Jump to content

How Long Before The Clear Dries?


Recommended Posts

hi i just refinished my Ibanez GSA60 using rattlecans, Duplicolor Metal Speck and the trusck suv clear coat, now i know (from reading here) that those clears take forever to cure...like right now i could use it but can't place it down where the paint would touch anything coz it would leave impressions, right now when i'm not using it i put it on a platform where only the neck and the tremolo cavity cover are the ones touching it. Is there anyway of speeding the curing time? btw here's a pic of the guitar.

guitarblue8fu.jpg

bluescallop0ik.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks nice!

When curing clear I use two tests:

The Sniff Test - if you can still smell the finish, it's not done.

The Fingernail Test - if you can dent the finish with your fingernail, it's not done.

The clear has to pass both tests before I'll strap it on. Trying to accellerate the curing process is asking for trouble IMO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yeah if you can smell it, it needs more time. put it somewhere airy and it will dry quickly.

actually there's no more smell, i haven't tried the fingernail test though....but as of now i could use it and stuff, i guess most of the guitar is dry already except for the lower horn (at the back) where i had some few runs...i guess the paint is thicker there therefore hasn't cured yet.

i think it may be also the inside that is still not fully cured since i was able to wetsand and buff everything already... :D

Edited by dex_rodriguez
Link to comment
Share on other sites

sorry to tell you that if you lay the paint thick, it will take forever to dry, like I and others here have found out. On mine took about 6 months before I could push the paint and have no marks left in it. Next time use some other brand, I have seen guys and I did try it myself with no problems so far, to use Deft clear over the duplicolor mirage system, maybe that flake is the same base as the mirage. When you paint and it is dry, is it flat looking, so you HAVE to clear it,..if so you might be able to use the DEFT over it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have similar issues. I like thick coats of clear. I recently built a guitar for a friend. He wanted it sooner than I was ready for it to be played. I told him just to be careful. It was ok if you just played it. Well, he left it in a gig bag in his hot car all day (So Cal right now is pretty hot). Now it has impressions all over it. So I guess I'll be doing some more wet sanding and buffing. errrrrrrr

Here' what I learned:

When spraying poly, keep it to one light coat per day. I used to try to double coat. I think that is easier with nitro.

Wait a whole day for each coat to dry. I would coat twice a day when doing double coats before. Bad idea. Then I tried twice a day with single coats....still bad. Now I just do a single coat each day. It takes longer to paint, but it takes less time to dry. I would still wait a month to be safe.

Deft is Nito if I remember correctly...right?

What brand clear were you using?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...