Venom300 Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 I am ordering the Nitro from Stew mac that sprays through a gun .. not the rattle can.. I had a couple of questions about taking care of the clear coat when its dried. First off 1. How long does it take to wetsand after the initial spray? 2. How many coats should I use? 3. I was planning on (since i am not building but refinishing guitars as a start) scuffing the guitars with an 800 sand paper and then painting over then clearing... is that okay? 4. Will it ruin the sound and the resonance and how bad? 5. How Long does it take to cure FULLY? I know I have asked a lot of questions but would be very excited to get the answers to these questions. Thanks for your time. Venom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 (edited) StewMac has a detailed finishing schedule, step by step, and there are plenty of tutorials here. Go to stewmac's website, look at the 'free info sheets', or click on the 'information' link/tab on the product page itself. Tons, and I mean a LOT, of information is right there for the taking. Use the search function here and look at various pinned tutorials in the tutorials section. Short answers: 1) only wetsand once you've got a bunch of coats on, and only if strictly necessary to clean up mess ups before final coat 2) 9-12 3) If you're refinishing, you can scuff the gutiars with 400 grit or something and spray over it, but at that point, but as few coats as possible on. There's also the adhesion question: will it stick? What's on there already? How thick? How many colour coats will it take to cover the old finish? 4) I'd be surprised if you could hear the difference between what you've got and an extra 4-5 thin coats. 5) 4 to 6 weeks. Edited June 15, 2006 by Mattia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venom300 Posted June 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 5) 4 to 6 weeks. Does this mean I have to wait for it to cure before I buff it out? Venom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 5) 4 to 6 weeks. Does this mean I have to wait for it to cure before I buff it out? Venom Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 If you can afford a spray booth(and all associated gear), or have access to one for that matter, I'd go with a 2 part automotive grade clear. I only say that because obviously your turnaround time is important to you, and you can buff out said finish about a day after it's sprayed. I haven't built mine yet, but all the materials/equiptment for mine set me back around 2k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikhailgtrski Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 The Stewmac and ReRanch instructions talk about buffing out after a week or less. But it is best to let it cure at least one month, or until you can no longer smell any fumes gassing off the finish. Nitro continues to shrink for some time. Make sure that the existing base finish is compatible with nitrocellulose lacquer. It will react chemically (in a bad way) with certain other finishes. Most modern production guitars are finished in polyurethane or polyester. If the existing finish isn't compatible, your best bet is to strip it down to bare wood. Otherwise use a different clearcoat. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 I haven't built mine yet, but all the materials/equiptment for mine set me back around 2k. Sometimes I get the feeling we're on different planets. Unless you've taken out a small business loan from the bank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 I haven't built mine yet, but all the materials/equiptment for mine set me back around 2k. Sometimes I get the feeling we're on different planets. Unless you've taken out a small business loan from the bank? No small business loan, just frugal when neccessary(and I'm very motivated not to die...yet). So you think I'm in college to actually become a mechanical engineer? Ha, not at all. All of the engineers I've met so far have been stooges. I just like the knowledge, the access to the cnc equiptment, and the spirits . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venom300 Posted June 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 (edited) Okay cool the information helps a lot. I have used mostly createx airbrush paint on most of the guitars and is what i'll be using most often. Does createx have a reaction with lacquer that you know of? Also would it be better to strip the guitar first or is scuffing it and covering it with paint, enough to not make it react the clear under neath if they are not compatible? Thanks Venom Edited June 15, 2006 by Venom300 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikhailgtrski Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Do a search for createx. It has been discussed frequently here. I'd be wary about relying on another paint to act as a sealer/barrier coat between nitro and another finish. Sounds like a recipe for disaster. Shellac is the only sealer I know of that works with nitro, and if I recall correctly, it doesn't work well over poly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 I use vinyl sealer under my poly(although "poly" can mean a lot of things, in this case I mean 2 part automotive clear). I imagine if it works under poly, it could work over poly. The point of that being that vinyl sealer is sold by stewmac to go under their nitro . peace, russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikhailgtrski Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 The point of that being that vinyl sealer is sold by stewmac to go under their nitro . Forgot about that one... "test on scrap" applies here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venom300 Posted June 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 (edited) So excuse me because im a newb Im gonna make sure i get this right... So i scuff the guitar then use the vinyl sealer to seal it off and then spray it with createx and then clearcoat? just trying to make sure I get this right. Venom PS.. 1 last questions about the clear... does the stew mac nitro yellow after time? Edited June 16, 2006 by Venom300 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 Yes. It's nitro! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 You do realise that no one confirmed that vinyl sealer works on top of poly, right? I assume it would, since it works under it, but finishes can be finicky. A good dose of common sense and the will to read up on subjects will do wonders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 If you can afford a spray booth(and all associated gear), or have access to one for that matter, I'd go with a 2 part automotive grade clear. Just to be clear...do not try 2-part auto poly unless you have really good ventiation in your booth, and a good respirator with fresh air supply. This stuff will damage your brain and nerves quicker than anything, and death is not far behind after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venom300 Posted June 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 (edited) If the existing finish isn't compatible, your best bet is to strip it down to bare wood. Otherwise use a different clearcoat. I don't know if this is a silly question or not but what is the easiest way to tell if the existing finish is compatible with the nitro? Other than the 2 part poly is there maybe another clearcoat that I can use instead of the nitro if it isn't compatible? Like maybe the waterbased finishes on stewmac? Venom Edited June 16, 2006 by Venom300 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 ummmm why don't you just strip it down to the wood and start over? It's really not -that- big of a deal if you use a chemical stripping agent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikhailgtrski Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 Other than the 2 part poly is there maybe another clearcoat that I can use instead of the nitro if it isn't compatible? Like maybe the waterbased finishes on stewmac? Waterbased finishes won't adhere well to polyurethane/ester. You'd have to prep/seal it first. Like others have suggested, you really should do some research and a little experimenting on scrap to find a system that works. But still, you'll probably get the best finish (and avoid problems) by stripping it to bare wood. It's not that difficult to do. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 If you can afford a spray booth(and all associated gear), or have access to one for that matter, I'd go with a 2 part automotive grade clear. Just to be clear...do not try 2-part auto poly unless you have really good ventiation in your booth, and a good respirator with fresh air supply. This stuff will damage your brain and nerves quicker than anything, and death is not far behind after that. Hence why I said "associated gear." The fan I bought will move 4 times the volume of air in the booth every minute, or just a tad below that due to static pressure. Don't forget a full body suit goes along with the fresh air supply . peace, russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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