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I would like some tips or tricks on how to drop fill nitro. How do you do this without getting a fish eye (I think that is what it is called)? I often find that if the guitar is tilted in just the right light you can see some faint lines around where the drop fill was done. How do you avoid this any can you fix it once it happens?

Can you ever use CA?

Any thought or comments on when and how it should be done would be appreciated. thanksJosh H39077.9273842593

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

Josh, I think the trick is getting the drop fills early on, inbetween coats if possible.
Never tried CA on top of nitro, but it works pretty well under nitro. It won't burn in like nitro does so I think the lines would be worse.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Josh,
Drop fill with a little lacquer thinner first and let it "loosen up" the finish, when it is mostly evaporated do your lacquer drop fill. It will blend in better and also tend to self level a bit more. It will probably take more than one attempt. Do not level until all voc's are gone. May be a couple of days.

Dean

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Dean

I use CA without problems. I fill and let it rise above the finish and after the glue has dried for a couple of days I scrape it with a razor blade with tape on the ends (Frank Ford shows how to do this on Frets.com)

Sand with about 600+ up through the grits, then buff...

It works great. I can sometimes find a very small witness line, but if you didn't have a map and a magnifying glass I am sure that the "average" owner would have a tough time ever finding it.

Brock Poling39078.0410069444

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

I use thickened lac Josh - put an inch or so into a MAson jar, leave it open for a few days to gas off some and thicken up. Then use that to drop fill. Nothing helps ease the witness lines like time. leave the drop fill to set up for a week, then sand it flat and buff. It may sink a bit, but over time again, you can resand and buff and it will be gone. One of my students while removing lac to glue on the bridge, inadvertantly put some dents in the top with his wrist watch (I dont wear one, so not an issue, but never noticed his). So we drop filled, and he sanded and buffed 4 days later. The next week there were small sinks, but no witness lines. I said leave it as is for 3-4 months, then sand/buff again. Think about it this way - you have sprayed and let sit for say 4 weeks, and now you drop fill something for another week - so you have 5 week lac and 1 week lac, as far as cure times go. Still a big difference - but in 3 months they will be much closer in age, and will be easier to get to stay flat, as they will age at pretty much the same rate now.

I had used CA before, but didnt have Brock's experience. I found the glue dries very hard, and over time will not sink like lac will - leaving certain witness lines over time.TonyKarol39078.3626851852

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

i've found the butylcellusolve gives quicker assistance with burn in than lacquer thinner, but not better in visual terms.

in repair work it is handy that the lac in the jar colours as it ages in sunlight and sure helps with filling older instruents.

Thanks guys,

Those tips will come in handy on some currant work and I know the info will be useful in the future.

Lots of good tips and I will begin to use them all.

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

I find it interesting that drop fills applied and leveled during the finishing process often telegraph through subsequently applied coats. It seems like the thinner in the later coats makes the drop fill puff up again requiring additional leveling. Time and more coats usually make them disappear.