Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm working through a change in the series of events for my builds, and I'm hoping someone can save me some trial and error on this question:
Does CA glue react (adversely) with water-based lacquers?

I did a tiny repair today, and it seemed to be fine, but I'm about to fret a fingerboard that's been finished (not buffed, but sprayed). I plan to use CA in the fret slots, and I'm wondering how it will react if/when the glue runs out of the fret slots.
Can anyone advise?
TIA,
Ken

_________________
Ken Mitchell
Durham, NC

“Water-based lacquers” is a broad term and a term misused at times by marketing departments to describe types of wood finish that aren’t really lacquer-like in behaviour and application, at least as understood by luthiers. If you can give us the name and manufacturer of the product you use, or at least whether it’s an acrylic, a urethane etc it may help someone provide you with an accurate answer.

It's basically the same as the EM6000 finish, but made by General Finishes... water-based topcoat.

_________________
Ken Mitchell
Durham, NC

I used StewMac CA to drop fill some dings in EM6000 some years ago and there was no problem with the CA reacting in any way with the EM6000. I haven't tried it on any of General Finishes products though.

For your concern about CA running out the slots and getting on the finish, I would be more concerned about cleanly removing/leveling the CA off the finish if it hardens than about reactivity. When I did the drop fills with CA on EM6000, I found that difference in hardness between the CA and the surrounding finish made leveling it difficult to do well.

_________________
Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

I just did several touch-ups/repairs on a Guitar I finished with GF top-coat and had no adverse reactions or problems with it, levelling with razors/Tolex/buffing..
But I've never finished a fretboard with GF top-coat.
But if I'm putting CA in fretboard slots (or rather running it under the frets) I rub Alfie Shine Hard Wax on the fretboard first to "facilitate removal".

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Definitely wax the board first. Fretted one the other day and forgot the wax, it took a lot of extra time to clean it up.

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Thanks for your feedback, Colin, especially about the wax.

There's no finish on the fretboard itself. I'm just worried about it running out of the slots and onto the sides of the neck. I'll tape the ends before I start. And I'll look into the wax!@
Thanks again,
Ken

_________________
Ken Mitchell
Durham, NC