Finish imprint

[Fortsbest]

Ok guys, I'm really not happy right now. The Guit I made in this thread was allowed to sit in my air conditioned house for over 6 months before I put it in a case. It was a multi coat lacquer finish that I buffed out really nicely. It was in there for a month or so (bad me for not playing it in that time frame) and now the finish has picked up the imprint of the lining of the case. Any thoughts?

 

[Colt W. Knight]

What brand of lacquer did you use? What brand case?

Did you apply several coats of glaze/wax after it was buffed out?

Deft is bad for imprintation, and I quit using/recommending it for that very reason.

 

[Barfly]

One would think after 6 months it was surely cured.I don't have any personal experience with this problem but I have read certain materials can react with laquer,What type of case was it in?

 

[Colt W. Knight]

One would think after 6 months it was surely cured.I don't have any personal experience with this problem but I have read certain materials can react with laquer,What type of case was it in?

Nitrocellulose Lacquer does not cure, it is an evaporative finish. Meanng that the solvents evaporate over time. Some people refer to this process as gassing off. Because it doesn't cure chemically, it is reactive to a lot of materials such as rubber, bug spray, alcohol, and certain synthetic materials like neoprene and foam rubber.

 

[Barfly]

Yeah Im hip to the bug spray learned the hard way.Nothing like doucing down with bug juice and getting your forearm stuck to your guitar

 

[Keyser Soze]

DEET is a really good solvent. Not just for lacquer but also many plastics (that would even include poly finishes.)

I've ruined more than one rather expensive fly fishing line by not being careful with the DEET.

 

[Fortsbest]

It was Deft that I used, and the case brand is a SBK molded for Fender

 

[HiggyDude]

I've had similar problems with Deft. Let a guitar body sit for months...thought it was fully cured, gassed etc. - only to find that laying the body on an old towel transferred marks to the body from the towel. I have yet to find out how to eliminate that...tried using lighter coats, less coats, more coats etc. - still seem to have this problem with Deft.

 

[Rhomco]

Nothing short of

Stripping it and starting over will eliminate this problem. When learning this valuable lesson I hung bodies in a closed storage shed all summer with absolutley no success. This was a Texas summer of 100 plus temps, lord only knows how hot it gets in that shed but the nails are glowing when I get the lawnmower out
Rob

 

[westaman]

Since Deft has so many problems, what do you guys recommend that is as easily available?

I'm starting a neck soon and have unfortunately had the same issues on my body.

 

[jimd]

It definitely was the Deft. I had the same thing happen to me on my first build. I don't know how to avoid it, but if you let it sit long enough it will eventually harden.

I just finished a body with reranch lacquer. It is much nicer than Deft. It sprays nicer and hardens up like it should. I recommend it. It is expensive, but the money was well worth avoiding the headaches of the first guitar. Others recommend Minwax or Cabots in a can.

If you have a spray gun, there are more alternatives.

 

[Colt W. Knight]

It took my first guitar nearly 6 months to harden fully when sprayed with DEFT. At first I just thought it was because I buffed it too quickly. However, after finishing many bodies with DEFT, and many more with quality lacquers, I can honestly say, I don't like DEFT anymore.

My lacquer of choice is Sherwin Williams LOVOC Nitrocellulose Lacquer. I can wet sand after just a few days, and I have had no imprintation issues with it as far as towels, cases, and guitar stands go.

 

[westaman]

Since I'm ordering my neck and materials soon I may just put some reranch clear leftovers from the neck over the deft on my body. Should this be fine and help harden the outer layer?

The deft looks great but is soft after 2 months and has fine scratches in it anyway.