtaining a quality finish.

Ron

[evanc]

I like the pre cat 181. I get it from homestead finishing
General Finishes

I still use a bit of solvent based pre cat
ML Campbell
sprays better and dries faster then the waterborne, but it stinks....

Shellac is my choice for smaller / nicer projects. works like lacquer but is not as toxic. The ultra pale is my choice for light woods and as a base for all other finishes.
Shellac