# How to do a transparent colored finish?



## turmoil (May 6, 2008)

i'm just about done sanding my project guitar and i think i want to do a dark blue transparent finish to let the wood grain show through.

something like this:










What all do i need to know/need to have to do this? Would these products get me what i want?

-Blue Stain
ColorTone Concentrated Liquid Stains at Stewart-MacDonald
and

-Clear coat
ColorTone Aerosol Guitar Lacquer at Stewart-MacDonald

thanks guys!


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## Metaljim (May 6, 2008)

This should help you out.


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## turmoil (May 6, 2008)

Metaljim said:


> This should help you out.



wow, thank you very, very much!


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## Metaljim (May 6, 2008)

No problem.


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## scott from _actual time_ (May 6, 2008)

turmoil said:


> Would these products get me what i want?
> -Blue Stain
> -Clear coat


yep. here's a maple V that i did with similar products:






some things to consider:

what kind of wood is it? maple stains well. alder stains OK but can be patchy. closed-grain woods like maple and alder also give a nice smooth finish without using any pore filler, but open-grained woods like ash and mahogany have pores that will leave pits in the final finish if you don't fill them first.

that Stew Mac tutorial is a good starting point, but always test on scrap wood, preferably the same kind as your guitar, or even chunks of the same exact piece of wood. test your stain at different concentrations, test leaving it on the wood different amounts of time before wiping it off.

that Stew Mac lacquer is nitrocellulose. most Lowes stores carry Deft brand nitrocellulose, which is just as good but cheaper. definitely buy a mask with filters that will filter out organic vapors--nitro is very nasty shit that will eat away your lungs if you breathe it. only spray in a well-ventilated area, like outside.

i use 1-2 cans of sanding sealer, then 4-6 cans of lacquer--gloss on that V. you will also need fine-grit sanding papers--the micro-mesh ones are very good. Stew Mac sells them, but Woodcraft sells them for cheaper.

and the forums at projectguitar.com are a great resource for all things about guitar building.


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## turmoil (May 6, 2008)

scott from _actual time_ said:


> yep. here's a maple V that i did with similar products:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



awesome information man!! 
the wood, i believe, is actually alder. It's not the prettiest grain in the world but i think it will do ok.

i stripped the guitar down to the bare wood so will i need to use sealer or anything before i start painting?


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## All_¥our_Bass (May 6, 2008)

That V looks pretty kickass.


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## scott from _actual time_ (May 7, 2008)

turmoil said:


> i stripped the guitar down to the bare wood so will i need to use sealer or anything before i start painting?


you're not actually painting, you're staining. for that, you want the bare wood. 

stain soaks into bare wood--that's why you can still see the grain. the Stew Mac stains and other similar ones are water-soluble, so you dillute them in water. if the stain ends up too dark on your wood, you can wipe it down with a wet rag to pull some of the coloration out of the wood.

clear sanding sealer is sprayed on a stained guitar after the staining is all done, to build up the first levels of the finish.


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## turmoil (May 7, 2008)

scott from _actual time_ said:


> you're not actually painting, you're staining. for that, you want the bare wood.
> 
> stain soaks into bare wood--that's why you can still see the grain. the Stew Mac stains and other similar ones are water-soluble, so you dillute them in water. if the stain ends up too dark on your wood, you can wipe it down with a wet rag to pull some of the coloration out of the wood.
> 
> clear sanding sealer is sprayed on a stained guitar after the staining is all done, to build up the first levels of the finish.



awesome, man! i think i'll probably place an order today or tomorrow with stew mac for all the items i need. i can't wait to start really working on this guitar!!


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## Apophis (May 7, 2008)

Awesome V


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## scott from _actual time_ (May 9, 2008)

Apophis said:


> Awesome V


thanks very much! it was my first full build, so it has a lot of faults up close, but the maple and the stain came out good.


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