Metallic guitar lacquer cracking

My experience is that thick applications are prone to checking. They can also be sprayed over smooth unfinished wood or grain filler. How to stop a lacquer crack from spreading on a guitar finish there was a tiny hairline crack that came of it and i thought nothing of it. Colortone metallic aerosols are the easiest way to spray a metallic finish. Forming a very thin layer it allows the wood to resonate freely with little restraint. This lacquer has a nice flow and worked well on my guitar body, until i noticed that by the third coat the can started to spit out dried nodules of lacquer, and it made the. Ronin uses a wide variety of guitarclassic pastels, metallics and bursts from the correct color codesbut we havent stopped there. This is an extremely common, somewhat expected condition on older instruments with lacquer finishes. Nov 17, 2007 1 when i shot the burst, a big drop of colored lacquer spit out of the air hole in the top of the gun and landed right in the middle of the guitar this taught me to put a paper towel over the lacquer cup, secured by and elastic, to catch the lacquer that spit out of the airhole from back pressure. Compressor in good working order and drained once or twice daily and pressure regulator controls, and moisture trap installed in the air line as close to the spray gun as possible within 10 to 25 feet of the gun.

Nitrocellulose lacquer has been used on guitars since the fifties and sixties because of its excellent characteristics. Spraying too much material in full wet coats can lead to cracking. Again thank you all for your input i needed some opions as i am working on my second guitar and dont want to have this problem again. If either humidity or temperature get far away from these factory conditions, your.

It can be spot repaired easily and when buffed, shows a beautifull shine. This guide accompanies our metallic cellulose guitar body finishing kit. Colortone metallic aerosol guitar lacquer, antique gold. Imperfections during the painting process can also cause cracking in the paint. In this video, i talk about those reasons, and how to avoid this problem. Finish checking, or weather checking as it is also known, refers to the pattern of small cracks, usually comprising a series of parallel lines, but sometimes loosely. Then i sanded down heavily broke through in a few places, resprayed 1 coat of gloss topcoat. So if you bought a new 1955 chevy in pastel red, by 1958 it could turn to a coral pink red is the most photoreactive color and checked.

Apply to wood, metal, plaster, masonry or unglazed ceramic. Jul 11, 20 lapra both side lacquer coating machine launch year. Vintage guitars info fender custom color finishes on. Great for wooden derby cars, race cars, helmets, bikes, electronic casings and more. Much is made of the tonal benefits of woodtowood and woodto metal. There may be a structural issue in the sheet metal below the paint that results in cracking. Apply this paste into the cracks and gently smooth it down. In fact acrylic paints were developed because they were more colourfast and didnt crack and check as easily as the older nitrocellulose paints. A properly matched spray gun needle, nozzle, and spray cap in good working order. Guitar factories and small shops will let this lacquer cure anywhere from 4 to 14 days before buffing. We recommend spraying multiple thin coats, in a low humidity environment. In addition to online sales our trade counter is located in stockport, cheshire and is open to the public and trade customers. If youve had much experience playing, collecting or repairing vintage guitars, chances are you are familiar with the sight of tiny cracks all across the finish. Discussion in the hokey ass message board started by fat ass whitewalls, jul 17, 2015.

Can you shoot acrylic lacquer over nitro telecaster guitar. Because of this, lacquer is only recommended for antiques or. Wet sandingcracked lacquer inlays and finishing chat. Roy is rightlacquer thinner will rewet the lacquergood news if you know how to make it work for you to blend in new lacquer but bad news when things start going south on you. To make matters worse, depending on the type of finish you want to apply polyurathane, lacquer, oil, etc. Because my new lacquer had a slow acting solvent under it, and because my new lacquer fill is actually deeper than the original finish, i wanted to wait longer to allow it to dry than i would have even for a full finish. A couple guitar projects have gone well and theres no reason to spend more on reranch or stewmac if youre just looking for clear coat nitro out of a rattle can. These cracks look like hairline cracks, but cannot be felt. This will fill the gaps but it will always be slightly visible. Your guitar is made of thin wood which is easily affectedby temperature and humidity. How to stop a lacquer crack from spreading on a guitar finish. You should wear a properly fitted vapour respirator during the application and drying of nitrocellulose lacquer. This item colortone metallic aerosol guitar lacquer, antique gold. I emailed gibson and they say it is due to exposure to extreme moisture conditions which it hasnt been.

There are a few different reasons that this can happen. How to repair acoustic guitar finish guitar repair bench. Checking will vary according to the extremes the instrument has been through. Nitro finishes, however, crack and yellow with age, and they can check guitarspeak for fine hairline cracks with age or sudden exposure to low temperatures. As an instruments wood expands and contracts with moisture content stress is placed on the finish. Lapra both side lacquer coating machine launch year. But that also means there is potential to disturb or damage the existing finish. Nitro finishes, however, crack and yellow with age, and they can check guitar speak for fine hairline cracks with age or sudden exposure to low temperatures. Alarmed by ron4406s comment about dont ever put it on a guitar stand, i thought to check the bottom of my acylic lacquer refinished guitar where it rests on the stand. The lacquer was so thin that a buffer could cut right through to bare metal and you would have to start all over again. The wide cracks appear as the coating is drying and happens when it is applied too heavily or the solvents flash off too quickly. This product is currently unavailable for purchase. May 16, 2009 being this was my first instrument i sanded lightly in between coats and may have applied too much lacquer.

Jul 16, 2015 cracking or other imperfections in the surface itself should be removed before the new material is applied. Spray the metallic paint as thin and even as possible. Mar 01, 20 on the bassside lowerbout, there are some little chunks of spruce, finish and binding missing, the top is separating from the lining inside the guitar, there are loose pieces of finish surrounding the ding and there is a 2. Theres something alluring about the finish of a vintage guitar, but we can get close via. Tonetech ltd provides luthier supplies, luthier tools, guitar paint and nitrocellulose lacquers across the uk and europe. Krylon k05588007 colormaxx spray paint, aerosol, gold. Martin keeps the factory at a constant 4555 percent humidity and 7277 degrees fahrenheit. Checking cracking a nitro guitar finish nitrocellulose. However, when drop filling lacquer and other finishes, the fill normally shrinks with time and a dip is still seen even after a spotless repair. The luthier or the painter in charge has a large array of possible materials. How to fix it youll need to allow the paint film to cure completely. Most lacquer cracks start out small and internal, often called crazing. Tip sprays well, and it works well enough as the modernday equivalent of nitrocellulose lacquer. However, it fades and chips more easily than enamel or urethane paints.

My son has a gibson les paul which is 12 months old and the lacquer has started to crack around the volume pots. How to touch up and repair electric guitar finish guitar repair. Lets take a look at some of the major possibilities a luthier has when it comes to. Metallic finishes can be tricky, so follow our guide to create a stunning metallic nitro paint finish on your new guitar body. Once cured, you can sand out any imperfections and reapply the paint. The celluloidbased binder in nitrocellulose lacquer had more problems because it yellowed and checked with time checking is the term for slight finish cracking due to brittle paint. Over time the lacquer finish can begin to crack or check as it is traditionally known as. Its cheaper than than the others, is easier to apply and has a very glossy finish. Metallic nitro spray can paint job with no clear coat. Cracking in an automotive paint job may occur in the clear coat over the paint or in the base color of the paint. All my lacquer is supplied in 400ml aerosols, which have adjustable elliptical nozzles allowing a. If you do sand though, youll loose the metallic effect of the surface which becomes dull and sort of messy looking. Jan 28, 2018 metallic finishes should not be sanded. Then i dust on the first few clear coats so as not to disturb the metallic before.

Durable paint perfect for use on most surfaces regardless or outdoor or indoor project. Also, because of the small metallic particles suspended in lacquer, metallic paints have a bit more coarse surface texture even when you spray thin and evenly. If you want to avoid this happening to your guitar youll be smart to heed this word of caution when dealing with a lacquer finish guitar that has no current checking. However, coming from an exbody shop manager and car. Spray paint is inexpensive and is available in a wide array of colors and finishes. It is generally known as finish checking and it is typical on slightly older instruments that have a lacquer finish but can arise on new. Theres a specialty finish called crackle lacquer thats designed to produce cracks for the visual effect. There are several myths flying around about nitrocellulose lacquer guitar finishes.

When the wrong reducer is used in a top coat, or when certain materials are top coated before achieving full cure, the undercoat may lift in a way that appears like cracking. The cure for this type of cracking is to sand it back and recoat as soon as its dry enough. Ever wondered how to get near perfect, professional quality guitar finishing results with aerosols. A choice between an air drying lacquer 1k or one which needs an activator to harden it 2k. Roy is right lacquer thinner will rewet the lacquer good news if you know how to make it work for you to blend in new lacquer but bad news when things start going south on you. When spraying this body i used half a can of clear gloss lacquer dusted very lightly all over the guitar body until i was sure that the metallic flakes were covered and locked in place. Bronze lacquer spray paint 3 pack featuring todays hottest metallic colors. Spray additional coats of colortone clear aerosol guitar lacquer for a hard, durable finish with a deep gloss. Metallic color chart click on a color for a larger sample arctic silver metallic. Imperfections during the painting process can also cause.

We recommend the longer 10 to 14 day cure time for the best results. Once the strings were off, it was obvious that it was a lot more than the lacquer. Yes, it is possible with a little knowledge and practice. So if you bought a new 1955 chevy in pastel red, by 1958 it could turn to a coral pink red is. Can you shoot acrylic lacquer over nitro telecaster. Taylor top crack and finish repair finger lakes guitar repair. Once the lacquer is removed you are likely to find white binding assuming it was white when new. Now altho most decals i print are not solid font i do the same thing as jbennett, and hand paint metallic fill to my own custom font i have printed solid black before. I used a glue syringe from stewartmacdonald and titebond iii cleans up with water and clamped it for several hours. Finishing an alder telecaster body in metallic lacquer. You can buy it in a variety of colors at many auto parts stores. In order to ensure the longevity of the instrument, the luthier covers the instrument with a special coating, the lacquer.

First sanding wet sand the entire instrument thoroughly with 600 grit paper. Very high maintenance to keep that shine, and monthly waxing for protection. A guitar may play like a dream and sound like thors hammer, but if it has a terrible finish itll get regulated to studio work where nobody will ever see the horror of its. Take a razor blade and scrape it against a piece of metal until you get a nice sharp burr on one side of it. Behlen guitar finishing instructions using aerosols 184kb pdf, or see video below behlen aerosol application tips pdf, 96kb. Avoid the same mistakes by keeping the common causes above in. On most instruments the yellow tint you see on the binding and other areas is simply the result of yellowing lacquer. Both side coating on a single pass on polyester film for metallic yarns lapra co. Wet sandingcracked lacquer entry for april 2020s guitar of the month is open enter. I painted the chest black lacquer, and the front of the drawers and the pulls with metallic silver, and it looks very cool, and kind of glam. Rustoleum specialty lacquer spray adds an ultrahard, factorylike finish to furniture and accessories. Using spray paint on furniture and home accents can save you money, but an improper application of spray paint may leave a crackled texture on the surface that will cause the spray paint to flake off. Nitrocellulose lacquer finish instructions luthiers.

A short tutorial showing how to get that cracking checking effect on a nitrocellulose guitar finish. We can age binding by applying a top coat of tinted lacquer to render the yellow hue we normally see on vintage instruments. Dont leave your guitar out in the car it the temperature is below freezing and then bring it in to play a song by the wood. Metallic colors guitarpaintguys custom guitar finishing. So i set the calendar for a month, and put the guitar aside to dry. All my lacquer is supplied in 400ml aerosols, which have adjustable elliptical nozzles allowing a vertical or horizontal fan. Removing scratches from guitar finishes lacquer repair.

Over 10 years of searching for specific shades and hues of color, ronin has acquired a special collection of vintage car colors custom mixed in a nitrocellulose basein many cases even though the original color was only available in acrylic. The guitar is reranch sherwood green but im thinking i could just go to the auto parts store, find the closest dupli color metallic green and shoot over it so long as it wouldnt cause other issues. Lacquer coating machine both side for metallic yarn youtube. Acrylic lacquers were tougher and that when the buffer started coming into play, but the process was pretty much the same. The guitar has only been out of the house on about 3 occasions and the rest. Experiment with the markers on scrap wood to get a feel for their flow and application before attempting a repair on your guitar. You can use a nitrocellulosebased sanding sealer under my lacquer and i sell a. Krylon k02770007 fusion allinone spray paint, gold. However, i may be going crazy but ive been watching that crack this past week and swear its gotten longer than the last time i looked.

No metal powders to mix, and no clogged spray guns. I repaired what looked like a lacquer crack on an epi les paul neck last night. Lacquer finishing trouble shooting guide wood finish supply. Lacquer paint is the least recommended paint to use on cars by most experts. Air drying single pack and twopack lacquers are used as the final coating for basecoats, not only to protect the basecoat but continue reading. A couple guitar projects have gone well and theres no reason to spend more on reranch. I just started to suspect that the thickness of the lacquer may be the culprit but i was not certain. So you have a guitar body that you wish to refinish. Choose a lacquer repair kit which contains the substances that you can use to fill the cracks in the lacquer. Fixing crack in the lacquer the steel guitar forum. Durable formula works on most surfaces including wood, metal and plastic. This is why many people not just guitar builders find a finishing method theyre satisfied with and can apply reasonably successfully, and then use that method almost exclusively.

Metallic nitrocellulose lacquer clear nitrocellulose lacquer tinted waterborne lacquer clear. Compressor in good working order and drained once or twice daily and pressure regulator controls, and moisture trap installed in the air line as close. If they mention them at all, sellers tend to describe them as superficial lacquer cracks. Dan erlewines 5 tips for aerosol guitar lacquer youtube. Much is made of the tonal benefits of woodtowood and woodtometal. Some manufacturers have added plasticizers to their nitro formulas to soften the finish and make it more resistant to checking. Dont leave your guitar out in the car it the temperature is below freezing and then bring it in to play a song by the wood stove or you may get first hand experience with this type of cracking.

Glazes and waxes attempt to fill scratches and claim to make them less noticeable. Nitrocellulose lacquer melts into itself, making it ideal for nearly invisible touchups on lacquer finishes. I had a similar experience cracking my lacquer finish. Browse our range of lacquer and paint with metallic cellulose guitar paint product type. Posted on november 15, 2012 by orpheo ever since musical instruments were crafted of wood they had to be protected. This combination is the most important single part of your guitars surroundings. Cracking is accelerated by changes in temperature, inappropriate base coats, lack of keying between coats, and overthinned lacquer. Had some setbacks, ran out of reranch lacquer and finally just set it aside for another day. This lacquer has a nice flow and worked well on my guitar body, until i. How to stop a lacquer crack from spreading on a guitar. Cracking crazing checking from temperature and humidity changes is a well known issue of nitrocellulose lacquer finishes.