remodeling guitar, coating question.. please help.

[kketansa]

Hallo friends,
I am remodeling my 'f' cut old guitar. removed all the coat unto the wood surface.
Using automobile spray cans colors and epoxy clear lacquer.
1) I coated the back of fretboard of guitar with clear epoxy, sanded, then two black paint coats with sanding each. Then sprayed the epoxy Lacquer 8 to 9 coats at 10 minutes intervals. Did not wait curing time between 3 coats. Now it is 3 days, and it is still soft... can poke with nail. Will it dry if I leave it for few days more? what should I do?

2) On the box I have made drawings directly on the wood. Now I need to do pore filling without covering up the drawing. Then finish with the clear epoxy lacquer. How should I do it? just keep spraying epoxy lacquer until grains filled flat? or...?

[tippie53]

i don't use epoxy and can't help. Sounds like you may have to strip and start over. What are the directions on the can?

[kketansa]

i don't use epoxy and can't help. Sounds like you may have to strip and start over. What are the directions on the can?

Thank you for replying tippie,
Today I see that the surface is not so soft like yesterday but still can poke nail.
Initially before black paint, I used the same clear epoxy lacquer 2 or 3 coats. They dried hard within 2 days.
Those are the spray cans manufactured by RJ London company. The can says, surface should be clean, and wait 2 or 3, minuted between second coat thats it.

So for these more than 9 coats, should I try waiting few more days before stripping or sanding and buffing if success?

[tippie53]

you have nothing to loose . The thicker the layers the longer it may take it to cure. What have you got to loose.
One very detrimental issue with a thick finish is how much sound deadening that can do. You will know when you get this cured and restrung.

[kketansa]

you have nothing to loose . The thicker the layers the longer it may take it to cure. What have you got to loose.
One very detrimental issue with a thick finish is how much sound deadening that can do. You will know when you get this cured and restrung.

Yes thats what I wanted to know, thicker the layer, the longer it takes to cure, but surely cures.
Thick finish means, loss of sound? ohh... I havent started the box yet, will be careful while doing that.
Now this is just the neck back of the fretboard.
Thank you for telling.

[B. Howard]

If it is a consumer grade lacquer it may take several weeks, even months depending how thick it is to dry to the point of actually being buffable. Deft brand lacquers are notorious for staying soft for a long time. As to your second question about pore filling without disturbing drawing on the wood itself. What were the drawings done with? this will make all the difference in the worlds as far as what you can and need to do to preserve them under a finish.

[kketansa]

If it is a consumer grade lacquer it may take several weeks, even months depending how thick it is to dry to the point of actually being buffable. Deft brand lacquers are notorious for staying soft for a long time. As to your second question about pore filling without disturbing drawing on the wood itself. What were the drawings done with? this will make all the difference in the worlds as far as what you can and need to do to preserve them under a finish.

Hallo Howard, thank you for writing,
This lacquer is used for Automobile finishes, for workshops as well as diy for consumers. The 2 or 3 coat dried hard in 2 days. But this is more almost more than 9, so was concerned.

The drawings are done by me using dry colored pencils. brushing or rag finishing will smear the drawings, so its Safe until I am using spray. But, I had question because I don't want to use the wood colored opaque sanding grain filler. It would hide or sand the drawings. That is why I want the pores to fill with transparent filler only. So, the question was whether I can fill pores using the lacquer spray coat upon coat to level them. ......... .?
Thanks, see you.

[B. Howard]

Pencil drawings are tough, almost as bad as signatures done in sharpie marker. The first thing you need to do is seal the wood to set the art work. Spraying it is your best bet. I would recommend a shellac to seal the wood and art. There's is only one product I have found to work when I need a crystal clear pore fill and that's SB-112 epoxy by System 3. Epoxy pore filling is a lot of work and the chemistry must be spot on or the entire project will need stripped back to bare wood. Once the wood is sealed and filled with epoxy you can shoot your lacquer directly over it like normal.

[kketansa]

Thanks Howard, the SB 112 epoxy, You mean apply it with rubber squeegee?
But it is not available in India. Thats why I chose the automobile spray can, which says Acrylic Epoxy based lacquer. I will try to find the SB 112 epoxy equivalent at local factories.

[kketansa]

Hallo, any more people have more suggestions?
Thank you.