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Refinishing Gloss Black Body with Nitro


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Hi all - just looking for some top quality experienced guidance on a simple project

 

I am looking to refinish a gloss black nitro painted body, in gloss black nitro, to a super glossy fininsh. A few questions to the wise please : I have done this type of thing before with success as regards applying paint / sanding / buffing stages etc, using Northwest Guitars sprays, so that is my starting point. Black is forgiving !

 

The body is in good condition but has a few gouges / dings etc, so my proposed M.O. is...

 

  • Fill the gouges & holes with good quality wood filler
  • Sand the whole to a smooth base, 400 grit paper
  • Spray with primer
  • Sand again to smooth, 400 grit paper
  • Apply multiple coats of black nitro, buffing down any high spots with 600 grit paper in between coats
  • Apply multiple coats of clear lacquer
  • Leave for 2 weeks minimum to harden
  • Progressively sand to 2000 grit paper, changing direction with each paper
  • Buff to mirror finish

 

Questions : 

 

  • Do I need to sand the black nitro before applying lacquer, or if I just apply lacquer direct over the black & then sand, will this lead to any variations or high spots in the black layers being invisible once lacquer is buffed ?
  • Do I even need to apply clearcoat lacquer, or can I simply sand and buff the gloss black nitro itself ? Would it look any different, either way ?

 

Hope all this makes sense ! Any advice most welcome

 

Thanks

 

Chris

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B5C06847-09A5-4E29-91C8-29187CCFA5DD.thumb.jpeg.5a2ede630f4a564f489523c9fee9976c.jpeg

This is a telecaster body I refinished using nitro in rattle cans from Rothko & Frost. To make sure I got a good finish, I stripped it to bare wood and then primed with grey nitro primer and finished with about six top coats flatting each one.  After 6 weeks of curing I wet sanded with 2000 grit paper then hand polished with three grades of finishing compound. No lacquer was used. 
Personally, I wouldn’t clear over black.

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I agree. If you have sufficient paint depth and minimal "orange peel", you can create a lustrous finish with nitrocellulose-based paint. Progressively finer grit papers ( I prefer wet sanding)  and finish with auto body fine polishing compound. Good to go.

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