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Private member DiscussionFinish Repair

Paint chip repair, advice for drop-fill in sunburst

I'd like to add some cherry nitro to this spot but how do I avoid the dark line around the perimeter that typically forms from adding a touch-up? I.e., what is the best strategy for blending what i'm adding to what is there?

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Ian Davlin
Difficulty in making repair look better than the damage 8/10. What is your plan for application? Airbrush or paint brush?

GlueBoost vs Nitro drop fill

*Photo added* Ding repair on spruce top, 2015 Collings 0002HE #23701. What are y’all reaching for when repairing dents in nitro? GlueBoost fill & finish or drop filling with nitrocellulose? This is a well-used guitar; not pristine and the owner has reasonable expectations that the repair will not be “like it never happened” Bonus question: If there is bare wood, should I seal it with shellac to preserve the color before proceeding to fil…

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The coating on that 000 is a mixture of a UV poly base and nitro top coats. It seems that many of the deeper spots could benefit from steam applications. I use a paper towel, folded into four layers a…
Private member DiscussionFinish New Builds

Tiny Bubbles

Here You'll seehere pin tip sized bubbles. Nitro finish. It got hot in a case. They'll need a light amagolmater mixture applied to melt'm back into the surface. Im looking for advice on the recipe for said amagolmater....Straight retarder? Im not sure if Id need lacquer in the mix that I apply....Thank you! Colin O'Brien LittleCreek Instrument Repair, Nashville. Images

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Private member
are those blisters from the heat? Have any of them popped?
Private member DiscussionFinish Repair

Gretsch Binding Finish Inquiry...

Someone recently contacted me about a Gretsch in need of some finish repairs on the binding. This looks to be nitro that has chipped/flaked off over the years and possibly yellowed by nicotine. I'm curious if any of you have experience with this type of repair and what the best way would be to go about it. I'm not anticipating taking this on but I would be interested in knowing the procedure. Thanks! Images

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Private member
I believe it's just the binding, although I haven't seen it in person. It wouldn't surprise me if it's both.
Private member DiscussionFinish Repair

Nitro safe bench mat/sanding mat recommendations.

Hi, Any recommendations for scratch safe and nitro safe bench coverings? Also the porous sanding mats compatible with vacuum tables with same nitro safe properties? My material science education is low in regards to stuff that will and won't react to nitro. Thank you.

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I know Doug Proper has been using these or something very similar with success. You can find different sizes if you hunt around: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP5L4FJM?ref=fed_asin_title&th=1 I personally…
Private member DiscussionFinish New Builds

Aging Toner on a Sitka Spruce Top

I'm fast approaching the finish coating of 2 acousitcs. The sitka spruce tops are really bright. I'd like to tone them down a little and have been scouring the web for methods. Seems like adding amber toner in either the sand sealer or more likely the first set of nitro lacquer coats might be the the ticket. I see Stewmac has a Colortone stain called "Vintage Amber" that can be mixed into the nitro. Anybody have expirience with this pro…

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Private member
Hi Gerry, I recommend spraying a sealer chow it a light scuff and then one more sealer coat. If you are using lacquer, thin some 50% by volume and add TransTint or Colortone. Same dye and some of the…
Private member DiscussionFinish Repair

Taylor 310 Top Crack, Finish Delaminating

So this 310 came into the shop and had a pretty gnarly crack that splinters some toward the lower left bout. Going to do a crack repair with the TJ Thompson crack corrector and some hide glue. The issue I'm inquiring about is the finish is delaminating around the area. I'm curious as to what type of finish it is. Seems a bit flexible and spongy to be a nitro alone. There's shards of finish missing, and dirt has found its way underneath…

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Ian Davlin
0:09:55 Q2. Taylor 310 top crack, finish delaminating @member here is the video
Private member DiscussionFinish Repair

Fender Tele Deeper Black Colour?

Hey all! Anyone know what lacquer pigment might better match the deep black colour of this tele body? It’s an American tele deluxe with a nitro finish. Photos show: Finish damage was the size of a quarter. I’ve filled and levelled the area and sprayed on coat of Oxford black nitro. I poured a puddle of naphtha on to check the match and unfortunately no dice. I’ve used Oxford black many times for overspray during repairs and have always fo…

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Private member
Black colour tone was absolutely the one that matched. Applied it with an airbrush and then did my clear with cans. Thanks again Ian.
Private member DiscussionGeneral

Strange Fender neck with some problems.

Hello fellow looths! I recently had a customer come in with a '71 Fender neck that is a fusion of the 60s and 70s style. It has a veneer fretboard, no skunkstripe, 4 screwholes, 70s style tuners, 70s headstock logo, and it seems like it has a poly finish on the back of the neck, and nitro (with cracking) on the front of the headstock. Can anyone tell me if this combination is possible or could it be fake? Another thing is, even without th…

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Hey Tony, thank you for your info, and sorry for the late reply. I don't spend much time in the loothgroup.. You have an amazing setup! The sheetmetal underneath is genius! I have to build something li…
Private member DiscussionFinish Repair

Epiphone LP Limited Edition severe fall damage

Okay gang I have a doozy of a crack repair. Young guy brought in a Epiphone LP Limited Ed. He had picked up the case while it was unlatched at the guitar took a nasty tumble. Severe finish damage, and the wood has a shear split in it as well. The undercoat is thick with a thin layer of nitro color on top. Spoke with a sweetwater rep and they said that the finish was nitro. Here's the guitar specs via Zsounds: Epiphone Inspired by Gibson…

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Did you reach a solution yet KT? I have a similar issue with the same guitar, although my damage is midway down the neck. I may start experimenting with ideas this weekend in my attempt to avoid refini…
Private member DiscussionAcoustic Repair

Eirw finish streaks under nitro

23 yo acoustic in for touch ups. EIRW, nitro. Has a couple of spots on the sides that look like this. In good general shape. What’s going on here? No texture, its under the finish.

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kinda looks like compound in the grain from buffing, then relized the grain wasent sealed well & cleared some more over it...
Private member DiscussionFinish Repair

A rant on touch-up pens.....

This is just a rant against the Stew-mac touchup pens. Ive just never had them functionally work, without creating more of an issue than there was in the first place. Through an "act of god" I chipped a small bit of freshly buffed and polished laquer off the headstock of a Taylor that I refinished. The guitar had that nasty bubbling around the tuners and CA glue didn't fix the issue, so I stripped the front of the headstock and airbrush…

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Ian Davlin
I have used the micron pens to pretty good effect here and there, but those shellac pens I could never get to work.
Private member DiscussionAcoustic Repair

Taylor crack repair - Finish touch up guidance please!

Hi there looths, Hoping you guys can help me identify what uv resin or other compatible finish can be used to finish this crack? I'm comfortable true-ing up the material and gluing, however I've only really done nitro or polyurethane finish touch up. Thanks, Aleks

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Private member
On the recommendation of Dave Staudte I use Mohawk M102-0720 (Matte 19-23 Sheen). It works really well for blending into the orignal finish.
Private member DiscussionFinish New Builds

Finishing Zircote

Hi Everyone. I am planning to finish my latest electric build which has a Zircote top. I am going to spray Nitro Lacquer. Is there anything I need to watch out for in spraying over such an oily wood? Thanks!

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Hi Robert: Nothing special to do with Ziricote. You should wipe it down with mineral spirits or naptha and then a light coat of thinned finish or sanding sealer is all that is needed before you start…
Private member DiscussionFinish Repair

How to remove incompatible overspray

I'm still working on this 1958 Country Gent and I am getting closer to getting past the structural stuff and on to the finish work. The entire body appears to have been resprayed with what I'm guessing is some sort of poly a long time ago. It's very yellowed, has multiple big drips across the entire body and flakes right off in big pieces. My plan is to remove it all, clean it up a bit and then respray with nitro. Anyone have great advi…

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Ian Davlin
If it is really failing, you might be able to do it with compressed air. 120 psi with a tight nozzle. If not compressed air, definitely throw a heat gun into the equation. It doesn't take much heat to…
Private member DiscussionGeneral

Guitar Polish Recommendations - Silicone Free?

I'd like to start a discussion about guitar polishes. We have always been careful to use only non-silicone products on nitro finishes. We previously used Stewmac Preservation polish for years, but they don't offer that product anymore. We recently had maybe what was a bad batch of Stewmac "Clean and Shine" that was softening nitro finishes so we trashed it and haven't purchased anymore. The first bottle we got worked great, but the s…

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I miss the old Gibson polish in the aerosol cans. That stuff worked really well to clean and shine old nitro finishes. I don't like their pump bottle polish they replaced it with. I'm currently usi…
Private member DiscussionSELL! SELL! SELL!

Nitro Lacquer - FREE!!

I’ve moved away from nitro lately and have a number of cans left that I no longer have use for. They’re free to anyone who wants them - if they can be of any use to someone I’d rather that than dispose of them. All new & still factory sealed. 3x Seagrave Gloss L3651 1x Seagrave Guitar Sealer R-1140 I’m in the SF Bay Area so if there’s anyone local that would be awesome, maybe meet up and grab a drink. Otherwise, I would be willing to ship i…

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Private member
What direction have you moved to?
Private member DiscussionFinish Repair

Making oil based pore filler

Folks, I’m trying to make some homemade oil based pore filler to go underneath a 50s style nitro finish. I know pumice is one ingredient but don’t recall the rest of this recipe. Does anyone here have experience with this? Thanks!

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Ian Davlin
The recipe I used for Ding Kings was Tru Oil and 4F pumice. A dear friend of mine told me that perhaps whiting powder might give a more similar result in consistency to the store bought stuff.