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if I ever again mention putting system 3 epoxy grain filler on a guitar.
I used this on my Walnut guitar and the back and sides became all blotchy looking. I followed the directions exactly!
It filled the pores very well, it dried fine sanded ok and looked AWFUL.
I just now finished sanding all of it off the guitar.
I am now also having second thoughts about using the KTM9 at all.
I think it's back to nitro.

sorry to hear that Bill, i'm sure you'll be able to fix this though, hang on bud!

Bill

I use system 3 and then sand it back so that it is just in the pores. If you do that it shouldn't change the look of anything.

Just my opinion here, but I would stick to Nitro. I think you would be happier with it. And if you have never tried to touch up KTM it is a major pain!

Josh

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Bill, I had the same feeling after coating a cocobolo guitar with epoxy. I hated that stuff. Just finished filling an indian rosewood with Shellac doing a french polish fill. Looks like I'll have to go over it with a fine tooth comb to be sure it's all sanded before nitro starts. I don't think there is an easy fill. Good luck getting your walnut looking right.

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The only way I can figure to get a blotchy apperance is to have sanded to the wood in some areas and not in others. I use Zpoxy finishing resign but the results would be the same. I fill, dry, sand back just to the wood then wipe with a wash coat 40%-60% cut mix of Zpoxy and DA. This is near water viscosity goes on very very thin and is only to even the color out. My guess is that you sanded through the system 3 to wood in areas and did not do a wash coat.

I agree with Michael...I experienced what you are describing with my first
go around with System III. It turns out that a small amount of glue had
been rubbed onto the back and sides and I had not sanded it down to
bare wood in those places.

It is very likely this might be the case with your guitar - especially if the
"blotches" look like raw wood.

Let us know what happens

I just used System III on a figured Walnut guitar and
was really pleased. I haven't squirted lacquer on it
yet but the epoxy filled it well and the wood looks
great.
Try wetting the wood with some thinner and see if it
doesn't even it out.

I've always said that the main ingredient in water born finishes is wishful thinking...

And I just love polyester finishing...the stuff is really great, and if you want you can get it thin as can be.   I normally go for a finished film of about .007".   One of my guitars survived floating in a studio in New Orleans during Katrina.   The guys's Alembics all delaminated. He wrote me that he just cleaned the mud off his Turner Model 1, changed batteries, and plugged it in...

Okay Rick, now tell us what KIND of urethane? Interesting story. Since we are talking fill, does urethane not require filling before finishing?

It sure would be nice to have one product that did it all. Right now I'm starting lacquer on a new finish and know it takes a lot of time to do it right.

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I believe he said polyester not urethane. There's a big difference there. Apples and bananas.
Polyester is a favorite in the kitchen cabinet industry because it can take an extremely high gloss and be very very durable. Unfortunately, spraying polyester requires a much more expensive setup, and has its own health concerns. Perhaps Rick will speak to that for us...Rick?

[quote=Rick Turner]I've always said that the main ingredient in water born finishes is wishful thinking... [/quote]

I'm starting to think you're right about that.Don Williams38806.3278703704

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It looked blotchy before I had sanded to the wood.
I really don't know where it or I went wrong but I just don't have the time (or guts) to experiment anymore with it. This guitar will get Nitro and the other that I have in work is going out to a professional finisher.
Thanks to all for the help,suggestions and support.

Only two things I can think of that would cause you problem is contamination during the spread out or sanding through.