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Blending oil and lacquer finishes


ADFinlayson

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I've got a couple of builds where I want to try and blend an oil finished neck with a lacquer finished body, specifically a neckthrough with a ramp from neck up to the body. Anyone tried this? I'm trying to determine whether it would make more sense spray the body with lacquer first, let it harden and buff before oiling the neck and blending that way. Or whether I would oil the neck and just lacquer over the oil? 

Any experience here would be much appreciated

Cheers
Ash

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One word: Shellac.

That should allow for changing between any type of finish.

Other than that, nothing sticks to grease. Question is, if the oil has cured is it still greasy? If memory serves me right, @ScottR successfully applied lacquer over an oiled surface but a single knock took quite a chunk of it off the surface. I've even heard about the entire finish peel off!

Also, grease/oil may not cure on a solid finish. However, old and worn out lacquer (Nitro? Or something else used decades ago) can become very nice when rubbed with some linseed (or Crimson in my case) oil so it obviously cures between the tiniest cracks.

That said, anything you try may work at least for a while. Will it stand the test of time, only time can tell. Just be prepared to anything.

 

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3 hours ago, ADFinlayson said:

I've got a couple of builds where I want to try and blend an oil finished neck with a lacquer finished body, specifically a neckthrough with a ramp from neck up to the body. Anyone tried this? I'm trying to determine whether it would make more sense spray the body with lacquer first, let it harden and buff before oiling the neck and blending that way. Or whether I would oil the neck and just lacquer over the oil? 

Any experience here would be much appreciated

Cheers
Ash

Ash-

Nearly all of my builds have a lacquer finished body with an oiled neck. I normally shoot the body and finish it before oiling the neck. This is mostly because the process of feathering off the lacquer at the base of the neck involves some sanding and that needs to be blended into the neck as well. When that is done I oil the neck with Danish oil right up onto the lacquer. And wipe it back off during the normal wipe off stage of a Danish Oil application. It wipes off easily. You will note that your lacquer will be glossier than the oil. Part of the feathering is transitioning from gloss to matte....but as a builder you will always see the difference. The feel of an oiled neck is worth it.

2 hours ago, Bizman62 said:

Other than that, nothing sticks to grease. Question is, if the oil has cured is it still greasy? If memory serves me right, @ScottR successfully applied lacquer over an oiled surface but a single knock took quite a chunk of it off the surface. I've even heard about the entire finish peel off!

Most of the oil finishes I'm aware of worth using on a guitar are oil based curing finishes. Like oil based varnishes, oil based polyurethane finishes, and oil based paints, these cure into what is basically a plastic. Not grease. My build had lacquer sprayed over a two part polyester filler and under base, and the underbase released because it on a six pound piece piece of wood falling two feet onto concrete. I may as well hit it with a hammer. I had to chip the lacquer off of that to be able to get to where I could run CA up under the polyester layer.

Just for the record.

SR

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