Mirotone water based lacquer

[ash]

Hey hey!

I just had a look around and couldn't find any talk of the Mirotone water based products, but wondered if anyone has tried them or heard about them:
http://www.mirotone.com/Mirotec-WB-Wate ... fault.aspx

The prices seem quite appealing and the absence of evil solvents is what I really want, but the same old spectres of hardness, buffability and blueness remains uncertain. Mirotone NZ (or at least the guy not answering my emails) have been remarkably unhelpful so far and are definitely not interested in giving or selling me a small sample for testing, so I'm keen to discover as much as possible before trying it for myself.

If I do get some it will be the 10% matt WB8060 for natural finishes first, since polishing and grain filling won't be an issue.

Any thoughts or experiences?

[seeaxe]

Hi Ash, good to hear you are still going!

If you do a search for Mirotone or Mirocat on the forum, you should find lots of refernces to it in previous posts. From what I have read it seems pretty popular.

Cheers
Richard

[ash]

Hi Richard! That's Mirocat PC3220, which is a solvent based pre-cat lacquer.

I'm talking about the new water based stuff (WB8060), which I can't find mention of anywhere here.

[seeaxe]

Sorry, my mistake! Good luck with that then.
Cheers

[Taffy Evans]

I inquired about that stuff some months ago, no joy either.

[Kim]

What a response to get from a company, it gives no confidence whatsoever.

Customer via email to Miratowen: Hello Mr Miratowen, My name is Bruce and I run a small guitar building business. I would like to purchase a small quantity of your water based finish to see if it would be suitable for my guitars.............................

Miratowen desk jockey responsible for receiving customer email inquiries to Miratowen production manager: Aye Johno! Is that water based shit any good for guitaaaaars???? We got some dickhead eeya on the eeeemail want'in ta noooh.

Miratowen production manager to Miratowen desk jockey responsible for receiving customer email inquiries: Oow much duz ee want?!

Miratowen desk jockey responsible for receiving customer email inquiries to Miratowen production manager: Sez eeya that ee wants a 'small quantity', 'for testtin'!

Miratowen production manager to Miratowen desk jockey responsible for receiving customer email inquiries: Just ignore the baarrsted, problee a Chineez spama, I think they got one called Bruce, seen the bugga in a movie once.



Cheers

Kim

[liam_fnq]

Surprise, surprise, another local company with absolutely shithouse customer service.

I suppose they are aware of the difficulties of importing small quantities of finishing supplies and so figure they've got us over a barrel. We've got to use them .

I'd suggest we could compile a list of shit service providers in this part of the world but the forum probably couldn't handle the volume.

Although...............Can water based laquer be shipped airmail?

[kiwigeo]

Although...............Can water based laquer be shipped airmail?

Depends on whether or not any of the components of the finish are inflammable or hazardous. Looks like Stewmac and LMI ship the water based laquers by air.

[Phil Mailloux]

Have you tried calling Mirotone??

I've dealth with their customer service and technical service several times without a hitch, most of my calls are always realated to product questions; how to spray, is the product compatible with XX, how long between coats, how many coats max in one day etc... you know, the stuff that's never in the technical papers

I've never had a problem whatsoever, they were always helpfull and often gave me more tips then needed. As for ordering a small quatity, I'm sure you could likely order 4ltrs for cheap enough. It wouldn't make much sense for them to open up a can just to give you a few 100 ml's IMO, all their locations are pretty much just distribution centres now, god knows where the lacquer is manufactured.

[Taffy Evans]

Hi Phil, yes I have emailed them [Mirotone] and got a phone call back which was good service I thought.
The advise I got was that I had to put the water based finish over a base coat of some kind, the guy lost me at that point, so I cant recall the product. I do remember thinking, now thats two products I have to buy 4 liters each, to do a test.

I inquired about a small test amount, explaining my special needs, no joy there.

I'm sure that a large company like Mirotone could build into their system a way of having one litre cans available for sampling and evaluation, especially when the product is new and they possibly do not understand all the uses their products might be put to. I would think a manufacturer might welcome feedback from their customers.

I wonder if there is a possibility that the Forum could provide a new Product Evaluation Service segment. Companies could be approached for an opportunity, for some members, to evaluate a product [at little or no cost] and share their findings on its suitability for use in luthiery.

I know this is already being done by members who buy their own new product, and share the positives of owning it, and the preferred suppliers list has helped to put my mind at rest when trying to decide who to deal with. I'm sure that the sales of that supplier go up as we all, green with envy, go looking to get one [whatever it is] as well.

Just an idea.

[Allen]

And a bloody good idea it is too Taffy.

[rocket]

I was at Allboard Distributors a while back and i noticed their stock of Mirotone laquers and among the stock were spray packs of laquer, ididn't notice if any were water base, but i suppose that would be one way to sample their product without spending mega bucks
Cheers,,, Rod.

[Allen]

If it is, I'd be really surprised if it was the same formula as the regular stuff. The 3220 in the spray can is absolutely nothing like the product that you get in the 4 or 20 litre pail.