Clear Coat Help

[Morgan88]

I recently finished a custom body witha redish pinkish stain on a maple body. I put about 10 layers of clear lacquer on it and let dry for quite some time, but it now scratches very easily, i can take a guitar pick and scratch of the clear coats.

What kind of clear paint/lacquer can I use that will be relatively cheap?

Or could I have screwed up some where else?

[Zeb_hendrix]

Ill be interested in an answer for this two, Im currenetely researching what kind of lacquer to buy to spray onto my guitar.

[bluesy]

I recently finished a custom body witha redish pinkish stain on a maple body. I put about 10 layers of clear lacquer on it and let dry for quite some time, but it now scratches very easily, i can take a guitar pick and scratch of the clear coats.

What kind of clear paint/lacquer can I use that will be relatively cheap?

Or could I have screwed up some where else?

How long did you leave it? For some coatings it can take weeks to cure fully.

[ihocky2]

What type of lacquer did you use? Even more specifically, what brand. Not all lacquers are created equal. The cans say lacquer is dry in about a week or less some times. But that is dry, not cured. Lacquers can take a month or more to fully cure. (They never actually stop curing, but the amount of solvents they let off decreases exponentially after so long).

[Morgan88]

I am not sure exactly what brand it was, but i let it dry for about 4 months before i put the guitar together to make sure it was dry. I think it was some form of automotive clear laquer.

Edited December 23, 2008 by Morgan88

[Foggy]

I recently finished a custom body witha redish pinkish stain on a maple body. I put about 10 layers of clear lacquer on it and let dry for quite some time, but it now scratches very easily, i can take a guitar pick and scratch of the clear coats.

What kind of clear paint/lacquer can I use that will be relatively cheap?

Or could I have screwed up some where else?

If it was a premixed lacquer sprayed from an aerosol, then it's probably just the lacquer thats to blame (they do vary a lot between brands). If it was a two part lacquer that you mixed yourself and then either sprayed or brushed on, it could just be that you didn't mix it at the right ratio, lacquer to hardner.

The other possibility is that you maybe didn't let the coats dry out sufficiently before you applied the next coat, but without knowing a bit more about the lacquer and the application it's difficult to say. But you have my sympathy with this one, very few things more frustrating than when you get to the last stages of a finish and it doesn't turn out right.

Hope you get it sorted.

Jim

[Morgan88]

Hey thanks a lot, ill make sure i mix it myself next time, and i hope it works!