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Clear Coat Problems


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I thought i was done with my refinishing project until I noticed a small tiny chip in the finish. When I tried to scratch off the chip/speck..the clear coat began chipping off more and more. Some spots can actually peel away as big as 1/2 inch square sections???

I did a EVH design, and after I had removed the tape I had to use goo-gone to get the remaining masking tape residue off. I am sure I cleaned the guitar good before clear coating it. Also ..could I have clear coated when it was to humid? The can says below 60% humidity, can 65% humidity really have been the culprit on a couple of the coats. I used 2 cans of duplicolor clear lacquer over lacquer paint...How many cans should be used to do the clear coats.

The guitar was looking great, I had it polished and was starting to reinstall everything. Please suggest what went wrong.

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I used dupli-color lacquer paint and clear lacquer spray cans . I had research through all the forums and everybody says dupli-color spray lacquer is fine. I know it isn't hvlp quality but it looked very nice after I hand buffed it. I really didn't even have to wet sand that much because it was glossy enough, I didn't want it gleaming because EVH didn't even clear coat his original frankenstrats.

I just have never read of any similar problems like this with others who have clear coated before. Only a couple of coats may have been sprayed with 65% humidity, nothing more than that. Its like the clear coat held fine, I would have never noticed a problem until I saw that tiny 1/8 " sized little ding in the finish. If I would have known I would be sanding the whole thing down again I might of just put some clear lacquer on that tiny spot and hoped it never would get banged around.

You could take your finger nail and scrape up sections of the clear coat like you were scraping a decal off a glass window.

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I was wondering if that may have messed it up. It sure did remove the masking tape residue. I just cleaned it with mild soap and water and made sure I wiped it all down really good before clearing it.. Maybe it did leave a microscopic residue behind.

How many cans should I have to use to clear coat. I went through 2 cans of duplicolor and the thickness of what I was scraping off with my fingernail was as thick as a piece of scoth tape.

So you think the humidity would not have done that? 65% humidity did cause a little blushing of the clear coat buff that was handbuffed out.

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Probably not humidity but did your follow the manufacturers recomendations for # of coats in # of hours and flash time etc...

The first thing the guy from HOK told us in the paint class I took from him was you put paint on too thick. Then he spent a week showing us...

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I am not sure what all of the chemical properties of Goo Gone are, but some of the oily products just stick around. Especially any silicone based products. Silicone is a nightmare to remove, but you would have seen fish eyes when you sprayed so I doubt it is silicone. But some of the oils just bead off water and mild soap. I always wipe down with at least naptha, if not a good wax a grease remover. And make sure you keep turning your rag to get a fresh side so you are not just spreading the already picked up oil around more.

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Silicone is a nightmare to remove, but you would have seen fish eyes when you sprayed so I doubt it is silicone.

Just to open a sidebar on the silicone. Absolutely correct insofar as silicone and fisheyes is concerned. Silicone is an insidious product around ANY paint products. I worked painting helicopters for 5 years and I ran into a hell of a problem one time. In the process of shooting the final color (of 3) on a Huey tailboom, fisheyes started popping up all over. After they defibbed me, we traced it to a silicone glue product that Bell requires to glue on the door seals on Jet Rangers. The mechanic was using the product on the otherside of the hanger, and the FUMES drifted over to the booth. At 600$ a gallon for the AlumiGrip, it was a very expensive lesson. Just something to keep in mind.

Cheers

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I will have to remove my masking tape a little sooner so the residue doesnt stick to the paint job. The paint adhered greatly to the guitar but the only thing between the paint and clear would be that goo gone layer.

From all the stuff I read about as far as Duplicolor clear not being any good...is there also the chance that this is what to sometimes expect from rattlecan clear? Or was this most defintly something in what I did wrong..like the goo gone part?

And thanks for all the feedback

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From experience - the Goo Gone did it. If you use Goo Gone to clean something off, follow it with naptha to get the goo gone... gone. It leaves an oily residue behind that will eat a finish. I have since quit using it except during stripping as naptha and elbow grease tend to be the more reliable cleaning ingredients when soapy water won't do.

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