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PostPosted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 5:45 pm 
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Cocobolo
Cocobolo

Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 3:27 pm
Posts: 213
First name: Alex
Last Name: Takacs
State: Illinois
Country: United States
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Hello all! I just curious about everybody's finishing schedule for nitro. I've seen stewmac's, and I've read of a few that are different. Whats your finishing schedule?


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 1:42 pm 
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Cocobolo
Cocobolo

Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 3:27 pm
Posts: 213
First name: Alex
Last Name: Takacs
State: Illinois
Country: United States
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Sorry to double up on questions, but I've got another. Stewmac claims that you can wetsand and buff after 4 days of curing. Is this REALLY enough cure time?


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 2:48 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Sat May 22, 2010 10:32 am
Posts: 2616
First name: alan
Last Name: stassforth
City: Santa Rosa
State: ca
Zip/Postal Code: 95404
Country: usa
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I don't use nitro no mo,
but I think a month is good.


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PostPosted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 9:17 am 
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Mahogany
Mahogany

Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2011 9:33 pm
Posts: 42
First name: Everett
Last Name: Caudle
City: Alachua
State: FL
Zip/Postal Code: 32615
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I use nitro--at one time, only Lawrence-McFad but switched off to Behlen when L-Mc had production problems, etc. Here's my schedule, and it has worked pretty well for me. I've never had a major problem and can generally part my hair in the finish when it's done:

    Sand everything to 220 grit.
    Use whatever dye I am gonna use to get the desired color (tape off binding before dying).
    Sand back the dye and re-dye if I am trying to emphasize maple curls, etc.
    Hit everything with some sanding sealer (generally, shellac in a 1 lb cut).
    Very light sanding with 320 grit then pore fill with Timbermate thinned and stained to closely match the wood I am filling.
    If I am finishing very pourous wood (oak, walnut, etc.) I will sometime use some Z-poxie under a razor blade squeegie. I sand the Z-poxie (if used) very lightly between coats, and don't quit until I have everything pretty silky smooth (check it out under a light and look for the low spots). Z-poxie is not always necessary if the Timbermate does its job well.
    Another coat of shelac (just to make sure all the pore fillers are sealed in).
    A couple of coats of vinyl sealer.
    Start building coats with the nitro-generally I shoot two coats per day with an autobody style HVLP gun about an hour apart--up to 10 coats total.
    I let the guitar sit for 10 dayst to two weeks and gas off.
    Wetsand up to 2000 grit.
    Finish with a R/O buffer and McGuires finishing compounds.

There are guys on other forums who recommend a minimum of a month curing before wet sanding. I never wait that long. Generally, if I cannot smell and fumes, I think it is ready.


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