Official Luthiers Forum!

Has anyone used an airbrush w/compressor to apply a guitar finish? A wide stroke on an airbrush can typically only reach 2", but I was contemplating trying it out with a waterborne and a shellac.
-j.

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“If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”
-jack handy

I've used an airbrush to touchup the lacquer on a spruce splint repair and it worked well for that. But I sure wouldn't want to coat the entire guitar with one. With such a narrow spray pattern it would be difficult to achieve an even coat, and you would have to refill the cup several times.

All according to the finish your after. I did my first couple of guitars with an airbrush and small compressor. I was used to using it to put a nice satin sheen finish onto rifle stocks and that is what I wanted for the guitar. They don't put out enough volume to get a wet surface so it's almost dry before it lands but still wet enough to bind in with the previous layer. It goes on so thin that the advantage is you can spray in one continuous session and doesn't need any levelling.

If it's all you've got and don't want a high gloss finish, try it.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I guess it depends on the system ... I have the small system (not in use currently) that Stew Mac sold about 15 years ago - recommended by Dan E "when my big compressor is down for repairs". I finished a lot of guitars with that setup ...

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

The system is a small 1/8 hp compressor with a regulator. Adjustable small brush up to 2" wide stroke.
It sounds like this won't be enough to lay down a finish thick enough for high gloss, though, huh?
I'm not sure I have the time for a lot of experimentation with it, so maybe its best to move on from it.
-j.

_________________
“If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”
-jack handy

It would work fine for a neck, but not a body. Get a real compressor and you'll never look back.