Doc

There are basically two types of gun. The HVLP uses what the name says, a hgh volume of fluid and shot at low pressure. Because of this it doesn't atomize as well as the other type, the traditional high pressure gun. The drawback to this type is that you get a lot of overspray. Also your transfer rate, how much stuff actually goes on the guitar rather than in the air is crappy with a traditional. To minimise the orange peel make sure that you have thinned out your finish a lot. This is different for evry finish and weather condition. Temp and humidity have a larger influence on HVLP than conventional. Also, I use retarder, wWhich slows down the drying time and allows for better flow out. I have been a professional finisher for 25 years and it took me about six months to get the hang of HVLP when I first converted, but now I wouldn't use anything else. American Turbine makes good basic guns for a realistic price, and they show up from the manufacturer, new on eBay all the time.

The slow speed of a radial and the lowering problem make this a bad idea. You have a dangeous possibility of the bit grabbing and spinning or slinging your wood at you. There is a reason tht a lot of woodworkers are nicknamed "Stumpy" and "Nine-finger Jack".

You can mix metal powder with epoxy and fill that way. One problem with using a molten metal pour is that the metal will shrink noticeably when it cools. This isn't a problem on a non-wear surface, but a fingerboard can have issues after a while. Use solid metal where you can. It's not that hard. If cost is no issue it's the way to go. Platinum is really pricey stuff but available from jeweler's suppliers. Gold and silver ditto.

I'm gonna guess that you're a Brit? You guys are hamstrug by not having really good toxic stuff to work with. Kleen Strip KS3 eats polyester and polyurethane for breakfast, but it also is hard on the skin and lungs. Regular stripper is not much better than water on these tough finishes. Heat will work but be careful. A lot of guitars are assembled with glues that heat will soften. Learned that the hard way. Be really careful around bindings. You can also scorch the wood if you get too aggressive. Keep the gun moving and do a small area at a time. Remember to wear a mask that filters chemicals not just dust 'cause heating these things up releases all kinds of funky stuff. Take your time and don't get frustrated. All methods take ten times loger than you ever estimate.

Yep that sounds right to me. You dont really need to be worried about sand throughs. That sealer is hard as a bugger! you'll know when you've done enough . Just sand flat , it's really easy to do and I dont think you'll have any problems. Espicially with an experienced helper ← Good afternoon folks, I'm a part time picker who spent 25 years as a furniture maker and finisher. The first thing tht I learned is that is no one right way to do any of this stuff just a lot of basic rules to follow. I wouldn't have used lacquer as an undercoat, I would have used lacquer based sanding sealer. Just my way of doing it. As long as your filler will bite to the laquer you should be okay. Be really careful sanding cause if you cut through it will show from across the room with a dark stain. You can take off the filler with solvent (turpentine or mineral spirits) and burlap and avoid the cut through problem even if it's dry. You just have to let it re-dry for a day before you re-coat it. Doing things the way you are doing them avoids a lot of problems that you have when you fill, stain and seal. I have always hated working with grain filler. Nasty gooey crap, but it's the only way to get that mirror finish. If you do sand remember to still wipe it down really well with a solvent. I've had a lot of jobs where I've had to go back. After I hit the first coat of top coat I find all the smugy places that I didn't get all of the filler off, but were camoflaged by the sanding.