Posts
5748
Joined
12/7/2009
Location
Long Beach, CA
US
Edited Date/Time
1/5/2018 7:53am
..or anybody else with experience with lacquer.
Do you use any lacquer in your shop? If so, I would probably benefit from your experience. I am re finishing my Les Paul. Also ,my son and I are thinking about building some guitars and I really need to know WTF I am doing on the finishing. I'm not sure if you already know this, but most guitar builders use nitro lacquer for the finish. Some use acrylic and poly but most use nitro lacquer. Any tips would be appreciated as I am having some issues.
Do you use any lacquer in your shop? If so, I would probably benefit from your experience. I am re finishing my Les Paul. Also ,my son and I are thinking about building some guitars and I really need to know WTF I am doing on the finishing. I'm not sure if you already know this, but most guitar builders use nitro lacquer for the finish. Some use acrylic and poly but most use nitro lacquer. Any tips would be appreciated as I am having some issues.
I broke my headstock off my lespaul years ago and had it professionally done by the best luthier in the Pittsburgh area. He used a Nitro lacquer to keep the guitar as original as possible and he left it in a humidity controlled environment for weeks, maybe months... I don't remember. Anyway... The lacquer never sat right and this is a guy who does this regularly. Never completely cured and stayed tacky. Held dirt and oil from my hands and you could literally take your finger nail and scrape it right off.
Anyway, my point is, if you don't know what you're doing, please do not spray your expensive guitar. You will most likely ruin it. Learn on the guitars you're building. Nitro lacquer is a very temperamental type of paint that can be very easily messed up if you don't have the experience with it.
I don't know if that talent crosses over to painting guitars but if it's that important and you're interested I could probably get you in touch with a very high end guy.
TM
From what I gather, automotive lacquer is slightly different but the process is pretty much the same. Basically why I am paging newmann. I may be back to you on that. Thanks.
The Shop
What brand of lacquer are you using?
Approx thinner/lacquer mix?
Are you using any retarders?
Thanks for the help.
Should I try it or upgrade?
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