Brite Tone Waterbase Finish

[carld05]

Bob, what's your schedule for CA fill? And brand?
I've got a can of Goodfilla waterbased to try next time. Had no luck with Aquacoat ever. Last guitar was White Oak and after 15 coats the pores are still there.

[Bob Gleason]

Yep, vinyl sealer does not work. Definite adhesion issues!

[tippie53]

you have to seal before aqua coat and after
with Oak I don't think the may a filler that will work well it has such heavy pore , here you may find the classical
method of egg white and dust

[Bob Gleason]

Bob, what's your schedule for CA fill? And brand?
I've got a can of Goodfilla waterbased to try next time. Had no luck with Aquacoat ever. Last guitar was White Oak and after 15 coats the pores are still there.

You can find a very detailed schedule of the CA fill at the bottom of this page. Chuck taught me most of what I know about CA fill. http://www.moorebettahukes.com/MYWORK.html

[Stray Feathers]

I hoped I could add something to what we know about Brite-Tone, but I'm dealing with a weird situation. After using it successfully (eventually) on two early builds, with an inexpensive spray gun, I am trying it again. The difference is that I am putting finish on an old guitar with a new top. Because I've sanded the sides and back to even the transition to new bindings, I've gone through the original finish along the edges. So I assumed those bare spots needed sealer and pore filling (and stain, too, to even out the colour). I had some Brite-Tone vinyl sealer left over so started using it. It is extremely runny and I had extensive runs and drips with the first coat. (Spray gun settings same as I have used with nitro.) So I am learning what I should have learned earlier, how to reduce fluid flow, adjust spray pattern, and try different air settings. After pore filling and sanding everything with 320 I tried to get the second two coats of sealer on. Better but still messy. It almost looks like the sealer is being blown around on the previously finished surface (much better, but still a few runs, on the new cedar top).I wonder if the sealer is not compatible with the original finish? I may sand the sealer coats pretty much off and try going straight to Brite-Tone. Tad Brown says not to use BT vinyl sealer, but seal with the finish coat. Nitro is looking pretty good right now . . . Bruce W.

[Bob Gleason]

It is not clear what finish you are trying to blend together with the Brite Tone. If it is a commercial finish, it is most likely a polyurethane, and less likely nitro. No waterborne finish is going to blend with either of those.I have been working with this Brite Tone daily for a month or so, and still not getting a finish I can use on an instrument. I'm almost there, but still having issues with bubbles in the finish. So many variables! Whatever you learned spraying nitro, does not apply very much to waterborne. Most of my builder friends don't see that it is worthwhile to get involved with waterborne, but I can tell you that I'm really liking the lack of solvent fumes and the water cleanup of the equipment. At first it was annoying, but it is fast and simple now. That said, I don't really know if I will ever get a finish that I can use. I have 5 gallons of nitro as a backup! Good luck.-Bob