Spring Break Project : Need Some Help

[hydrocoptic]

I have a week long spring break coming up and i have decided to re-paint a guitar that i have. Its a solid Mahogany body. I just have a few basic questions. I have done a lot of projects on plastics but nothing really that deals with wood. When i sand it down to get ready to paint what is the ideal gritts that i should uses? And before doing my painting should i do a primer? Any recommendations on the paint itself would be appreciated as well. As well as any tips you guys might have on mounting the guitar in order to paint it and any tips you may have on preventing drips. Im not gonna do anything that fancy. The paint job will probably just be a solid color.

thankx

[kickarse]

Well are you taking it down to the bare wood (80 grit) or just enough for the primer to adhere to it?

I've had good fortune with Krylon products and their enamel paints. Basically you DO NOT want to sand between the primer and the color coat but you want to wet sand between each color coat or each primer coat (220 grit should be fine). Make sure you paint VERY lightly, following the recommended directions on the can, and many coats and be patient with the time it says to wait between coats. Make sure that with corners you don't get TOO close (as Patrick did with the laptop case). Meaning be farther away then the flat surface. We have a tendency to get close to edges.

Be very careful when sanding edges too. Lightly sand everything just enough to see some swirl marks and take out any high/rough spots.

Are you doing a clear coat? I've heard that you aren't supposed to sand between color and clear as well. Lightly wet sand between each clear too. For the last clear (after it all dries) I would use an ultra fine steel wool pad with water and then buff it out with some sort of wax.

[hydrocoptic]

The guitar is already down to the bare wood. I stripped the paint off of it about a year ago, stained the wood and applyed a clear coat. All i really need to sand thru now is the clear coat.

i will probably clear coat over whatever color i end up painting the guitar.