phthalo blue is the color Bob Ross always used for his blue skies and water! :) It's cool to know you can finish a guitar with oil paint as we have lots of it around since my wife and I both paint.
Just wanted to give you my thanks. I’m currently stripping and hand refinishing my old 90’s Strat. I’m using this method. Your experience and knowledge has been invaluable to me for this project. Thanks so much for making this video and sharing your knowledge. Subscribed. Much respect. ✊🏻 🎶🎸🎵
I don't do a lot of colored guitars, but when I do, I've used wood dye. However, I've never been able to get the "depth" to the color like you do here. Guess what I'm going to experiment with next? Thanks for the video!
What a great idea! Instead of the polyurethane mix - have you ever directly applied Tru-Oil on top after the Japan drier step for a similar result? Being an oil, I will naïvely assume that it will be compatible.
Did you do something from the moment you were applying the artist oil to the moment you show the body already painted (at 4:30)? At this second one, the body looks like is already finished, the painting is even glossing. Great job by the way!!
Thank you for taking your time to respond to my inquiry. Your videos have been most helpful and very informative and I enjoy them very much. I am curious about your thoughts on using leather stain on a guitar vs trans tint?
I use food coloring. It works awesome. You can dilute with water if necessary. Really makes Maple pop. Sometimes I use an airbrush for bursts. And I'll put stain in airbrush also. Then use Minwax spray-on polyurethane as a first coat to prevent color running.
Have you ever tried using this oil paint technique on African mahogany itself? I have a tele body that I plan to refinish in the near future and it's 100% mahogany. I'm assuming that I'd want to color stain before starting to seal the grain?
I was totally fooled by this as well. I thought he used sanding sealer or some other liquid clear product to mask the mahogany from the maple. Thanks for pointing this out.
So what I have noticed about this technique is Japan Dryer can take more paint off than spread it around. I spent about 2 hours today trying to work with it and this technique. Also I didn't use Kline brand Japan Dryer since my home center was out. I used Sunnyville and the mouth of the container makes it VERY hard to control the portion (Kline is tapered). I used both phthalo blue and cerulean blue to get a sort of ocean blue. It sorta works, but it might be better on canvas rather than wood. I'm not sure how I feel about this technique over staining or dyes. It is a way different animal and while you make it look easy, it isn't. Results will vary greatly.
Oil-based stains are made with the exact same ingredients as used with this technique. The companies that manufacture oil-based stains and paint don't add Japan dryer because their products wouldn't have any shelf life. Japan dryer is added in small amounts by the end user to speed drying. A lot depends on the paints used. Not all brands are created equal.
Oil paint can take up to 50 years to dry actually, it continues to take up air over the years, and will eventually crack if the surface isn't treated properly. It doesn't actually dry because of the air around it, but because of light, that's also why it turns yellowish after a long period of time, unless it's been coated properly. cool idea to use this on a guitar tho, i'm so gonna try this! :)
This technique looks awesome! I'm starting a project with an Ash body and have watched your video on filling the grain. If I were to use both of these techniques on an Ash body I'd like to know what should be done first, fill the grain or apply the tint? Your video showed filling the grain but, since the Maple veneer is a closed grain you pointed out it is not necessary. But, you just showed tinting the Maple. Thanks for your time.
I want to do the same two techniques on ash as well. Will the artist paint and japan drier be able to pass through the wood after applying the grain filler?
How long does it take to dry after applying the color and Japan Dryer, before you can apply the final cover coat? Also, if you don't seal it with the polyurethane will the color rub off at all? Could you seal it with regular tung oil if you didn't want shiny finish?
Dry time will depend on the color and brand of paint you use. In my case, it took about 48 hours to dry. Artist oil paints use linseed oil as a base, which will seal the color. If you don't want a shiny finish, I would top it with boiled linseed oil, which will dry on the surface and leave a satin sheen. Tung oil works best when it can soak into the wood and the layer of artist oil paint will prevent that.
@@HighlineGuitars Thanks a bunch for taking the time to respond. So what would you say about using only the artist oil paint with nothing else? Would that accomplish the same no-gloss outcome? I want the wood grain to remain, I just want it colored and sealed to some degree. Thanks.
Your videos are so helpful, thanks! I have a tonne of oil paint here and would like to try this. Very hard to get hold of Polyurethane here in Bavaria. Can I use shellac/alcohol for this process instead of where you have used Polyurethane/Mineral Spirits. Will the oil paint work stay put if its really dry when I start to use thinned layers of shellac on top?
Chris, is it possible to use this technique with the traditional stain black, sand back, and stain again technique to pop the figure? Or will that not work with this particular technique and set of products?
Thanks for this great series! I need some help with the finish on my first guitar build. I have a mahogany body and neck that i've filled the grain using your mix and method. Now I am starting to apply the 50/50 mix of poly and mineral spirits. After the first thin coat a bunch of small cracks appeared in the finish going across the grain. I've sanded them off with 220 grit but I keep getting them when I apply another coat. Is this common? If not, any suggestion how to prevent it?
I tried this method with a piece of Alder and it was pretty much a disaster. The paint would not soak in to the wood. i kept applying more but the cloth just kept soaking it up. also where the heck are parts 1 and 2
Hi! You made a very good work! In the last video you talkead about fill the grain. To tint, like in this video, with artist oil paints, you have to fill the grain firt or no? I think that you can't paint if you fill the wood grain first. Can you answer me? Thanks a lot!
@@HighlineGuitars This is what I was wondering, as well. My body is entirely mahogany. So just to confirm, I can use your grain filling method, and then use the artist's oil paint over the top of the min. spirit/poly mixture in order to produce a solid color for the entire body, correct?
I did something similar to a maple neck with Winton oil paints. The paint is still gassing off, and I've been using Japan Dry on it - how long would you suggest for dry time before I can add Tru-Oil coats? That body looks great!
Can you mix the paint with your poly/mineral spirits/blo/Japan drier to tint it and apply as a self-sealing color coat? If so, how much of the oil paint needs to be added to the mixture? Doing a gretsch kit and found THE orange color in artist oils.
hello and congratulations for the awesome video!i have two questions.the first is about sanding.i have to sanding with one direction on whole body or exist some exceptions?and the second one is about gloss natural finish.because i want to do this kind of finish,is it the same at 6:30?i mean,if i want gloss natural finish,i have to stop at this point or not?thanks for your time!
You can change sanding direction in areas that are hard to work on like cut aways. Just try to sand in the same direction always in those areas as you work through the grits. If you want a natural gloss finish, build up 4-5 coats of the varnish mix. Then apply a final coat of the varnish with 1,000 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Wipe off the excess and let it dry. You can leave it as is or buff to a higher gloss.
helllo again and thank you very much for your reply.i just bought a swamp ash body that is already sanded with 320 grid(i asked the factory abouth this,so i know it).So,i have to use grain filler,sand,5 coats of varnish mix with sand between every coat,apply final coat and sand again,right?And two questions about sand.If i sand every time,then i will remove what i done before or not?And last,if i sand every time with 1000 or higher it could be fine?Sorry for the questions but i really like your job and it seems you know what you do and everyone in forums saying different -and propably-wrong thinks.Thanks again!
Could you, after putting on the base coat, actually paint using the same paints to make a picture or design? If so would you do it after you seal it or do you paint your design and let dry naturally like an oil painting?
I want to age the color. I have the stewmac aged clear and some non aged clear. Can I use the clear as a sealer then the aged in top of the clear to yellow it a little or just use the tinted laquer alone?
Hi. So I'm trying this on a pine piece of wood. Eventually to a pine body. I'm using green. But I'm not getting the kind of thicker and darker coverage you are. Mine looks splotchy even after I rub it in and use some mineral spirits to move it around. Doesn't seem to adhere. Is it the wood or am I not doing this properly? Thanks.
Quick "WHAT IF" question: when you apply the first coat of thinned poly / mineral spirits after the artist oil / Japan drier has dried, WHAT IF, instead of using a cloth to apply the first thinned coat of poly/mineral spirits, you use a 1500 grit paper to rub/sand the surface so all particles fill the gaps and thus producing a mirror finish ?
good day , you can use cristalac for finishing on a guitar paint with artist oil paints?because i think cristalac is water based so i dont know it if going to work
Yes, you can use Crystalac over oil paint. Just make sure the paint is completely dry. You may also want to apply some shellac over the paint as a sealer/barrier coat before applying the Crystalac.
Mask of the area you plan to stain with the darker color. Apply the lighter color and let it dry. Apply several coats of clear sealer and let it dry. Remove the masking tape and mask off the area you stained with the lighter color. Apply the darker color and let it dry. Remove the tape and check for seepage. I never get any with this method. Finally, you can seal the stain and clear coat.
Hi there, does it have to be wipe on poly? Can you spray waterborne sealer then waterborne lacquer on top of a oil paint treatment like this? Sorry if this is a dumb question.
Not dumb quest, in fact, the answer is a bit complicated. You have to make sure the oil color is completely dry before you apply a waterborne sealer and top coat. Actually, I recommend sealing with shellac before applying the waterborne lacquer. Shellac sticks to almost anything and is very compatible with waterborne finishes. Make sure it's dewaxed shellac.
+Highline Guitars thanks Chris. I've been struggling to get a real nice intense blue colour on my ash body using only dyes so it's nice to know there's alternatives! Thanks so much for your videos, you've taught me so much.
Hi Chris, I repaired a bass body that had dings on the front with filler and want to go solid/opaque color I don't really want to thin the color otherwise the dings may show. Just wanted to know if a sealer should be applied to the bare wood before the artist oil color, then proceed with the spirits/poly finish AND when should the Japan drier be used? What should be the order from bare wood to topcoat?Thanks and Happy New Year!!
@@HighlineGuitars I don't have access to a spray booth and was hoping to bypass the spraying / rattle can method. Anything else or paint type you can suggest or recommend using without spraying? I was thinking of doing a burst with a black color rim/contour as thats where the dings were and this would hide them followed by the hand applied poly as a topcoat. If you have any other ideas, please let me know, much appreciated.
I've done the first steps oil paint and then wipe it down with Japan drier it's kind of lighter than I expected is there any chance after it sets that I can redo it to get it darker is that going to hurt anything if I go back and redo the stain?
Hello, Great video! A lot of info here. Question. I plan on purchasing Winsor and Newton Winton oil paint. It comes in 37ml (1.25oz). Will this we enough to stain a bass body (front back and sides) using your technique? It will be a musicman type body. Regards, Mike
Thanks for your feedback. When you applied the artist oil/ Japan Drier, how long should you wait for it to dry? I'd like my wood to be a dark purple; so should I put one application of the oil/drier, then do it a second or third time? After that I would then seal it multiple coats with the wipe on Poly. Does this sound like a plan? Regards, Mike
Sounds like a plan. Dry times vary depending on the color, but it should ready for the poly after 12-48 hours. Try applying the color straight from the tube fairly opaque. The wipe it down with a rag dampened with Japan Dryer. The JD will thin the color to look more like stain and speed drying.
I started with the bass guitar headstock and the artist oil and japan drier (purple). Of course after wiping in the drier, the color was much lighter. Can I just keep doing the process to allow the color to get darker? And will it, with 2, 3 or more coats? Mike
Question: When working the stain in with the Japan Drier - could I also use pumice 4f at the same time as well ? The only reason I ask this question is because I have been trying to color balsa wood (for model airplanes ) using a color stain method (like yours - but i tried the Minwax express color - which seems to work great on balsa ) but I have noticed that nomatter how careful I am on subsequent sanding there will always be some spots that the stain gets removed and that is frustrating - maybe rubbing the stain with pummice to come up with a perfectly filled surface .. then seal everything might be an option .. Any feedback will be appreciated.
@@HighlineGuitars thanks for the reply. Overall the finish came out amazing. I dont know if most people have the patience do it that way but none the less its great.
Yes, I can do a tricolor with oil paints. It takes a little practice to get a feel for blending the colors, but it works well. I like both oils and Trans Tints, but they look and perform differently. Trans Tint colors are more vibrant and dry fast while oils are more subdued and take longer to dry.
@@HighlineGuitars If you were to use a black-colored grain filler on mahogany, to make the grain more accentuated, what oil-based/oil-compatible grain filler method would work if also using the artist oils to stain the guitar?
Not true. If you let the paint cure and put down a sealer, you can use any finish you want. I use polyester and water-based finishes all of the time without any problem.
Yes, you can. However, PRS uses aniline dye for their finishes. Aniline dyes use very fine pigments mixed in either water or alcohol which carries them into the wood. Artist oil paint uses similar pigments, but they are mixed with linseed oil and have a consistency of toothpaste. By adding japan drier and/or mineral spirits, you can thin color to the same consistency of water/alcohol based dye. The advantage of dye is it dries almost instantly whereas artist oils with drier/mineral spirits can take 24-48 hours. The disadvantages of dye are cost and availability. Artist oils are much cheaper and more readily available.
@6:34 i caught a refection of the back of your guitar And it doesn't look grain filled at at It still looks as those it is Very Very Grainy "holes" not a glass smooth finish fill, Is that what your after cause im watching to try to get a Glass smooth finish Im a little disappointed to see that and can't help but to wonder i this is misleading as to really getting a good grain fill. "Glass smooth"
For this guitar, I was after a hand rubbed finish that would allow for some grain and pore texture to remain. If I wanted to achieve a glass like surface, I would have done 3-4 additional applications of the pumice. This technique is very old school and time-consuming because you have to let each application of the pumice dry before applying the next. If you want a faster way to fill the grain, try this approach: ruclips.net/video/_agPy70C-u8/видео.html
Видеоклипы
phthalo blue is the color Bob Ross always used for his blue skies and water! :) It's cool to know you can finish a guitar with oil paint as we have lots of it around since my wife and I both paint.
Never seen artist paints used for finishing. Very cool.
So simple yet so effective. I'll be following this procedure for sure.
I had no idea artist oils could work like that. Rock on!
Great job..Excellent process
Thank you...
Thanks, I am an oil painter and you just tought me about Japan dryer
Just wanted to give you my thanks. I’m currently stripping and hand refinishing my old 90’s Strat. I’m using this method. Your experience and knowledge has been invaluable to me for this project. Thanks so much for making this video and sharing your knowledge. Subscribed. Much respect. ✊🏻 🎶🎸🎵
I don't do a lot of colored guitars, but when I do, I've used wood dye. However, I've never been able to get the "depth" to the color like you do here. Guess what I'm going to experiment with next? Thanks for the video!
very cool
What a great idea! Instead of the polyurethane mix - have you ever directly applied Tru-Oil on top after the Japan drier step for a similar result? Being an oil, I will naïvely assume that it will be compatible.
I actually used printer ink on a guitar for a green burst finish. turned out great!
Did you do something from the moment you were applying the artist oil to the moment you show the body already painted (at 4:30)? At this second one, the body looks like is already finished, the painting is even glossing. Great job by the way!!
Thank you for taking your time to respond to my inquiry. Your videos have been most helpful and very informative and I enjoy them very much. I am curious about your thoughts on using leather stain on a guitar vs trans tint?
I've used leather stain (Eco-Flo) and it works great.
Great videos! What was the color of the artist paint you used, I'm sorry but I couldn't hear it. Thanks again and God bless.
I use food coloring. It works awesome. You can dilute with water if necessary. Really makes Maple pop. Sometimes I use an airbrush for bursts. And I'll put stain in airbrush also. Then use Minwax spray-on polyurethane as a first coat to prevent color running.
but can you use lack or truOil after using Minwax spray-on polyurethane ?
Have you ever tried using this oil paint technique on African mahogany itself? I have a tele body that I plan to refinish in the near future and it's 100% mahogany. I'm assuming that I'd want to color stain before starting to seal the grain?
HI. Thanks for tips. Can I try mix the Minwax Wipe on poly with artist oil ?
If japan drier is not available ( I am in Brazil ) can I use Liquin? Also can I use this method on a basswood surface?
did anyone else see the masking tape and think he had a giant chunk of maple haha.
Yup, same here!
I was going to say the same
I was totally fooled by this as well. I thought he used sanding sealer or some other liquid clear product to mask the mahogany from the maple. Thanks for pointing this out.
Have you ever used this method on a guitar with nitrocellulose binding? Any thoughts on this?
can you mix the japan drier and pigment together and then apply?
Is this method good if you are trying to achieve a burst finish?
So what I have noticed about this technique is Japan Dryer can take more paint off than spread it around. I spent about 2 hours today trying to work with it and this technique. Also I didn't use Kline brand Japan Dryer since my home center was out. I used Sunnyville and the mouth of the container makes it VERY hard to control the portion (Kline is tapered). I used both phthalo blue and cerulean blue to get a sort of ocean blue. It sorta works, but it might be better on canvas rather than wood.
I'm not sure how I feel about this technique over staining or dyes. It is a way different animal and while you make it look easy, it isn't. Results will vary greatly.
Oil-based stains are made with the exact same ingredients as used with this technique. The companies that manufacture oil-based stains and paint don't add Japan dryer because their products wouldn't have any shelf life. Japan dryer is added in small amounts by the end user to speed drying. A lot depends on the paints used. Not all brands are created equal.
Let's go Rockies!
Oil paint can take up to 50 years to dry actually, it continues to take up air over the years, and will eventually crack if the surface isn't treated properly. It doesn't actually dry because of the air around it, but because of light, that's also why it turns yellowish after a long period of time, unless it's been coated properly. cool idea to use this on a guitar tho, i'm so gonna try this! :)
But it acts as if dry fairly quickly, especially if it's in such thin coats as this. it's not drying per se, it's forming polymer crosslinks.
Question is possible to paint a solid color with this technique? Maybe with multiple layers? I'm really bad, with spray paint haha
This technique looks awesome! I'm starting a project with an Ash body and have watched your video on filling the grain. If I were to use both of these techniques on an Ash body I'd like to know what should be done first, fill the grain or apply the tint?
Your video showed filling the grain but, since the Maple veneer is a closed grain you pointed out it is not necessary. But, you just showed tinting the Maple.
Thanks for your time.
If you plan to use an opaque grain filler, apply it first. If it's a clear drying grain filler, apply it after tinting.
I plan to use your mixture. Will that work ok?
I want to do the same two techniques on ash as well. Will the artist paint and japan drier be able to pass through the wood after applying the grain filler?
How long it tooks to dry ?
How long does it take to dry after applying the color and Japan Dryer, before you can apply the final cover coat? Also, if you don't seal it with the polyurethane will the color rub off at all? Could you seal it with regular tung oil if you didn't want shiny finish?
Dry time will depend on the color and brand of paint you use. In my case, it took about 48 hours to dry. Artist oil paints use linseed oil as a base, which will seal the color. If you don't want a shiny finish, I would top it with boiled linseed oil, which will dry on the surface and leave a satin sheen. Tung oil works best when it can soak into the wood and the layer of artist oil paint will prevent that.
@@HighlineGuitars Thanks a bunch for taking the time to respond. So what would you say about using only the artist oil paint with nothing else? Would that accomplish the same no-gloss outcome? I want the wood grain to remain, I just want it colored and sealed to some degree. Thanks.
Your videos are so helpful, thanks! I have a tonne of oil paint here and would like to try this. Very hard to get hold of Polyurethane here in Bavaria. Can I use shellac/alcohol for this process instead of where you have used Polyurethane/Mineral Spirits. Will the oil paint work stay put if its really dry when I start to use thinned layers of shellac on top?
It'll work.
Can you put tung oil over the finish?
Chris, is it possible to use this technique with the traditional stain black, sand back, and stain again technique to pop the figure? Or will that not work with this particular technique and set of products?
Yes, absolutely.
Thanks for this great series! I need some help with the finish on my first guitar build. I have a mahogany body and neck that i've filled the grain using your mix and method. Now I am starting to apply the 50/50 mix of poly and mineral spirits. After the first thin coat a bunch of small cracks appeared in the finish going across the grain. I've sanded them off with 220 grit but I keep getting them when I apply another coat. Is this common? If not, any suggestion how to prevent it?
No idea. Sorry.
I tried this method with a piece of Alder and it was pretty much a disaster. The paint would not soak in to the wood. i kept applying more but the cloth just kept soaking it up. also where the heck are parts 1 and 2
Any substitute for Japan dryer?
You can use Galkyd or Liquin as a drying agent with artist oil paints. Galkyd dries in 24 hrs, at least when I use it on primed canvas.
Yes. Experiment to see how it works.
I'm using India Ink for my build.
Hi! You made a very good work! In the last video you talkead about fill the grain. To tint, like in this video, with artist oil paints, you have to fill the grain firt or no? I think that you can't paint if you fill the wood grain first. Can you answer me? Thanks a lot!
I didn't use grain filler on the top. I used it on the Mahogany back and sides. Artist oils can be applied over the top of the grain filler.
thank you very much!
@@HighlineGuitars This is what I was wondering, as well. My body is entirely mahogany. So just to confirm, I can use your grain filling method, and then use the artist's oil paint over the top of the min. spirit/poly mixture in order to produce a solid color for the entire body, correct?
I did something similar to a maple neck with Winton oil paints. The paint is still gassing off, and I've been using Japan Dry on it - how long would you suggest for dry time before I can add Tru-Oil coats? That body looks great!
Can you mix the paint with your poly/mineral spirits/blo/Japan drier to tint it and apply as a self-sealing color coat? If so, how much of the oil paint needs to be added to the mixture? Doing a gretsch kit and found THE orange color in artist oils.
Yes, you can and that will save you some time.
hello and congratulations for the awesome video!i have two questions.the first is about sanding.i have to sanding with one direction on whole body or exist some exceptions?and the second one is about gloss natural finish.because i want to do this kind of finish,is it the same at 6:30?i mean,if i want gloss natural finish,i have to stop at this point or not?thanks for your time!
You can change sanding direction in areas that are hard to work on like cut aways. Just try to sand in the same direction always in those areas as you work through the grits. If you want a natural gloss finish, build up 4-5 coats of the varnish mix. Then apply a final coat of the varnish with 1,000 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Wipe off the excess and let it dry. You can leave it as is or buff to a higher gloss.
helllo again and thank you very much for your reply.i just bought a swamp ash body that is already sanded with 320 grid(i asked the factory abouth this,so i know it).So,i have to use grain filler,sand,5 coats of varnish mix with sand between every coat,apply final coat and sand again,right?And two questions about sand.If i sand every time,then i will remove what i done before or not?And last,if i sand every time with 1000 or higher it could be fine?Sorry for the questions but i really like your job and it seems you know what you do and everyone in forums saying different -and propably-wrong thinks.Thanks again!
Could you, after putting on the base coat, actually paint using the same paints to make a picture or design? If so would you do it after you seal it or do you paint your design and let dry naturally like an oil painting?
I would paint the design, let it dry and then seal it.
Can you apply tongue or true oil over top of the body once it's been sealed with your grain sealing method?
Tung oil is supposed to soak into the wood. Tru Oil might work, however I can’t say for sure as I don’t use it on my guitars. Test!
I want to age the color. I have the stewmac aged clear and some non aged clear. Can I use the clear as a sealer then the aged in top of the clear to yellow it a little or just use the tinted laquer alone?
Sounds like a question for Stewmac,
Hi. So I'm trying this on a pine piece of wood. Eventually to a pine body. I'm using green. But I'm not getting the kind of thicker and darker coverage you are. Mine looks splotchy even after I rub it in and use some mineral spirits to move it around. Doesn't seem to adhere. Is it the wood or am I not doing this properly? Thanks.
Probably the wood. Try a different species.
Quick "WHAT IF" question: when you apply the first coat of thinned poly / mineral spirits after the artist oil / Japan drier has dried, WHAT IF, instead of using a cloth to apply the first thinned coat of poly/mineral spirits, you use a 1500 grit paper to rub/sand the surface so all particles fill the gaps and thus producing a mirror finish ?
Even better, use 4F pumice: amzn.to/2DdfpXp. The pumice turns clear and mixes with the poly/mineral spirits to create a grain filler.
I’m curious have you ever done the artist oil paint to a swamp ash body?
Yes, I have. Works great.
good day , you can use cristalac for finishing on a guitar paint with artist oil paints?because i think cristalac is water based so i dont know it if going to work
Yes, you can use Crystalac over oil paint. Just make sure the paint is completely dry. You may also want to apply some shellac over the paint as a sealer/barrier coat before applying the Crystalac.
How would you prevent color seepage in a homogenous guitar body if you wanted a combination of colored and natural finish on the top?
Mask of the area you plan to stain with the darker color. Apply the lighter color and let it dry. Apply several coats of clear sealer and let it dry. Remove the masking tape and mask off the area you stained with the lighter color. Apply the darker color and let it dry. Remove the tape and check for seepage. I never get any with this method. Finally, you can seal the stain and clear coat.
Would you recommend this type of finish on an ash body?
Sure.
Hi there, does it have to be wipe on poly? Can you spray waterborne sealer then waterborne lacquer on top of a oil paint treatment like this?
Sorry if this is a dumb question.
Not dumb quest, in fact, the answer is a bit complicated. You have to make sure the oil color is completely dry before you apply a waterborne sealer and top coat. Actually, I recommend sealing with shellac before applying the waterborne lacquer. Shellac sticks to almost anything and is very compatible with waterborne finishes. Make sure it's dewaxed shellac.
+Highline Guitars thanks Chris.
I've been struggling to get a real nice intense blue colour on my ash body using only dyes so it's nice to know there's alternatives!
Thanks so much for your videos, you've taught me so much.
Hi Chris, I repaired a bass body that had dings on the front with filler and want to go solid/opaque color I don't really want to thin the color otherwise the dings may show. Just wanted to know if a sealer should be applied to the bare wood before the artist oil color, then proceed with the spirits/poly finish AND when should the Japan drier be used? What should be the order from bare wood to topcoat?Thanks and Happy New Year!!
Don’t use this technique if you want a solid opaque color.
@@HighlineGuitars Shucks!! Could you recommend another technique then?
@@michaelc9624 spray a primer followed by an opaque paint and topped off with a clear coat.
@@HighlineGuitars I don't have access to a spray booth and was hoping to bypass the spraying / rattle can method. Anything else or paint type you can suggest or recommend using without spraying? I was thinking of doing a burst with a black color rim/contour as thats where the dings were and this would hide them followed by the hand applied poly as a topcoat. If you have any other ideas, please let me know, much appreciated.
@@michaelc9624 I have nothing else to suggest.
I've done the first steps oil paint and then wipe it down with Japan drier it's kind of lighter than I expected is there any chance after it sets that I can redo it to get it darker is that going to hurt anything if I go back and redo the stain?
It's hard to say without seeing the finish so far. You could apply another coat of the color and it should darken.
Thanks for getting back with me
Hello,
Great video! A lot of info here.
Question.
I plan on purchasing Winsor and Newton Winton oil paint. It comes in 37ml (1.25oz).
Will this we enough to stain a bass body (front back and sides) using your technique?
It will be a musicman type body.
Regards,
Mike
Yes, it'll be enough. You'll be surprized by how far a little bit goes, especially when you thin it a bit.
Thanks for your feedback.
When you applied the artist oil/ Japan Drier, how long should you wait for it to dry?
I'd like my wood to be a dark purple; so should I put one application of the oil/drier, then do it a second or third time? After that I would then seal it multiple coats with the wipe on Poly.
Does this sound like a plan?
Regards,
Mike
Sounds like a plan. Dry times vary depending on the color, but it should ready for the poly after 12-48 hours. Try applying the color straight from the tube fairly opaque. The wipe it down with a rag dampened with Japan Dryer. The JD will thin the color to look more like stain and speed drying.
I started with the bass guitar headstock and the artist oil and japan drier (purple). Of course after wiping in the drier, the color was much lighter.
Can I just keep doing the process to allow the color to get darker? And will it, with 2, 3 or more coats?
Mike
Keep applying additional coats or get a darker shade.
just ran across this. what brand of oil paint do you recommend?
I like Windsor Newton.
@@HighlineGuitars Thanks. Going to try this on a pine body-with this video close by. Great stuff. Greg
Question: When working the stain in with the Japan Drier - could I also use pumice 4f at the same time as well ? The only reason I ask this question is because I have been trying to color balsa wood (for model airplanes ) using a color stain method (like yours - but i tried the Minwax express color - which seems to work great on balsa ) but I have noticed that nomatter how careful I am on subsequent sanding there will always be some spots that the stain gets removed and that is frustrating - maybe rubbing the stain with pummice to come up with a perfectly filled surface .. then seal everything might be an option .. Any feedback will be appreciated.
I have done similar with guitar finishes and it seems to work well. It's sort of an all in one stain/filler/sealer.
Perfect .. I will try that ( adding pumice while rubbing the stain ) - Thank you !!!!
i want this exact guitar, color, shape.
Thalo Blue, Bob Ross would be pleased.
How do you prevent the stain from bleeding like it did on yours?
The key is not to thin it too much. If you keep it a bit thicker than stain, it won't bleed.
@@HighlineGuitars thanks for the reply. Overall the finish came out amazing. I dont know if most people have the patience do it that way but none the less its great.
are you able to sand and make a tricolor burst with oil base paints opposed to trans tint?
Which one do you prefer to use?
Yes, I can do a tricolor with oil paints. It takes a little practice to get a feel for blending the colors, but it works well. I like both oils and Trans Tints, but they look and perform differently. Trans Tint colors are more vibrant and dry fast while oils are more subdued and take longer to dry.
Would this work on a more porous wood like mahogany?
Yes, but test first on scrap to make sure you like the results.
@@HighlineGuitars If you were to use a black-colored grain filler on mahogany, to make the grain more accentuated, what oil-based/oil-compatible grain filler method would work if also using the artist oils to stain the guitar?
@@officedoodler88 I would tint an oil-based grain filler with black artist oils.
what did he say?
Be sure your paint choice does not have any toxic pigments. That rules out your cobalt and cadmium based colors.
+78sevenfold www.mikebergenart.com/blog/guide-to-non-toxic-oil-painting-8252014
you should also mention that by using artist oil paint is that your limiting your options as far as finishing goes. i.e. oil finish
Not true. If you let the paint cure and put down a sealer, you can use any finish you want. I use polyester and water-based finishes all of the time without any problem.
i see. the sealer is key then, cause otherwise the the stuff pops through the finish like some of my experiences.
could you do a prs style finish like this?
Yes, you can. However, PRS uses aniline dye for their finishes. Aniline dyes use very fine pigments mixed in either water or alcohol which carries them into the wood. Artist oil paint uses similar pigments, but they are mixed with linseed oil and have a consistency of toothpaste. By adding japan drier and/or mineral spirits, you can thin color to the same consistency of water/alcohol based dye. The advantage of dye is it dries almost instantly whereas artist oils with drier/mineral spirits can take 24-48 hours. The disadvantages of dye are cost and availability. Artist oils are much cheaper and more readily available.
OK so it sounds like the artist oils would be more trouble than the dyes
One other disadvantage I forgot to mention about dye; it's a real challenge to nail the color you want. TEST ON SCRAP!!
Most definitely, I actually planned on going through the whole process on scrap, all the way to a clear coat
This stuff is awesome: www.kedadyeinc.com/
@6:34 i caught a refection of the back of your guitar And it doesn't look grain filled at at It still looks as those it is Very Very Grainy "holes" not a glass smooth finish fill, Is that what your after cause im watching to try to get a Glass smooth finish Im a little disappointed to see that and can't help but to wonder i this is misleading as to really getting a good grain fill. "Glass smooth"
For this guitar, I was after a hand rubbed finish that would allow for some grain and pore texture to remain. If I wanted to achieve a glass like surface, I would have done 3-4 additional applications of the pumice. This technique is very old school and time-consuming because you have to let each application of the pumice dry before applying the next. If you want a faster way to fill the grain, try this approach: ruclips.net/video/_agPy70C-u8/видео.html
That headstock. Is hideous. Please stick to the classics
Classics are boring and I sold a ton of these.