Nitro not checking, help!

[ratylird]

Hi guys,

so I have a nitro body but it just seems to want to check at all. I tried heating it with a hair dryer and heat gun with compressed air which didn’t work. Tried putting it in the freezer for 3 hours then hit it with a heat gun, didn’t work. Tried freezing overnight and used heat gun. That didn’t work either. Anything else I can try?

The undercoat is poly based which is probably what’s stopping it from checking. Could I maybe hit it with a clear coat of nitro and try that? It’s a sunburst finish so really don’t want to strip it as I know I’d do a terrible job trying to repaint it.

I’ve saw online that most modern nitro has plasticisers in it, also saw that they can break down over time. How long am I looking at til this would start checking naturally?

 

[Festofish]

Good question.

 

[Ronkirn]

How long am I looking at til this would start checking naturally?

How long ya got?? there are multiple variables.. the plasticizers are but one... Do you know specifically what the product number is? it all plays into it..

r

 

[G.Rotten]

Hi guys,

so I have a nitro body but it just seems to want to check at all. I tried heating it with a hair dryer and heat gun with compressed air which didn’t work. Tried putting it in the freezer for 3 hours then hit it with a heat gun, didn’t work. Tried freezing overnight and used heat gun. That didn’t work either. Anything else I can try?

The undercoat is poly based which is probably what’s stopping it from checking. Could I maybe hit it with a clear coat of nitro and try that? It’s a sunburst finish so really don’t want to strip it as I know I’d do a terrible job trying to repaint it.

I’ve saw online that most modern nitro has plasticisers in it, also saw that they can break down over time. How long am I looking at til this would start checking naturally?

I don't know the answer to speeding up the checking process but I would think repeatedly exposing wood to extreme temperature changes is a terrible idea.

I know you're focused on the paint but wood has it's own thing going on and the extreme temperature changes can't be good for it.

 

[ratylird]

Want it doing ASAP to be honest. It’s a body I purchased online so no product number

 

[KelvinS1965]

Is that the matt nitro bodies that you've been advertising on another site or something different? I've seen some cheap ones on Alegree site but I wonder exactly what kind of nitro that they are using in order to sell at these prices.

https://www.alegree.co.uk/products/matte-two-tone-sunburst-strat-body

Being UK based you could buy some Dartfords clear nitro from Rothko & Frost. They sell one that specifically states that it WILL crack and craze over time due to having minimal plastisers.

I took some photos of the tin for another forum member who was interested to see it in writing. Two pictures as the text wraps round the can a bit:

You'll need a spray gun for this, but I guess you'll have access to one.

 

[Boreas]

Have you checked (no pun intended) to ensure it is actually a nitro surface? Try a tiny bit of acetone on a Q-tip somewhere inconspicuous (under pickguard) and see if it softens the nitro. It may never check with the poly base.

 

[ratylird]

Is that the matt nitro bodies that you've been advertising on another site or something different? I've seen some cheap ones on Alegree site but I wonder exactly what kind of nitro that they are using in order to sell at these prices.

https://www.alegree.co.uk/products/matte-two-tone-sunburst-strat-body

Being UK based you could buy some Dartfords clear nitro from Rothko & Frost. They sell one that specifically states that it WILL crack and craze over time due to having minimal plastisers.

I took some photos of the tin for another forum member who was interested to see it in writing. Two pictures as the text wraps round the can a bit:
View attachment 874118

View attachment 874119

View attachment 874120

You'll need a spray gun for this, but I guess you'll have access to one.

Is that the matt nitro bodies that you've been advertising on another site or something different? I've seen some cheap ones on Alegree site but I wonder exactly what kind of nitro that they are using in order to sell at these prices.

https://www.alegree.co.uk/products/matte-two-tone-sunburst-strat-body

Being UK based you could buy some Dartfords clear nitro from Rothko & Frost. They sell one that specifically states that it WILL crack and craze over time due to having minimal plastisers.

I took some photos of the tin for another forum member who was interested to see it in writing. Two pictures as the text wraps round the can a bit:
View attachment 874118

View attachment 874119

View attachment 874120

You'll need a spray gun for this, but I guess you'll have access to one.

This one was given to me by a friend who wants me to relic it for him. Hence why I don’t want to have to refinish it, especially as I’m doing it for free for him haha. I was under the assumption that clear coating it wouldn’t really do much as the nitro melts into itself. Can you clarify that it would work? I’ve got clear coat here so I can try, just don’t want to waste materials is all. It’s definitely nitro as I’ve tried the acetone trick.

 

[KelvinS1965]

I can't guarantee it would work as I've never tried it. I only used that clear over the top of some North West Guitars nitro which does have plastisers (as far as I know). It was only done a couple of months ago and I haven't made any attempt to force it to check. It might be less likely to as you say it will melt into the previous coating of nitro, but at this point I don't know what else you could try other than a full strip down and refinish with low/no plastiser nitro, but since this job is for free...

 

[mojavedesert]

You can try refrigerant, the kind you recharge your car airconditioning. If nitro is young and still not hardened, it may take a while to get really shell-like, it won't crack, it self repairs, melds back together.

I don't want to get into anything with anybody about this, if you disagree with me, so be it. I had to tell one guy on tdpri forum I was a drunk and gay and I didn't know anything, just so he would stop shadowing me and regurgitating proof to me in an insulting way what he read and re-read on a can of paint, as certainty everything I said about painting and paint was wrong. I have since been afraid to write anything about paint... in fear of rightious guitar-painter-cool-aid drinkers. I don't read the back of can of paint to make it do something I want the paint to do, that the manufacturer doesn't want it to do. There is no one lacquer made that is "real" lacquer. You have to experiment with what you have there in front of you. Lacquer it's an old thing... from way before before the guitar was invented. Even before 50's GM car paint!

 

[PCollen]

Hi guys,

so I have a nitro body but it just seems to want to check at all. I tried heating it with a hair dryer and heat gun with compressed air which didn’t work. Tried putting it in the freezer for 3 hours then hit it with a heat gun, didn’t work. Tried freezing overnight and used heat gun. That didn’t work either. Anything else I can try?

The undercoat is poly based which is probably what’s stopping it from checking. Could I maybe hit it with a clear coat of nitro and try that? It’s a sunburst finish so really don’t want to strip it as I know I’d do a terrible job trying to repaint it.

I’ve saw online that most modern nitro has plasticisers in it, also saw that they can break down over time. How long am I looking at til this would start checking naturally?

Sounds like a Fender Classic or Classic Player series body where they had a FSR of limited numbers of "nitro" finished bodies (nitro over poly, I presume).

 

[ratylird]

Sounds like a Fender Classic or Classic Player series body where they had a FSR of limited numbers of "nitro" finished bodies (nitro over poly, I presume).

Yes it’s nitro over poly, any suggestions?

 

[ratylird]

I can't guarantee it would work as I've never tried it. I only used that clear over the top of some North West Guitars nitro which does have plastisers (as far as I know). It was only done a couple of months ago and I haven't made any attempt to force it to check. It might be less likely to as you say it will melt into the previous coating of nitro, but at this point I don't know what else you could try other than a full strip down and refinish with low/no plastiser nitro, but since this job is for free...

just ordered some so will try it out

 

[PCollen]

Yes it’s nitro over poly, any suggestions?

I have a 2012 CP50 Strat....never thought of accelerating the wear and it has really not "weathered" much on its own.

 

[AlbertaGriff]

I have a 2002 AVRI Jazzmaster, which is nitro over poly. That was my gigging guitar and it's moved cross country and back again with me. It has zero checking.

 

[hemingway]

My home nitro finish took a few years to start checking. Then it started blistering. Now it's a full-on relic job.

But I suspect I did the world's worst paint job on it.

 

[Fender-guy]

I suspect what was already mentioned is that if it’s a type of nitro that hasn’t fully hardened or cured it will not check. If it’s even nitro. I’ve done this sped up checking a lot and never had a issue with compressed air upside even with heat.

The only time I’ve had it melt back together was on a newer American Original 60’s Strat neck. Compressed air would do it but a few seconds later 80% of the checking melted back together.

Here’s my 80’s Fullerton 57 body, naturally aged with its nitro over polyurethane. If it’s actual hardened/cured nitro over poly you should have no problem forcing it to check.

 

[netgear69]

It depends on how long ago it was finished it takes a while to cure before it will crack
heat it up with a hair dryer and spray this on it put some gloves on it is that cold it hurts tilt the body and let the liquid roll oh and don't smoke while you are doing it

 

[ratylird]

Is that the matt nitro bodies that you've been advertising on another site or something different? I've seen some cheap ones on Alegree site but I wonder exactly what kind of nitro that they are using in order to sell at these prices.

https://www.alegree.co.uk/products/matte-two-tone-sunburst-strat-body

Being UK based you could buy some Dartfords clear nitro from Rothko & Frost. They sell one that specifically states that it WILL crack and craze over time due to having minimal plastisers.

I took some photos of the tin for another forum member who was interested to see it in writing. Two pictures as the text wraps round the can a bit:
View attachment 874118

View attachment 874119

View attachment 874120

You'll need a spray gun for this, but I guess you'll have access to one.

So I picked up some of this today and have applied 3 coats. How many coats would you say is enough to check? As stated above, this is a free project so want to save on materials as much as possible

 

[Preacher]

Have you checked (no pun intended) to ensure it is actually a nitro surface? Try a tiny bit of acetone on a Q-tip somewhere inconspicuous (under pickguard) and see if it softens the nitro. It may never check with the poly base.

This^^^

If the body is poly you are probably never going to get it to check. And spraying nitro over poly is probably not a great idea to see some checking either. Checking occurs when the body wood shrinks or expands quicker than the nitro finish. With the poly finish over the body, the body can contract and the poly will hold its shape pretty well through the heat and the cold. I would describe it like a sock on your foot, you can move your toes around and not really change the shape of the sock.