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Ok...I tried 3 months to Sunday on spraying KTM-9. I can't seem to get a coat on without runs. I have actually gone through a whole quart trying different things.

I need to know if there is a technique for rubbing out sags, runs, and drips.

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Guitars...One's too many...Twenty is not enough.

Hi Doug!
Hey, I have used the KTM 9 and when I had drips or runs I always wiped them real quick like with a free finger. If I missed them I would wait a day or three and then use a razor blade and cut them off close to the surface of the wood, but not all the way through. This would let the remaining lacquer dry faster.
I guess a good way would be to avoid them all together, but they do happen. IF the sag is too long to cut off with a blade, you might be better off just letting it cure until hard, and then sand it level.

Lance
PS, good to see you around!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Doug, I would guess that you have your mixture to rich. Either not enough air or too much medial one of the too. I use a LPHV conversion gun with a 1.0mm nozzle with inlet pressure at 30 psi and outlet at about 6psi and adjust the media so that at 8-10" off the body I get a good but not too wet pattern. I start the spray about 12" off the body and end about 12" off the body to avoid dry air blast of spitting. I spray one light coat from about 8-10" from the body allow one hour and spry again. doing this three times in a day. I have done it with a conventional gun as well. Cardboard is a good test media If the gun is set right it will wet the cardboard but not run. If it runs then the media is going on too heavy. I don't know if you are thinning the KTM9 but my experience with it there is no need.

I don't worry too much about orange peel as it will rub out. I had rather have a littlbit of orange peel than sags

Let me update this as I wasn't clear. I am not going to attempt to spray anymore. I am throwing in the towel as I have tried everything from thinning, to not thinning, I adjusted the mixture, etc.

Is there a way to get rid of the sags, runs, and drips now that they are dry? I know the guitar will never look good, but I ran out of patience on this one. I want to finish this one and move on.....and to think I didn't French Polish this one because I thought it took to long on my first.....I would have been done 2 months ago if I FP.

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Guitars...One's too many...Twenty is not enough.

If they are cured they cand be carfully cut off with a razor but you run the risk of peeling. out side of the just sand them down.

Hey dubell,

Well, I hear you on the KTM 9 being a bit runny and creating sags so I'll tell you how I recently did my first just to give you some idea's.

I did the top and back on separate occasions in order to focus on doing the best job I could and get a little more practice time. I shot the top first with the guitar standing up then took it and like a washing machine and held it in front of me moving it in a circular pattern face up. This leveled the KTM 9 (and scared the neighbors) and I set the guitar on it's back to harden for an hour then repeated the process for 6 more coats one day than 6 more coats the next. I reapeated this process for the back and sides and it cured the sags pretty well.  Also, with the extra days shooting I got a bit better at getting nice thin coats.

Now on the neck I just mimicked Kinkhead and used an upper quality brush (or high end foam brush) from Home Depot and brushed the KTM9 on the headplate, heel, and neck and it turned out super! It sanded out with micromesh and buffed to high very nice high gloss.  I have also just finished brushing out my next neck in the same manner and it to looks very good and should look better after it cures and is sanded/buffed.

I know using a brush is not really a pro way of doing things, however, it may help your sanity a bit on this project and on the next you can try a different product such as Crystalac, nitro, etc..

I'm a big time rookie at this but I'm having a ball doin' it