Hood Quick Drying Filler and Nitro Finish

[naccoachbob]

A couple of years ago, Ken Cierp started using Deft and then Watco spray cans to finish guitars. He also used Hood's Pore Filler under them.
I am wondering if others have done this in the meantime, and how are your results?
What is your schedule with the pore filler?

I just finished with putting on my 3rd coat of the pore filler, and am waiting for it to dry.
I have found that it has left some brush marks that I've sanded out with 220 grit. I don't think I've gone to bare wood after the 2nd coat. This stuff dries dang fast!

How soon can I sand this 3rd coat? I've waited one week with the first coat due to work considerations, and one day between the 2nd and 3rd. If I coated it at 3:30, could I possibly sand it at 5:30? 7:30?

Like many, pore filling and finishing are not natural to me, and I rarely know what to look for exactly when doing them.
My guitars have come out looking pretty good, but I want to either step it up a notch, or I will send them out to a pro that I know of. But shipping and finishing costs thru him are about $400+. But his finishes are so good it is probably worth it.
Thanks for any insights,
Bob

[Ben-Had]

I'm not sure about Hood's and I think Ken stopped using it because of some issues with it, perhaps what you are experiencing.

[tippie53]

Deft is not a good finish for guitar , You can get better material. I used it early in my days and now use Behlen's or cardinal. If you need the rattle cans, you can get it a Grizzly . I used about 6 cans per guitar and 2 sealer. I like pore o paq but will say zpoxy is a good filler , it is a lot more forgiving.

[naccoachbob]

Deft is not a good finish for guitar , You can get better material. I used it early in my days and now use Behlen's or cardinal. If you need the rattle cans, you can get it a Grizzly . I used about 6 cans per guitar and 2 sealer. I like pore o paq but will say zpoxy is a good filler , it is a lot more forgiving.

I just went to check. I have cans of Watco Lacquer. Any opinion on them?

[B. Howard]

I have used a bit of watco over the years, on furniture and cabinets and only for small jobs or in an emergency. It would not be my first choice for a guitar, may not even be a top 10. Most of these type lacquer are designed as not to be buffed and take quite a while to completely "cure". They can be hard to buff out as well. As for hoods? I have no experience with it. The products John recommended are good choices. To them I would add the spray can stuff that Stew Mac sells.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Bob,
I'm late to the party here.
I used the Hoods lacquer based clear filler on the Walnut OM I built and it turned out fine. However, I did find that 2 sprayed coats was not ample to fill all the pores. Because their recommendation is to not put more than 2 coats, I stopped there and let the subsequent sprayed nitro coats do the rest of the filling, which they did. I liked it on the mahogany neck....it filled better there.
From what I'm hearing, if you want a clear filler, the Pacer Zpoxy may be a better way to go. I still have half a can of the hoods and I'll use it up on the necks most likely.

Kevin