Stewmac Waterbase

[Johnny Foreigner]

Quick question.

I have *a lot* to learn about finishing - particularly spraying.

I'm using the stewmac waterbase lacquer and I'm pretty sure I sprayed way too heavily, so now my opaque black bits look significantly blue (in daylight only - under artificial light they look as black as pitch).

it's only been 3 weeks since i finished spraying - will the blueishness gas off if I let it cure a few more weeks?

Or will final wet sanding and buffing help?

Or do I have to accept the blueishness and learn my lesson about going easy with the thickness of coats?

[ScottR]

First check your black parts for the blue tint without the laquer. It is very common for black pigments to have a blue cast or a red cast or a green cast or a....well, you get the picture. Also check your clear on other colors --particularly white--although it is common for white to have a blue cast or a yellow cast as well.

Odds are very good that whatever is causing it will not gas off. If it is in the clear, then leveling and buffing will help, just a little because it will only be because you are reducing the thickness of the coat therefore removing a little of the blue along with it.

On the bright side, guitars spend most of their time indoors under artificial light, so odds are you will not see it too often.

SR

[Drak]

I doubt the blueish hue will disappear because most black colorants use blue as the primary pigment ingredient.

There is no such thing as black really, black pigment is made up of various colorant mixes, blue usually being the primary pigment, so the reason you're seeing blue is because it IS blue (to an extent).

When I shoot a blackburst over, say, a reddish sunburst, I always add some red or brown to the black to offset the inherant blue I know is in there.

For an example of this, you can buy what's called 'Piano Black', and what separates piano black from regular black is they add more orange to it.

So you're eyes are probably not deceiving you, on the contrary, your eyes are sharp enough to actually discern the blue in there (unfortunate for you I guess)...

As well, lacquer has a slight amber content to it, waterbase is perfectly clear, so there's absolutely no offsetting 'earth tone' to offset the blue in the black.

[Johnny Foreigner]

I love it when I ask a question and the two people I'm hoping will answer chime in.

Thanks fellas - so just live with it, then, and keep the guitar under very yellow spotlights.

[Kammo1]

My guess is if you have sprayed it on too thick its more than likely you have trapped mositure underneath the clear and if the top coat is dry it cannot escape and you have a "blushed" area which will give it a blueish hue. Don't ask me how I know.......