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Permalink Reply by Brian Hunt on July 15, 2011 at 10:48am

In general, you lay down your first color - frequently an amber - then seal over that with a clear coat. Spray your next color, lets say a red and clear seal over that. Then finish with a dark color such as a tobacco then do a final series of clear coats. This is often done with laquer and laquer dyes. You don't have to clear seal inbetween colors, but it helps if you need to remove the second or third color because you don't like it without removing everything. 

 

Stewart Mac also sells some rattle can lacquer that is predyed in various colors that can be used to make a nice sunburst finish. They actually displayed pictures of a cigar box guitar done that way on their site for a little while. If you have professional type spray finishing equipment they also sell some nice dyes that can be used to mix your own colors of lacquer.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Brian Hunt.

 

 

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Permalink Reply by James Boutilier on July 15, 2011 at 10:51am

Hey Brian. Thanks

Nothing professional here I'm afraid (grin). It's a brush or spray can.

So, I'm guessing by spraying color lacquer it is not just a paint or a paint mixed clear coat, but something you call dye ?

 

Sorry for the brain freeze on this.

 

Jim

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Permalink Reply by Brian Hunt on July 15, 2011 at 1:42pm

Hi Jim,

 

I forgot that Stewart Mac calls them a stain. All they really are is a colored dye such as that used for cakes (an edible dye) or cloth (a color dye to make our wardrobes brighter than natural fiber colors) only it is of a different chemical nature. When you use them on wood I forgot they call it a "stain" and instead I used the word "dye." Sometimes they are also called tints, just depends upon who you are talking to and the context. Stains, dyes and tints are somewhat translucant and allow the original texture of the materials they are used on to show through and enhances things like wood grain. Paint just covers everything up and is much more opaque.

 

Here is a link to the "stains"

 

and here is a link to the rattlecan "lacquer"

 

Here is a "how to" spray a sunburst article at Stewart Mac using their rattle spray cans. This guy sprays the sides his darkest color first, then goes to the lightest shade and sprays that, then blends with the middle color. After everything completley dries, then he does any cleanup and final polishing. Lots of ways to do a sunburst, you just need to experiment and find the way that works for you.

 

hope this helps.

 

Brian Hunt.

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Diane in Chicago on July 16, 2011 at 9:50am

I believe my friend old Lowe has done a poor man's version of a sunburst with standard spray paint applied in layers of color and then sanded off with a careful light touch to reveal the color you want. flat paint works best and be sure each layer is bone dry before going on. I still plan on trying that on a crappy old 601 box I have laying around.

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Permalink Reply by Skeesix on July 16, 2011 at 5:25pm

You can create a sunburst with all water or alcohol based stains on bare wood, or all tinted lacquer. Or a little of both.  The same Stew Mac Color Tone product will actually as both a wood stain and a lacquer tint. It's a great product by the way; I have some.

If you don't have any experience or equipment, I would go with spray cans. Practice on a scrap board first.

One final thought - a cigar box is usually a soft wood like cedar or paulownia. If you used stain, I think this would be like staining spruce - will probably end up blotchy. I would stick with the all-lacquer method if that's the case.

The Stew Mac "how to sunburst with spray cans" article link from Brian looks like a good place to start.

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on July 17, 2011 at 8:11am

Spray cans. 3 different colors. Work inside color to middle color to outside edge color (usually black or dark brown), overlapping the colors a bit. Use quick, thin coats, and overlap them while still wet. Let 'em dry, then spray with clear coat. Sand with fine (400 to 600 grit sandpaper) lightly, and re spray with clear and resand, as many times as you want for the highest gloss finish you want. Then polish with a paste wax.

Practice on scrap wood.

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Permalink Reply by Jon Pruett on July 17, 2011 at 2:14pm

I did one completely by accident on a light colored box. There was a black "made somewhere else" type painted onto the center of the box, so to get rid of it I used a rough sponge and Goof Off liquid. The scrubbing and the cleaner combined to strip enough of the finish off to change the color where I was working. It's not as cool as the multi-color methods, but as a quick simple way to spice something up it can be handy.

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Permalink Reply by Don Thompson on July 17, 2011 at 11:34pm

Pretty much how I do mine. I use a single action airbrush.

Brian Hunt said:

In general, you lay down your first color - frequently an amber - then seal over that with a clear coat. Spray your next color, lets say a red and clear seal over that. Then finish with a dark color such as a tobacco then do a final series of clear coats. This is often done with laquer and laquer dyes. You don't have to clear seal inbetween colors, but it helps if you need to remove the second or third color because you don't like it without removing everything. 

 

Stewart Mac also sells some rattle can lacquer that is predyed in various colors that can be used to make a nice sunburst finish. They actually displayed pictures of a cigar box guitar done that way on their site for a little while. If you have professional type spray finishing equipment they also sell some nice dyes that can be used to mix your own colors of lacquer.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Brian Hunt.

 

 

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Permalink Reply by dogfinger steve on July 18, 2011 at 8:10am

hey james, my method is wood dye and a blowtorch. first burn round the outside of the box (before adding wood dye, have tried it after and the flames were very impressive!!) burn less as you head inwards, quick passes... then rub on the wood dye or dyes as some can be quite yellowing. i sometimes go over it almost straight away with a wax which lifts some of the colour or sand with fine paper from the centre out, its all about experimenting and having an eye for how it develops. worth havin a go on a plank first tho.

hope this helps:0)

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Permalink Reply by James Boutilier on July 18, 2011 at 8:13am

Thanks everyone !

Great places to start.

@Don -- thats one very pretty box mate.

 

My load of boxes just arrived today !!  still have to open the package to see the goodies inside.

 

Thanks !

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