Nitro clouding

[chrisb0109]

After putting on my firt coat of nitro which was actually a sanding sealer, it has formed a few cloudy white spots.

This same thing happened on the crapo piece I tested it on and came out with a little rubbing from a jewelry polishing cloth.

What is causing this so that I can avoid it in the future?

[Maiden69]

a few factors, too thick of a coat, humidity,

[Scott Rosenberger]

It's caused by Humidity. Water vapor mixes with the laquer and causes the cloudiness.

[Dugz Ink]

It could be two different problems that look similar from a distance.

If it's something you can buff out, then it's usually caused by a thick coat; the inner finish is still trying to dry while the outer finish is trying to harden. This causes heat under the outer finish... blah blah blah. Try applying thinner coats.

If it's deep in the finish, it could be moisture... high humidity, a drop of water in a mix-cup, or condensation in your compressor. You may want to add a condensation trap to your compressor, and drain it (let out all of the air and water) at the end of every day.

D~s

[chrisb0109]

It could be two different problems that look similar from a distance.

If it's something you can buff out, then it's usually caused by a thick coat; the inner finish is still trying to dry while the outer finish is trying to harden. This causes heat under the outer finish... blah blah blah. Try applying thinner coats.

If it's deep in the finish, it could be moisture... high humidity, a drop of water in a mix-cup, or condensation in your compressor. You may want to add a condensation trap to your compressor, and drain it (let out all of the air and water) at the end of every day.

D~s

if it is a moisture problem, is that fixable? Could the cloudyness be buffed out?

[Dugz Ink]

Could the cloudyness be buffed out?

That's like asking me if I think you've sanded your guitar enough.

There is no way of knowing. Even if the problem is because it's too thick, the "cloudyness" could go too deep to just buff it out. Sometimes you have to just sand it down until you get past the problem, regardless of the cause.

But don't try to do something that's "just enough"... because you'll hate it later.

D~s

[frank falbo]

There are some additives you can use if you're spraying nitro in a humid environment. Check with the particular brand you're using to see what they offer and what they recommend. I've used spray cans for bridges and hardware, and headstocks too sometimes, and if I get any cloudiness there, it usually comes out with the next coat. There's enough thinner in spray can lacquer to totally re-flow the previous coats. So as long as I sand it down and hit it with another coat (in the right environment) quickly, it re-flows the undercoat enough for the cloudiness to disappear. There are also re-flowing products like cellusolve that have to be used carefully, but I don't think you'll need to go that far if it's buffing out or sanding off.