Where To Find Nitro Clear?

[TeleG]

I'm looking to finish a telecaster in vintage white, amber neck and a nitro finish. Unfortunately reranch, stew-mac don't ship nitro to Canada. Anyone know any companies that still make nitro-lacquer and where I can find them?

[Maiden69]

Do a search for DEFT. I know they sell in Canada, maybe woodcraft???

But this one still not as good as the one sold by Stew or ReRanch. I haven't tried the one that comes in quarts so I can't comment on that one!

[marksound]

Try Lee Valley or LMI.

[CrazyManAndy]

DEFT is one of the most popular clears. Easy to get, cheaper, doesn't yellow, etc.

But there are plenty of companies out there, like the guys above mentioned.

CMA

[Mattia]

I only really hear bad things about Deft; too soft, checks easily, dries slowly, but I've never used it.

I know Mohawk laquer is available in Canada, though.

[Mr. Preston Swift]

You could start an illegal underground operation to transport nitrocellulose into Canada.

or you could order McFadden's Nitrocellulose Lacquer from Grizzly. http://www.grizzly.com/products/h5751

It works great, my friend uses it and it looks spectacular, also the president of Grizzly used it too http://www.grizzly.com/sbguitar/sbguitar.aspx

Edited May 13, 2007 by Mr. Preston Swift

[Racer X]

I've seen Deft at my local Wallymart. I'd have to imagine our fellow Canadians have something similar (assuming they DON'T have Wallys). Sometimes the things we are looking for, are right under our noses. Might be the same case, for you. Good luck. Tell us what you find.

[TeleG]

Yeah, no Deft at any Wallmarts here believe it or not. Did find some at Lee Valley here though. As far as I know, Lee Valley is the only place to find Nitro in Calgary, which is odd considering how big the city is. Thanks for all the help.

Word of advice for anyone using Nitro for the first time; for the love of God use a painter's mask. I decided to be a hero and sprayed a coat without one. Even though I did it outdoors with a fan going I still ended up with a massive headache ten minutes later, I can't even begin to imagine how many brain cells I lost or how much I increased the chances of getting a brain tumor. Yes, I'm an idiot.

Edited June 8, 2007 by TeleG

[copperhead]

i buy watco clear gloss lacquer at a local hardware store i found a page on the net a piano maker had contacted watco/rustolium they him it was nitro lacquer boy it would make it alot easier if nitro was written on the can a

[awilcox]

Check out www.mohawk.com - nitro in spray cans (clear and colours) or by the gallon. It is available through most building supply shops in Canada by special order. I just order it from the local building supply store - which gets it from the Canadian distributor www.richelieu.com check out this link http://www.richelieu.com/produit/index.php...m=1&id=6819

I once heard they are owned by behelen and it is the same stuff. I use their nitro toner aerosol on my first build and it worked great. Do a check on the net too, I think there are a few internet shops that sell it out of Quebec.

[Jimboh]

Calgary eh?... lol im from Alberta too anyways yah ive been looking for nitro lacquers and these guys make some.Chemcraft nitro theres a listing of stores you can get it at in Alberta Chemcraft distributers hopefully that helps

[ihocky2]

I only really hear bad things about Deft; too soft, checks easily, dries slowly, but I've never used it.

I know Mohawk laquer is available in Canada, though.

Deft does tend to dry a little slower, maybe a week or two longer to cure. I have had no problems with checking and it does not yellow. Any time I've used it for any projects it seems to dry nice and hard. At least better than the minwax polyurethane has for me. Maybe I've just gotten lucky with it though.

[guitar2005]

When I finished my Korina Jem, I wanted a nitro finish and ended up going with Deft lacquer. It works great, dries and cures quickly and polishes to a super shine fairly easily.

You can get DEFT at Lee Valley and Home Depot here in Ottawa.

The only downside to DEFT that I see is that it chips easily. It's a hard finish and doesn't like to be bumped around. After a year of use, I took the guitar apart and recoated it to build up the finish a little more. I ended up using 5-6 cans. I haven't found anything else in Canada. Note - Avoid at all costs the Dupli Color crap tey sell at Can Tire. It never hardens.

My next project will be finished with the instrument lacquer from Stew Mac. I got it shipped to the US border and picked it up myself. I'm sure there's a UPS store in the US close by where you can have your stuff shipped. I'll be getting the Stew Mac touch up gun to apply it.

[ihocky2]

I have one chip in a Deft finished guitar, but I don't know if anything other than 2 part poly would have held up anyway. I set the guitar down on the sofa and my wife sat down which caused just enough movement in the sofa for it to slide. She try to snag it, but was a fraction of a second two late and SMACK. Right down on the hardwood floor on the rear edge. So it took out a nice chip right down to the wood. But it also look like the primer did not adhere very well to the wood, so that may have been as much of a problem as anything else.

[nerosrevenge]

According to Lee Valley's website, Deft is longer available. The Richeleau site lists a "classic instrument lacquer" but it doesn't say if it's nitro. I am considering this also so if anyone has any luck fiding it in Ontario (I will check Walmart this week) please let us know.

STV.