How (where) to let nitrocellulose lacquer dry safely

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Gary_tele18

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Hi All, I have a question about nitrocellulose lacquer safety. I have a full face mask I'll be using when spraying; and have an exterior shed I'll be cleaning / tarping to spray in. The bit I haven't figured out is where to store the body during the 2-3 weeks between spraying and polishing (or overnight between coats).

My first though is to leave it in a bathroom with the fan continually going; but interested in what other DIY'ers have done / recommend.

Thanks
Gary
 

oregomike

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Hi All, I have a question about nitrocellulose lacquer safety. I have a full face mask I'll be using when spraying; and have an exterior shed I'll be cleaning / tarping to spray in. The bit I haven't figured out is where to store the body during the 2-3 weeks between spraying and polishing (or overnight between coats).

My first though is to leave it in a bathroom with the fan continually going; but interested in what other DIY'ers have done / recommend.

Thanks
Gary
I just leave mine hanging in the garage. I'll crack the garage door open about 3' to help the fumes escape. No dust issues.
When I increase builds, I'm going to invest in a filtering system.
 

Freeman Keller

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I spray outside on a calm day when the temperature and humidity are conducive, and bring the guitar inside my garage/shop after the solvents have flashed off. After about a day I can't smell the solvents and I could bring it into the house but otherwise I just leave it in the shop. I want the temp to be above 60F and the RH between 40 and 60% while the lacquer dries. I do wear a respirator while shooting lacquer, even outside.
 

Boreas

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As Freeman noted, once you can no longer smell the vapors (often just a few hours) it would be fairly safe anywhere. You could hang it in the bathroom with a fan as you suggested, but you may not need to leave the fan on indefinitely. Or even a room with good ventilation.
 

sleazy pot pie

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I spray mine outside, leave it out for an couple of hours. The smell is gone by then. After that, I just leave it in a closet in the house.
 

old wrench

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You don't mention where you are in Canada, but at this time of the year (as long as you are south of the arctic circle ;)) you can probably just leave it hanging in your shed between spraying sessions without encountering any problems

Let it hang in the shed overnight after your final coat and then bring it inside the house until you are ready to buff

As long as your finish coats are properly thin - lacquer dries pretty quickly - especially if you use a formulation like Mohawk or Behlens - I've used both and they dry quickly.

.
 

snarf_nyc

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A place where the smell won't bother anyone and/or well ventilated. Your shed sounds pretty good! More importantly, make sure the body is secure to wherever it's hanging/rigged to. I've heard about so many accidents from failed hangers sadly.

Echoing old wrench, lacquer actually dries quickly. I transfer mine to a shelf after a day sitting on it's edge.
 
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