Repairing A Chip

[johnallg]

Looks really good Joey. I had to zoom the picture to 200% to even see the blem. You really hit the color.

[rickenbrother]

I have opposite problem with the chip on the Jetglo Cii. Matching the color was the challenge on the V63 and sanding it down was the easy part. I have opposite problem with the chip on the Jetglo Cii. Getting the black was super easy, but sanding it perfect on the rounded edge is the challenge. I've gone cautious and very slowly with it.

[8mileshigher]

I would echo several other comments --- This is a very informative thread... thanks for sharing the pain-staking process involved.

You did a magnificent job on repairing that FG bass.

Rich F.

[kiramdear]

It's been a while since our last post here. I've filled the screw holes on my 320 and there are some nice black bumps of goth nail enamel instead. I just want to ask about sanding materials.

I need:

little plexi block
Windex
Wet-dry (from which numbers to which?)

anything else?

[jingle_jangle]

It's been a while since our last post here. I've filled the screw holes on my 320 and there are some nice black bumps of goth nail enamel instead. I just want to ask about sanding materials.

I need:

little plexi block
Windex
Wet-dry (from which numbers to which?)

anything else?

Wet or Dry...

Nothing coarser than 600. So, I'd use 600, 1000, and 2000. The only source for 2000 in Marin (FinishMaster on Anderson Drive) is closed on Saturday. I coulda given you some yesterday...

You'll also need a fine polishing compound, Scratch-X or equivalent, and Zymol.

Oh, and diapers...of course...

[kiramdear]

Thank you, Paul,

600 I've got so I'll get started with that. That sounds like enough manual labor for one weekend. Seems to me I just got some new diapers too .



Wait, that doesn't sound quite right ...

[cjj]

Thank you, Paul,

600 I've got so I'll get started with that. That sounds like enough manual labor for one weekend. Seems to me I just got some new diapers too .



Wait, that doesn't sound quite right ...

Uhh, depends...

[johnallg]

Thank you, Paul,

600 I've got so I'll get started with that. That sounds like enough manual labor for one weekend. Seems to me I just got some new diapers too .



Wait, that doesn't sound quite right ...

Uhh, depends...

DOH!

[Tarrbot]

Great repair Joey.

For those interested, Sherwin Williams was mentioned earlier in the thread. I did a review for a magazine way back years ago whereby I used S-W to paint a custom job on a computer case.

I can't recall which S-W I used but it was in the East Bay and I had it shipped.

The best thing about S-W is that they have automotive paints and they also have a scanner. You may have to call around to find the right S-W, and I believe in the phone book it's listed as something like Sherwin Williams Automotive Paints or something similar. They can also put these paints in a spray can, if you ever want to fix one of those HUGE chips.

All joking aside, the point being is that you can get some very close custom paints from S-W. It'll likely be costly, though. I think the paint I got nearly a decade ago was about $30 per can or so.

[jingle_jangle]

Great repair Joey.

For those interested, Sherwin Williams was mentioned earlier in the thread. I did a review for a magazine way back years ago whereby I used S-W to paint a custom job on a computer case.

I can't recall which S-W I used but it was in the East Bay and I had it shipped.

The best thing about S-W is that they have automotive paints and they also have a scanner. You may have to call around to find the right S-W, and I believe in the phone book it's listed as something like Sherwin Williams Automotive Paints or something similar. They can also put these paints in a spray can, if you ever want to fix one of those HUGE chips.

All joking aside, the point being is that you can get some very close custom paints from S-W. It'll likely be costly, though. I think the paint I got nearly a decade ago was about $30 per can or so.

S-W was the supplier for RIC's conversion varnish for years.

All large paint manufacturers provide a computer matching service, as do individual paint supply stores. I have had less-than-perfect matches on virtually every sample I've brought in for this type of matching, however. The reason is that nearly all paints (exceptions: pure white, pure black, pure silver) in this type of formulation (urethane enamels these days, and soon to be supplanted by waterborne coatings) dry darker than they appear in the can or on a wet sample.

The only foolproof way to match a color is by eye, in daylight, with backup match checks in fluorescent, halogen, and sodium vapor color temps. Typically using only a daylight match is considered sufficient. A sample of the newly-mixed color must be sprayed out on a non-absorbent surface and allowed to dry. It's then compared to the original color. Oftentimes a specially-built light box programmable for different color temps--called a "MacBeth Box" after the main manufacturer--is used.

Every automotive paint supplier I know of provides this service, at substantial additional cost (between $25 and $50 per use). I have been eye-matching colors since the early 1970s; the ability to do this accurately is a thing that one is "born with", in my experience.

This is made additionally difficult by the nature of a FG finish (or any burst) to have a transparency factor--bursts typically have at least one transparent tint (RIC bursts have one, Fender's bursts have two or three colors, one of which is opaque). Transparent tints, because they are see-through, must have not only the proper color characteristics (hue--color family, as in red, brown, green, etc; chroma, or saturation; luminance, or brightness), but must also be applied in the correct thickness so that neither too much nor too little light passes through.

Fixing chips with a spray can is a recipe for disaster, and I would discourage any attempts at this. The problem with refinishing guitars with spray cans (sorry, ReRanch) is that not enough paint is applied to the surface to provide a durable film. If your intention is to make a guitar that will quickly relic, it's fine, but otherwise stick to spray guns and pro finishes.

Lastly, spray cans are undesirable from the standpoint of danger and waste. They cost a fortune to dispose of properly, and usually contain toxins. The overspray they generate is substantial when compared to that produced by a properly-set-up HVLP spray gun.

Waterborne coatings have been formulated by most suppliers for automotive use, in anticipation of the country-wide adoption of VOC regulations similar to those already in effect in Southern California and soon (October 2009) to go into effect in the SF Bay Area. However, clear coats (conversion varnishes) will continue to be solvent-borne, at least until durability of water-borne clear coats ceases to be an issue. This is still a number of years in the future, I'm told by my supplier.

Lastly, let me put in a plug for PPG. They are the best manufacturer of automotive (guitar) paints on the planet IMO, when one considers quality, ease of application, durability, and availability. I've gone through brief "relationships" with lots of other manufacturers over the years, but when I began using PPG products in the mid-1980s, I stayed with them and continue to use them exclusively.

[Tarrbot]

Oh, I would never suggest spraying a guitar with a spray can, even if it were for painting the entire guitar.

I only mentioned it as an option, mainly for other uses outside of guitars.

I should have stipulated that.

Thanks.

[schoolside]

If Mr. Jangle has a minute to spare, could he please recommend a chip filler for a butterscotch 52 tele RI. It has a tiny chip on the edge under my right forearm. I filled it with my favorite "fix-all", wal-mart super glue to stabilize it but that can easily be removed if I can find a close color match in the honey family. Thanks!

[jingle_jangle]

I know this may sound a bit strident, Dwight, but if it was easy, I wouldn't need to advise on this...

The butterscotch finish on these is very low opacity, and most attempts to match color exactly result in a paint that is too opaque and dries too bright.

The only advice I can give to somebody who doesn't have a large color library at his disposal (and this is 99.999% of the Rick population, I know!) is to:

a) Live with it. Tough, I know.

b) Make friends with a counterguy at the local auto body shop supply place--bring the guitar in at a time when they're NOT busy, and explain your predicament. Show him the chipped area. You'll get one of two reactions:

1)The corporate line of, "gee, we can't mix small batches, etc..." or a variation on same, or:

2)A bit of cooperation. They've got everything you'd need to match the color exactly (all you need is a dab), and you need access and goodwill. Every single one of these places has one or more on staff who can eye-match colors.

It's a project in human engineering...deal with the people end of things and the tech end will come easily.

[schoolside]

Thank you Mr. Jangle. I can easily live with it as it is a very small chip and leveled with super glue. At some point I will meet a cooperative body man who has some time to spare and can be bribed. The primary reason I asked is I didn't want to go crazy experimenting with home remedies only to find out they don't work. Now thanks to your vast knowledge and quick response I can forget about it. Thank you again Very Much!!!

[rickenbrother]

One small heads-up that I should have mentioned early in this thread. If you want to mix different color nail polishes to make the best possible color match, DO NOT use plastic bottles/containers! The nail polish will usually eat right through the plastic. It might not be right away either. You might find a nasty mess a few days later. Use glass bottles.