So, in the last episode we were left with an uneven, lemon colored lacquer finish. I mentioned that I came up with a ‘great’ way to fix this, ‘great’ being a relative term here. I bought an air compressor and a spraygun. I actually have a lot of experience mixing and spraying lacquer from a past job. So I knew investing in a real spray set up would get me the control and flexibility I really wanted. Spray cans are convenient but do not lay down paint very smoothly and you’re at the mercy of the manufacturer’s choice of colors.
Having a limited budget for this, I went right to Harbor Freight. And after a little research, went with this one. Only $99, along with the gun for about $15, some hoses, fittings and air filters I ended up spending just under $200. If you think you will be finishing more then 1 guitar, I highly recommend making this investment. Not to mention compressors are useful for many other tasks.
So I went to a local woodworker supply store and found a quart of Behlen’s stringed instrument lacquer. Supposedly this formula is more flexible and less brittle then typical nitrocellulose lacquer to account for the flexing of the thin wood used in acoustic guitars, violins, etc. I also ordered some Mixol universal tints
So now the color was perfect and was going on smoothly with my cheapo spray rig. I then began the clear coating process of 3 passes a day, 3 hours a part. It too was going on nice and smooth and I was loving the extra control a spraygun gave compared to the rattle cans. All seemed to be going well…
So I’m spraying the clearcoats in my badly lit, makeshift stairwell “spraybooth”. I was several days into it when one night I was admiring my work as it hung to dry and I noticed a few specks, then a few more…lots of little bits of lint. It almost looked intentional there was so much of it. I deduced that the stairwell I was spraying in, instead of blocking blowing debris, was small enough that the pressurized air from the gun was stirring up dirt from the steps. Steps that are only a few feet away from the dryer vent. Doh!
Luckily lacquer strips pretty easily. I donned my respirator and got a bucket and a brush, took the guitar outside and started scrubbing lacquer thinner over the finish till it was almost all gone. It then just took a bit of sanding to get back to a paint-able surface. Now, I didn’t necessarily have to remove all that finish. I could have just resprayed the color coat right over the speckled clear and it would have been fine. But around this time I had been reading a number of discussions on several forums about water based guitar finishes. Through various past jobs I have breathed more then my share of toxic dust and fumes so the idea of something more health and environmentally friendly was appealing. I’l cover that saga in the next episode – stay tuned!
