how to hold guitar while spraying?

[rhagen]

Finally getting set up to start spraying on my finish this weekend and I realized I've made no provision for holding the guitar body while doing it! Any suggestions?

I'm thinking somehow bolting a piece of scrap into the dovetail slot so I have a handle to hold and turn the body and something to hang it by to dry. There is a threaded insert already installed in the neck, I guess I'd have to get one like it and install it in the body so I can attach a bolt? Never done such a thing before - are they epoxied in?

Rick

[kencierp]

[Darryl Young]

Here's a link to a post on what I did:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=738

[Ken C]

Rick,

I do as you are contemplating. Go to you hardware store, and get a hangar bolt (a threaded bolt with a lag type screw on the other end). Put a couple of nuts on the bolt and screw the lag screw end into a pre drilled undersized hole on your stick. I only use one bolt. You can then slip that into the neck mortise and attach with a nut and washer through the soundhole. Rather than anchor the guitar while spraying, I simply hold it in my left hand and spray with my right hand. I have a pretty good wingspan, so I have no difficulty doing the end graft this way. I found holding the guitar allows me to manuever it in the light, so I can best see the film I am laying down. My stick has a hole drilled in the end so I can hang the guitar in the house between coats.

For the neck, I just stick in a couple of longer bolts into the tenon and hold onto those while spraying. Same deal, hold in the left hand, spray with the right.

Good luck!

Ken

[Tony_in_NYC]

I bought a pack of the same type of bolts used to attach the neck and i put the inserts into a stick. I then attach that to the neck block to hold the guitar. I am not quite as large as Ken C I guess, and I also brush on my finishes, so I clamp the stick to my bench, paint one side, turn, paint, turn, paint, ad nauseum until it is all done. For the neck, I made a hanger out of some thick wire that I bent up with some pliers. I use the neck bolts to hold the wire hanger thingy(thats a technical term I picked up from Martin Lane) onto the neck and I hang it up and brush away. I hold the FB extension with my fingertips to keep it from swinging while I brush the finish on. I brush on nitro if that info is useful to you.

[Ben-Had]

I do something similar to Ken C except I drill a hole where the endpin is going to go and screw the hanger bolt in there. Then when I'm done I ream out that hole to accept the endpin. TA DA!

Tim B

[David L]

It must be exciting to get to this stage! I can't wait to get there. Well, actually I can wait, just a figure of speech, you know! Looking good!

David L

[Kevin Sjostrand]

I spray like Ken C does, hold it by the handle, and then hang it. I would like to try spraying it with the body surface horizontal to see how the lacquer flows out, so I might have to come up with something I can set up in my spray booth like Darryl built. I probably won't, but I'll think about it.
I imagine you can get a heavier, smoother coat with out runs that way.

Kevin

[Ken C]

Kevin,

If you have your gun set up correctly, you should be able to lay down a thin, smooth, wet coat that will not sag or run while spraying with your guitar vertical. If your coats are too heavy, keep experimenting with the settings.

Ken

[rhagen]

Thanks guys.

I like kencierp's setup. Darryl's is cool, but a little more than what I was looking for.
I went with using a hanger bolt (thanks ken c. for providing the name of that thingy) and screwed it into a nice dense piece of maple for my handle. It is crudely made, but solid and will work for this one. I'll probably make something nicer on the order of kencierps jig for future use, but I need something fast because I want to get the guitar sprayed this weekend before going off on a 2-week trip for work. That way when I get back the finish will be cured.

Finished making my spray booth in the basement yesterday, but it quickly became my daughter's "plastic playhouse". Will have to evict the toys and stuffed animals for spraying on Saturday!

Rick