A new OM about to be born

[krrtlr1]

Beautiful! Can't wait to see it finished

[Kevin Sjostrand]

All done spraying
Some pics with lacquer on.
Shiny!

[TEETERFAN]

Looking terrific!!

[Diane Kauffmds]

It's really turned out nice. Good job, as always

[Kevin Sjostrand]

UPDATE. HORROR!

So I saw something this morning that struck me with Horror. Or at least it made me sad.

The guitar has been hanging in my garage shop for two months since spraying. It has been fine up to at least a week ago. But today I looked at it and found the top lacquer has cracked with multiple cracks from top to bottom and I'm guessing they go through to the wood.
Also the front and back of the headstock have some cracking, but more minor.
Interesting the neck shaft and heel, and the back and sides have no cracks. It is cold out there but we have not had freezing temperatures. Humidity had been high....a bit higher than when I sprayed. So I don't know if it's temp changes or humidity changes or both. I've never had it happen before. I don't believe I'm any thicker on the lacquer then usual for me. I think I measured .010" when I removed the bridge mask. With leveling it usually ends up .005" or a smidge less thick.

I figure I can wait till warmer weather and shoot it with straight thinner or highly thinned lacquer and melt it back together????? I'm hoping!!!!

Any ideas, thoughts or suggestions from the gang here would be welcome and helpful. Mohawk Nitro lacquer

I think the picture shows some of it.

[TEETERFAN]

That does look like Horror! Very sorry to see this.
A rapidly warmed up guitar will do this, but that’s like a guitar in the cold overnight being brought into a warm room. The porous interior wood exchanges heat and expands quicker than the smooth lacquer exterior. My thought is it is more temperature related than humidity related.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

As I think about this.....I may have done it myself.
I have an infrared heater hanging from the ceiling near the hanging guitar that I ran a week ago for a bit while I was working. I usually do not run it long but I think I left it on for almost an hour while Ieft the shop to clean up some leaves!!!!! Yikes. This may haVe done it

[TEETERFAN]

That sounds real possible. Perhaps the cracks are only in the lacquer. It is good that it is nitro. This will certainly be an interesting and instructive repair. Hopefully some other members have tackled this before.

Heat is quite damaging. I am reminded when I first purchased a heat gun. I thought it would be just the thing to help remove a pickguard. I vastly underestimated the heat and within seconds I had browned, semi charred edges at the sound hole and a tortoise shelled pickguard bubbled up like a pepperoni pizza. Learned something there.

Good luck with this instrument, Kevin. That pearl is beautiful!

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Thanks Kevin
Quite sure it's just the lacquer. One thing I really like about nitro lacquer it's easy to repair when needed

[phavriluk]

Parenthetical comment: Not all heat guns are created equal. Keep those HF high-temperature paint-removing cheapies out of the guitar shop, the model-airplane-covering-shrinking heat guns are vastly safer (not safe - - -'safer') and are readily available from the likes of Tower Hobbies/Horizon Hobbies/local hobby shop.