Jump to content

Using A Heat Lamp To Cure Nitro Lacquer Body


copperhead

Recommended Posts

I think there was a topic on using heat not that long ago.. and the general consensus was dont do it.. which i agree with. I beleive the other topic was using a furnace or something but either way.. i wouldnt put the wood under the extreme heat of a heat lamp. Take your time when doing finishing jobs... finishing seems like the most rushed process in guitar building. What type of guitar are you finishing? and what brand are you using as your nitro?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You need to heat the entire surface at the same time and temp, a spot light won't do that. You would want to raise the ambient temperature more than apply heat to one area. Otherwise you are baking the surface and trapping solvents. It can be done, but it is way easier to screw up than get right.

If you see what they use for cars its long racks of infrared lamps, nothing like a spot light.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IMG_4879.jpg

Do it all the time. There are four lamps, which face in different directions, and the heat from those lamps also bounces off the metal walls of this shed/room. I turn them on an hour before I start sanding. Ambient temperature is on average 12-15 degrees higher than the outside temperature.

The lacquer (all types) dries faster, harder, with less long term sink back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So halogen lamps are always really hot ? I found one of those ones people have in their house (floor lamp that throws light onto the ceiling) See them out for the trash quite often (I have 2 now). Bought a halogen bulb at Harbor Fright for 85 cents. Put it in that lamp. The lamp has a dimmer switch. Turned all the way up, it started smoking. Half way, it was "ok" but still damn hot.

One winter the furnace was down for repairs. That halogen lamp worked like a space heater to make my shop warm enough to work in (with freezing temps outside)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So halogen lamps are always really hot ? I found one of those ones people have in their house (floor lamp that throws light onto the ceiling) See them out for the trash quite often (I have 2 now). Bought a halogen bulb at Harbor Fright for 85 cents. Put it in that lamp. The lamp has a dimmer switch. Turned all the way up, it started smoking. Half way, it was "ok" but still damn hot.

One winter the furnace was down for repairs. That halogen lamp worked like a space heater to make my shop warm enough to work in (with freezing temps outside)

Those halogen pole lamps that point up were once the cause of many fires in student dorms. They were super cheap to buy, unfortunately they had a habit of igniting stray posters and other stuff dangling from the ceiling!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok thanks for the info. I though maybe I just happened to get ahold of some weird ones, or at least a weird bulb that got too hot. I actually like the fact that they get so hot. Could find many handy uses for these things. Most floor lamps can be taken apart and made much shorter, etc. Maybe even put one inside a metal tube as a "bending iron". I know, could be a recipe for disaster, but the price can't be beat.

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...