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I have used Deft rattle cans to finish my first 3 guitars, after an unsuccessful attemp of using Tru-Oil on the first, stripping it to refinish it after the first year. It has worked quite well, and the look has to my eyes been satisfactory, however - the cost of the cans exceeds the cost of a quart of the Behlens which is formulated for instruments (so they say) by about 3 times. This fact, and the fact that I want the finish to be better; improved, caused me to order a quart of the lacquer, and a quart of the vinyl sealer today. I wanted to order a gallon of lacquer, but LMI had the gallon, and not the sealer in quarts, and Stewmac had the sealer in a quart, but not the lacquer in the gallon....crazy. So I figured, this way I can try it out, and it cost me less than the cost of spray cans of Deft sealer and lacquer to do one guitar. Now I found on Mohawks website, a gallon is just $34 and some change. Mohawk and Behlens are exactly the same made by the same company. That is an extremely cost effective price, so if I do good with the finish work, I will probably jump in and buy the gallon from them, or, get it from LMI for $44 and change.
Anyway, just wanted to share with you all. I already have the big compressor, the spray gun, so I will just have to wheel my compressor to the backyard where I put up my portable spray booth and I'll be good to go. Still thinking about the pore filling.
I've used epoxy thus far, and it seems to have worked great, but, I have some issues in the finishes that have come up down the road, and could it be from the epoxy?????? Don't know. Shouldn't think so.
So when the weather changes a bit and I have a weekend coming of 70 degree plus weather, I'll be spraying the Macuauba cutaway dred.

Kevin

get lacquer thinner and if you can get retarder get it. Mix about 10% thinner and 10% retarder . Don't sand the wood beyond 220 grit and use the vinyl sealer. Hit the first coat of lacquer 30 minutes after the sealer and use a spit coat 30% thinner and 10% retarder.
Spray a coat every hour for 8 hours and forget about it for 3 weeks. Level sand starting with 400 grit dry then go to wet . When you are 1/2 way through the orange peel switch to 600 when you are about to the bottom go to 800 , once leveled check very carefully for cut through.
I place a business card in the sound hole so I watch the build . I want an initial .016 to .020. You can then measure the card as you spray . It may not be exact but it will get you close . Once you are level measure the thickness at the sound hole. Do this before and after so you have a guessetimat of how much finish is on the guitar . Be careful of the corners. You want less than .010 and more than .006. Buff and polish . If you need to shoot more finish use a 25% cut and hit for 3 coats. Stars with the sanding at 800 and work up to 2500 . wet sand.

You won't be disappointed with the Behlens/Mohawk - great stuff. If you check the Interent it can be found for less then LMI and SM charge. For about the "billionenth time" I will stress that all the coatings have compatibility requirements -- experimental fillers etc. will almost always result in finish failures. It just makes sense to me to use all and only the stuff the "product engineers" (not the forum browsers) have determined will work together. $.02

this is a good point . Don't mix brands . As Ken points out compatibility is everything . If it don't mix it won't work .

John, thanks for the schedule. I will try and follow that. What does the retarder do again? Make it flow better? Retard the curing?
And Ken, thanks again for the reminder. I assume you are see the epoxy pore filling and reminding me???? Actually, the Macauaba has a pretty tight surface and I might be able to fill with a few coats of the sealer, and the neck is sapele, which also is pretty tight. Have you guys found much need for pore filling on Sapele? I did not see a pore filler recommended on the Mohawk site.
Which makes me think of another question....John, is it okay to sand on the vinyl sealer? I would think so, but I'm guessing.

Kevin

The retarder keeps the lacquer from curing too fast and allows a good flow . It also minimizes the orange peel. Makes for a better finish and smoother body

Okay, so I know I can use generic lacquer thinner, how about the retarder, will I be okay with the brand from my local autobody/paint store?

Kevin

Auto lacquers are "acrylics- like plastic" and their formulas and their solvent formulas are different from "Nitro cellulose -- like paper/wood" --- retarder is a highly refined thinner -- don't skimp on thinner or retarder if you are going to spend the bucks on a premium coating. Some Behlens products are proprietary. $.02

Ah, the old short bus syndrome, eh?

Ken Hundley wrote:Ah, the old short bus syndrome, eh?

Yes. Thats what happened to me. I was fine until I went to use some retarder a few years back. Nothing has been the same since.