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I have now sprayed roughly 2 gallons of KTM9 over past couple of years and think it is time to give up on this stuff. Have tried everything but little success. For me, it either runs from laying it down too wet, or it has lots of orange peel if lightning up on the spray. Takes a long time to dry and then once it really cures seems to settle in. Just too much trouble for my level of patience. Never had these problems with nitro. Well sorry to be crabbing, just finished another spray job and thinking about how in a couple days I have to sand it all down again.

Has anyone ever used Nitro over water base?? Think I would get good adhesion??

Thanks for listening!!!!!

Hang in there Rich!

I've rescued a couple WB finsihes by topping them with nitro. Can't give anything specific on KTM-9 as I never joined that bandwagon, but odds are it'll be fine, as long as there isn't too much(too thick) WB on there..

NITRO   
    It is the standard to which all other finished are based so that should tell you that Nitro is the finish.
john hall

I.ve sprayed a dozen guitars with nitro, and 3 with KTM. I have no experience trying to marry the two.

I'd shoot a coat of shellac over scuff sanded ktm before the nitro though.

If you want different results, try something different. DOn't give up yet. I liked using it. Only complaint is that it seems a little "cold". Needs a little honey amber to warm up the color tone. Straight out of the can, it does make the mother of pearl pop though.

If I was equipped for spraying nitro in a healthy and safe way for me and my family, I'd at least finish the half gallon of McFaddens' I've got left over.

PM any of us, and we'd be happy to chat in real time with you about it.

I've gone to Behlen's "rock hard table top varnish" and I'm lovin it.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

[QUOTE=John How] I've gone to Behlen's "rock hard table top varnish"
and I'm lovin it.[/QUOTE]

John, do you use shellac as a sealer? How do you apply the varnish, brush
or spray? Also what do you think of the hardness/durability of varnish
versus nitro?
Don't mean to hijack the thread…

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

Yah, what he said!

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DES - Shepherd, MI

Laurent and Darin,

Here's a link to a thread John started last year about this finish.

Behlen's rock hard table finishRoy O38759.8147685185

Can this stuff be sprayed? Is it explosive like Nitro?

I just got a can of KTM-9 and am going to try it out, but if it doesn't go so well I'll have to look for an alternative.

I'll also probably not use KTM again. I keep sanding through and I have reapplied at least 3 times over the course of 2 weeks. Just doesn't seem to get hard enough for my limited skills and the small sections I have tried buffing are looking really bad or at lesst not really good.

It is definetly user error but I need something more forgiving and harder drying. The odorless feature is a real bonus but the time I have invested in a so so finish is pretty discouraging.

Maybe Behlens is the ticket for this rookie.

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Thank You and Best To All

This varnish sands thru pretty easy so you must be very carefull on your final coats or you'll have witness lines. Actually the witness lines cas be eliminated by adding a small amount of acetone to the mix.

_________________
Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Bruce Sexuar over at the 13th Fret uses Behlen's rock hard, has for years and years. He brushes it on, takes a long time to cure from what I remeber. You can email Bruce for a finishing schedule and he will reply, quite quickly also. He is very helpful (as we have found most luthiers to be).

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

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I'm a former KTM user as well. I switched to nitro and am much happier. More hazardous, but I am much happier with the results and the workability.

Josh

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
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House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

Actually the varnish takes longer to dry, but no longer to cure than nitro. Bruce has been spraying his varnish for the last year or so. I brushed the first two I used varnish on and have since started spraying it with good results

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

John,

Are you using an explosion proof fan when spraying?

I found this thread in the archives with a post by Alan Carruth about varnish.

Varnish Info

It has some good info in it.Graham Steward38760.1744907407