speeding up drying process{sp}

[GOG427]

i was watching tv and they where showing guitars being built but after this guy added clear coats he put the guitar in room it looked like heat lamps all around it ...

i have heard a nitro clear coat never really drys would this help it dry a little bit..or what was he doing then

[guitar_ed]

A lot of the big guitar makers use a poly that has been designed to cure faster under UV rays. Taylor Guitars mentions it on their web site. They can do the finish on a guitar in 1-2 days, instead of a month using nitro.

Guitar Ed

[Drak]

Ditto what Ed said, I think PRS does that too?

But no, there's not much you can do with normal lacquer except have patience. Rushing the buffout on a lacquer job is a lesson I learned the hard way more than once until I learned to just be patient, hehehe...

My coping mechanism for that was to always have many projects going at once, so there was always another project to distract me until the finish was truly ready for it's final levelling/buff out.

I've got 2 right now that have been hanging for almost 5 months or better, so the lacquer is well settled and hopefully there will be little to no depressions years down the road, and I've got plenty of other projects going to keep my mind off of them until they're ready.

[GOG427]

do they sell uv fast drying stuff to public?

[Morben Guitars]

What's the general consensus on drying time for nitro? I typically shoot without any thinner, and have had good results waiting 3-4 weeks after the final coat. I know longer is better...but what are we thinking is a safe amount of time? FYI, I'm doing all the polishing via wetsanding by hand...no high speed polishers.

[guitar_ed]

Hi MG,

I use strictly nitro, from the can. Been using StewMac, gonna try ReRanch this time around.

I wait at least 2 weeks after my final coat. Like you, I sand by hand. It does not take all that long to do. Depending on my schedule I might wait longer, but that is rare.

Guitar ed

Advice worth what you paid for it. Nothing.

[Hitone]

I used Mohawks Pre-Catalyzed Laquer. It seems to be a good product and the price is much less than Stewart MacDonalds. They even sell a Classic Instrument Lacquer . I'm not sure how good it is, but for me it's sold at the local hardware store (Elliots).

The stain colors seem to work well, too.

[rhoads56]

All lacquer dries faster under heat lamps/uv light. I can spray four coats within an hour, and let it to dry for ten minutes under lights, then grab the guitar to hold it.

[fidgec94]

Are they any down sides to heated-lamp drying compared to just room temperature drying?

[Guitarfrenzy]

Are they any down sides to heated-lamp drying compared to just room temperature drying?

Yes if you use UV machine to dry a finish that's not made to dry fast you can have a problem. Automotive poly like Dupont ChormaPremier Clear can fully dry in just one hour at the most in a UV booth. But who can really afford a UV booth, unless your mass producing guitars or your stupidly rich.. lol Now as far as air dry time, there is no comparison between Nitro and Automotive Poly. I can spray the guitar with the Dupont ChromaPremier paint and the same time the next day it is fully dried. With Lacquer you would have to wait a month for the same results. Most of the guitar companies either use Poly or Polyester paint nowdays for the quick dry time and ultra glossy rock hard finish. Let's put it this way, they use Polyurethane paint on Wrecking Balls.. lol So I'd say it's pretty durable. One warning though you need to have good respirator and adequate ventilation system when using Nitro, but especially Poly!! Explosion proof motors are a must also.

[Drak]