I have been asked to provide examples of "straight to the buffer" lacquer

[Silverface]

Several times I have been asked to provide examples of my work - specifically a conventional lacquer coating with sealer/primer and color coats one day - about 5 total, 30-60 minutes apart; clear coats the next day - 4-6, again 30-60 minutes apart; and buffing the same or next day, with NO finish sanding or sanding between lacquer coats.

As I've mentioned in the past, the drive with all my old image files was lost during two moves or was on a drive destroyed by USB over-voltage - with no backups.

So I have no pictures of anything right after it was finished except for some relic work I've posted in the past. And I don't do complete "normal" finish jobs at all these days.

But one of my old customers brought a guitar into the local tech shop I work with (usually on specialty instruments or effects) to have some pickups changed out, a refret, and a full setup.

I finished it TEN years ago - in gloss black lacquer, using my old Titan compact, non-bleeder turbine HVLP with a cup gun and 1.0mm needle/air cap.

 

[El Tele Lobo]

10 years on, your work still looks impressive.

 

[eallen]

Thanks for sharing it Jim. Doesn't get much more challenging than black in requiring perfect prep!

Always interesting to see how how my work has weathered over time.

The nice tell tell signs of nitro shrinking a bit over time into any remaining pores, assuming it was open grain. Had it maybe had a touchup repair on the back bottom corner at some point?

Eric

 

[Silverface]

10 years on,

Thanks! Much appreciated.

Had it maybe had a touchup repair on the back bottom corner at some point?

Good eye, buddy! That was a rubber-glove smear of Bondo in the tube - not the catalyzed type - sanded smooth over a defect in the body!

I'd totally forgotten about it until I looked at the picture after reading your post!It was a bad spot in the wood - used some wood hardener (don't remember which) that soaked in - then the Bondo. Obviously the grain shrunk/collapsed pretty severely in that area!

As I recall it was stock black Sherwin-Williams lacquer - a nitrocellulose with some acrylic resin blended in. The blend type formulation - which I prefer (and is far more common than most think) - probably kept it from cracking in that area.