Official Luthiers Forum!

I got an email this morning announcing this product. It's water based polyurethane. I've been using Target's USL and am very happy with it, but must admit this looks interesting because of the short cure time. Anybody have any experience with this or a similar product?

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Jimmy Caldwell
http://www.caldwellguitars.com

I hope someone has. As a hobbiest, I am limited in my shop to the water based products. I will follow this thread with interst Jimmy.

Doesn't LMI offer a water based varnish? That has been around and tested a long time.

Water-based polyurethanes been around for a long time. I dont know what the Target stuff is like but the ones Ive used have an unattratctive plasticy sheen...when you look at them from a low angle, with light coming toward you.

The oil-based product have a richer deeper lustre methinks.

Jimmy,
Just finished a Les Paul Special style electric with the Target Poly. Sylvan had a gallon and wanted to give it a try. I offered up this electric as a crash test dummy. We literally finished the guitar in five days. Two days of spraying and a 72 hour cure period. Sanded out beautifully and actually took a nice buff. I am impressed with the finish (for electrics anyway).   BTW we used it with some color and it came out great (Vintage amber on the neck and a little medium brown to sweeten the mahogany body)

I used KTM9 once and thought it was OK. I've used Rock Hard and really liked it. I now use CrystaLac available from McFeely's. I use the 2001 Super Premium, which is recommended for musical instruments.
I really like the satin. I finish it out to almost semigloss. I've had great comments on it. Both the satin and gloss spray easy, dry fast and polish out in just a few days.   
Finish is so hard to photograph, but here is a picture of my latest satin finish on koa.

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

Kahle, got any pics to share?

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Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

As a blanket question:

What are your opinions for the best deep lustre, hard, high gloss finish for finishing up two electric guitars - that does not have to applied too thickly?  So many options: urethanes, water based lacquer, nitro, etc....

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www.ziegenfussguitars.com

Polyester, hands down, in every category. But, of course, that comes at the price that the only polyester finishes I know of are catalyzed by either a UV light (not cheap) or some pretty nasty chemicals (not so safe).

That being said, people here have made beautiful finishes with everything you've listed and a bunch of stuff you haven't.

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

Mike,
I have a few overalls. Not closeups (snapped em real quick right before the guitar went out the door). I will try to get them up when I get a minute (gotta figure out how to do all that bein a newbie to this forum stuff). I will try to take some more detailed photos of the next one that I do with that stuff.