Guitar Paint Guide – Nitro Spray Ceruse Finish

With the ceruse paint kit, here is the list of tools and consumables you will receive to complete your ceruse guitar finish:

OVERVIEW OF THE FINISHING STEPS

Here are the steps to follow to achieve the expected nitro ceruse guitar finish using your kit:

• Working environment
• Wood & Grain preparation
• Application of a first selected stain to dye the body of the wood
• Application of the transparent primer to seal the initial colouration of your wood
• Mixing your second selected stain with the wood filler to colour the grain.
• Application of the wood filler-stain mixture to fill the pores of the grain
• Application of the primer to seal the entirety of your work
• Varnishing
• Polishing (optional)

The different methods and practices defined in this guide have been extensively tested. Strictly following these instructions will lead to the expected results, although it is possible to do some things differently. This method has been developed to make it as easy as possible for the user to undertake the finishing of their guitar and to obtain a professional result at a lower cost. For other techniques, see our full guitar finishing range, including options such as a polyurethane guitar finish.

CERUSE EFFECT: USE OF THE METALLIC BRUSH

Before sanding we invite you to use the wire brush to increase the grain depth. To do this, simply brush the wood in the direction of the grain to open the pores. Do not hesitate to rub strongly: the more the pores of the wood are open, the more intense the contrast between the two selected colours of your ceruse guitar finish will be.

Mahogany wood before (left image) and after (right image) the use of the metallic brush. The pores of the wood are now more open.

Ash wood after using the metallic brush.

As shown in the pictures below, you can also add a rubber band to your wire brush to further localise the pore opening of the ash wood.

NITRO SPRAY CLEAR PRIMER

GENERAL INFORMATION

This step is the most delicate in the application of our liming technique. It serves in particular to:

• Seal your previous work,
• Protect the body stain when applying the wood filler-stain mixture defined in the following section,
• Control the amount of coloured grain surface.

The diagram below illustrates the different stages and layers related to the colouring and filling of the wood. Note especially the protective layer provided by the guitar primer and the fact that by applying more or less primer, you can potentially completely block the wood pores.

Here is some additional information to keep in mind:

• Before applying the primer, make sure your wood has been sanded with P600 grit. And make sure to remove any dust with fan or using a hair dryer.
• It is crucial to apply layers as thin as possible to achieve a smooth finish.
• We recommend between 2 and 4 thin layers of primer for an optimal result whilst ensuring the security of your liming effect.
• Inspect your wood thoroughly after each layer to ensure everything is proceeding well.

PREPARATION

Before opening, we recommend shaking your nitrospray clear primer. Then, open it and you can mix it a bit more – using a wooden stick, for example – to ensure that your paint is homogeneous. Place the guitar wood you want to finish as described in section III.

APPLICATION

Apply the primer layers as thinly as possible. Use a wide brush or a clean cloth (preferably microfibre). Apply the primer in one direction, following the grain if possible. Do the top, the sides, and then the back. Do not sand between layers unless there are drips or orange peel. If there are drips or orange peel, sand that area with P600 without applying strong pressure. Also, make sure to wait for the primer to completely dry before applying each new layer (2 hours is recommended for the first two layers, then wait overnight). Only sand for your final layer with no pressure, using P800 only to remove imperfections. This careful nitrocellulose lacquer application is the key to a clean ceruse result.

MIXING AND APPLYING GRAIN FILLER + DYE

GENERAL INFORMATION

With the previously applied stain and primer, the goal now is to colour only the grain. To achieve this, the idea is to fill the grain - the pores of the wood - with a wood filler that you have previously coloured.

MIX YOUR WOOD FILLER WITH YOUR STAIN

Prepare your mixture to colour the grain as desired. Mix the wood filler with the stain. To control the intensity, you can dilute it with white spirit. Also, the final texture of your paste should be somewhat like custard. It should be easy enough to apply and scrape. It is important to be able to scrape your coloured paste well to remove any residue on the wood: only the pores of the wood should be filled and coloured! To apply the wood filler, we recommend wearing gloves, although it is not harmful. We suggest mixing our wood filler with a little bit of water, let's say 10% warm water. This will allow for easier application and prevent the formation of lumps that would need to be sanded diligently.

PREPARATION

To apply the pore filler we invite you to wear gloves although this is not harmful. We suggest that you mix our wood filler with a little water. Let's say 10-20% lukewarm water. This will allow for easier application and avoid creating lumps that would have to be sanded down painstakingly.

APPLICATION

To apply the pore sealer you can either use a cloth or a plastic card. Our preference is to use a cloth for its application and a plastic card to remove the excess. Collect the grain filler with your cloth and rub, pressing firmly in a circular fashion throughout your body (and neck, if you have decided to fill the grain of your neck too). The idea is to fill the pores, and you can imagine that you have to push the sealer into the pores, the interstices of the wood. Cover the surface, wait 2-3 min, no more, then scrape off the excess pore sealer from the wood surface with the plastic card provided. The goal is for the filler to only sit in the interstices and thus maintain a smooth surface. It is preferable to scrape perpendicular to the direction of the grain so as not to remove the filler lodged in the interstices of the veining. Then do the other surfaces in the same way. In more difficult-to-scrape areas you can use a clean cloth in place of a plastic card to remove excess sealer. Remember to treat the edges as well. These areas are easy to overlook.

Once all the surfaces are done, let dry for 1 hour then sand with P400 grit sandpaper as defined in the previous section above. Be careful not to sand too much. You don't want to remove the sealer you just applied. Sand the edges carefully as well.
Finally, inspect your work. You can easily see if all of the pores are filled by looking at the surface at an angle, against bright light radiating obliquely toward the surface. If you missed any areas, you can always reapply wood filler.

From there you can do this a second time if you want to make some adjustment and further darken the grain, but in our experience this is not necessary. If you are satisfied then you will have to wait 24 hours to apply any finish after filling the grain.

Seal your work with primer: Once you are satisfied with your work, you can seal your current finish with a clear guitar primer. This is not mandatory as the varnish will take care of it, but since you have some left…

Thank you for following our nitro ceruse guitar tutorial! Whether you are starting fresh or planning a nitro refinish guitar project, feel free to check our products, all in stock in the UK with fast UK delivery: {{widget type="Magento\Catalog\Block\Product\Widget\Link" template="product/widget/link/link_inline.phtml" id_path="product/3051"}} &{{widget type="Magento\Catalog\Block\Product\Widget\Link" template="product/widget/link/link_inline.phtml" id_path="product/3052"}}. For more techniques, browse our complete guitar finishing guides.