CGHbuilder86

Thanks for the help. I’ll try spraying again when it is not so hot. I did use a little retarder in my lacquer, about 15% I think, maybe I should use a little more.

I am spraying a nitrocellulose lacquer finish. Tiny bubbles are appearing, and I can’t figure out what is causing the problem. I've never had this problem before, though I haven’t had a great lot of experience. I have an air compressor that has an oil free pump design. I do not have any water traps or filters though, could this be my problem? I also need to add that my spraying conditions are not the greatest. The temp when I was having this trouble was about 84, the humidity about 53%. I have a window unit air conditioner that cools my shop but I can’t run it while I am spraying, because I don’t have a spray booth. I guess I should look into getting one, but anyway if any one knows the answer to my problem I would appreciate a reply.

Before I bought anything I would get a grizzly catalog. Check their tools first, there good quality, good prices, and the president of the company is a luthier, and he uses grizzly tools.

They also have the best value in bandsaws, I think.

http://www.grizzly.com/

I don’t use a router bit for this just use 100 grit paper and finish up with 220.

Thanks guys, I won’t spray if its over 50%

I am about to start spraying nitro lacquer on my latest project and I would just like to know how much humidity is to much. I always add a little retarder to my lacquers so that they dry slower and spray a little better. I am already familiar with how the temps need to be, I was just needing to no about humidity.

Hey Monkey, I’m not trying to sound mean or anything, but there is really no quick way to learn to build a perfect guitar. A CNC machine could help but it’s not the answer to being able to build a perfect guitar. I got into guitar making at about age 15, I am now 18, and I’m am working on my fifth guitar and are just now reaching selling quality. When people are looking to buy a handmade guitar they want it absolutely perfect! In fact they are harder on us than they are on factory’s. If I were you I would just build'em by hand.

What about putting one of those discs on an angle grinder that is metal and has a chain saw type blade around the outside edge. It might work good for roughing it out, this is just an idea though. I’ve never even seen one of these in person, but I’ve heard that you can do pretty detailed carvings with them.

I inlay on pre-radiused fretboards inlay material of about .060. I drop the inlays in about half way or a little more, just as long as there is some sticking up above the surface of the fretboard, fill with epoxy, then just sand of the excess material.

Yeah, find that tutorial by LGM guitars. Read it, understand it, and your guitar will look perfect. There is some great info there.

I have one, I am 18 years old and my dad bought his when I was about 7 or 8. I don’t think it is worth anything, mine doesn’t sound good at all, and there is no solid wood the woods are laminated.

A small jumbo size acoustic guitar with a florentine cutaway is my favorite guitar to play.

Yeah, it has a sitka spruce top. The neck joint is a mortise & tenon joint, very nice tight fit also. I used two brass cross dowels in the tenon and inserted the bolts through the head block, It is a great joinery system. It’s easy and very strong, you can read more about this system on William Cumpiano’s web site, This is the system that he uses now.

It does have an X brace pattern, It is very close to the martin bracing pattern except my X’s are splayed out a little more and I have a bigger bridge patch.

P.S. Thanks for the kind words!

I have the dan-echo, it cost me about $100.00-125.00 when I bought it a couple of years ago, it is a great little pedal. I don't think it could be much better.

I have never seen a heat gun or hair drier that was hot enough to generate enough heat to bend guitar sides. The pipe has to be so hot that if you put a drop of tap water on it, it will lightly sizzle and boil then dissolve after a second or two.

I used to have this same overspray problem when spraying clear lacquer. I found that the problems I was having were related to the temps like what was just being discussed, and that my lacquer was drying to fast, so I would add retarder to my mix and that would solve the problem. But I do understand that you are not able to modify your mix when spraying from an aresol can.

I built my guitar completely from scratch, and made all the parts myself. It has a wonderful sound. It looks even better in real life than in the pictures, but it is the best my camera could do. I have no problems with it.

Here are the links: http://img46.exs.cx/img46/3591/Digitalcamerapictures156.jpg

http://img39.exs.cx/img39/5254/Digitalcamerapictures117.jpg

http://img46.exs.cx/img46/1059/Digitalcamerapictures152.jpg

http://img46.exs.cx/img46/7171/Digitalcamerapictures079.jpg

It sounds great to me, I have had a few people play it and they loved it. The bass seems very nice for a guitar of this size, the treble and midrange are very good also. The volume is very good. The guitar is very responsive also, I’m pretty sure it’s the best sounding guitar I’ve played, and I know it's the best sounding guitar I've made.

Looks great man! All the previous work looks smooth, just take your time and it will probably come out in the end being perfect, or close to it.

Yes, it will yellow with age, how long it will take I could not say for sure, but It will probably take quite a few years. All nitro lacquer will yellow given enough time. This is not always a bad thing though, not to many like a vintage or antique guitar with a perfecly clear finish.

The back and side set is just plain old east indian rosewood, the nitrocellulose lacquer polished to a high gloss is what gives it its nice look.

The guitar is completely balanced in the shape, I see where you are coming from though, but it is just the lighting and angle in the picture giving it this effect.

Try these links, I hope they work.

Sorry you can't see the pictures, maybe I can figure out the problem.

This is my fourth guitar and also my best guitar. The others I made are O.K. but this baby is 98% perfect. Sounds great, and plays great. I had a little battle with the finishing, but it looks really good, and I learned a lot from it.

Any feedback is welcome.

You could use the satin lacquer to keep from having a high gloss, or you could just sand you gloss lacquer to fine grit paper and not use buffing compounds. I'am guessing about 2000 grit paper would leave the look your wanting.