New maker seeks advice

[pavliku]

Hi everyone,
I'm looking to finish my first guitar some time soon and am trying to find somewhere to buy nitrocellulose lacquer in N.Z.
I would also be interested to know what options there are for pore filling. I would be grateful for any advice.
Thanks.

[Allen]

Welcome to the forum. Some of the Kiwi's will be along shortly and give you some of the local knowledge.

Can you add your name to your posts so we can address you by name. You can add it to your signature through your profile settings.

[Nick]

Welcome to the forum Pavliku there is a company called Mirotone that do a nitro in NZ, unfortunately I'm not able to get to my computer to paste in the bookmark but I'm sure google will be able to help. Also a company called PPG do a nitro (225 or something?) but again the bookmark is on my laptop but google will help out again I'm sure if you punch in PPG. Even a forum search of "Nitro in NZ" may render results as the question has been asked on here before.
I knew there was something here! viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2573&p=31592&hilit=PPG#p31592

[kiwigeo]

Nick, do ya reckon your laptop will still be working once you've cleaned off the layers of clay, silt and sewerage??

My niece Anja has had enough of earthquakes and fears of her chem lab falling apart and is off to switzerland for the rest of the year. At one stage she was toying with spending this term at Adelaide uni but it sounds like she needs a break from study.

Cheers Martin

[Nick]

Nick, do ya reckon your laptop will still be working once you've cleaned off the layers of clay, silt and sewerage??

My niece Anja has had enough of earthquakes and fears of her chem lab falling apart and is off to switzerland for the rest of the year. At one stage she was toying with spending this term at Adelaide uni but it sounds like she needs a break from study.

Cheers Martin

Vegetable soup will be the greatest 'encasing agent' I fear. Had a whole bloody cup of it on my bench before the shake & none after. It had spread itself nicely across the bench, hopefully no essential papers were caught in the pool! I've gone out and got meself a new lappy this morning as it looks like we won't be back to work for a whole semester! And unfortunately no access to my guitar building shop either So I'll be a computer orientated builder for a couple of months. Good chance & plenty of time to wade through Ervin's books though.

[seeaxe]

Hi Pavliku

There wont be many agree with me here but you can use nitro in aerosol cans, and get a reasonable result. True, spray plant is better if you have access to it, but the set up cost is high if you are not going into production.

PM if you want any further info, I'd be happy to help.

If you decide to go with spray plant, then there are plenty of gurus here and some great tutorials in that section.

CHeers

[Puff]

I will agree with you 100%.

[pavliku]

Thanks for the replies guys.
What is a good brand of spray can to use?
I have seen some basic spray setups at supercheap auto for not so much money ($50-$80) these would be ok right?
I've been reading in the forum about pore filling with egg white - read Allens tutorial - question: do I rub down the rosewood which I am using with acetone first?
Thanks, Paul.

[Allen]

I've never rubbed it back with acetone. Just use the egg white. Sand it in making a slurry that you work into the pores with the sanding process. Let dry and sand smooth. Will probably take a few applications to fill rosewood.

[kiwigeo]

I've been reading in the forum about pore filling with egg white - read Allens tutorial - question: do I rub down the rosewood which I am using with acetone first?
Thanks, Paul.

No....no need to remove oil from rosewood with acetone prior to porefilling.

The only time Id use acetone on rosewood is if I'm gluing up a rosewood bridge and even then its probably not really necessary. Acetone isnt a nice solvent to work with (keep it off your skin) and if I need to remove some of the oil from rosewood I use meths in preference to acetone.

[pavliku]

So I don't need to remove the oil from rosewood before finishing?
Sorry for my ignorance but I really don't know much about finishing - I have read in one of the books I have that the maker removes the oil in rosewood before finishing so that the lacquer adhears properly - is this not necessary?
Thanks, Paul.

P.S The site wouldn't let me login before and I had to change my password - I've been looking for an option to change my password to something a little shorter than the new one I was given but I've had no luck, can someone point me in the right direction.

[pavliku]

Found the password option.

[Allen]

You'll be there a month of Sundays trying to get all the oils out of many of the woods we use for instruments. Keep greasy fingers off the wood. Don't have anything with silicone even in the same building as your wood, and you're going to be off to a reasonable start.

You should be aware though that Indian Rosewood will bleed color into anything and everything if you start getting slap happy with solvents. Will turn your spruce bracing a purple hue, maple bindings the same color. So be careful.

Some woods can be problematic for glue ups due to their makeup, but I've yet to find one that causes problems with the finishes I use.

[J.F. Custom]

The aforementioned "Mirotone" company do a high quality Pre-Cat Lacquer in a 'touch up' can.

It's only available in Satin or Semi Gloss though, not High gloss as it is by the tin for spray equipment.

Good luck.

Jeremy.

[pavliku]

Thanks for the advice Allen - I was reading your article on the Mumbai woods. I had a look at the link and asked them to send me some prices. I will probably be going back to India sometime soon, and as I'm begining to take instrument building more seriously I think this time I will stock pile some bits a pieces along the way. I might be able to help a few people out.
Paul.

[pavliku]

How many cans would be needed to complete a guitar

[seeaxe]

I used three cans on my last full sized guitar (dreadie, that was enough for 12 coats) . I used the Dulux high gloss "clear" coat. I think that you end up putting a lot of finish on because the cans have less power than spray plant. For that reason I leave it along time after spraying before I try to sand back and finiish, about 6 weeks or longer if I can find the patience to wait.

I suspect super cheap spray plant will give a super cheap result, and possibly no better than cans, but I havent tried it.

I bought Dan Erlewines book on Finishing from Stewmac, it gives most of the answers.

I have built 1 rosewood guitar and finished it using cans, I used a sanding sealer over water based filler before finishing but didn't use acetone, came out OK. I have finished 4 others using spray cans and am pretty happy with the results.

Not to hijack your thread Pavliku , but Allen are you still using the egg filler technique? I did ask the question before and I thought you said you only used Epoxy now, is that right? You were in the middle of a cyclone at the time and I didnt like to pester you.

Cheers
Richard

[Taffy Evans]

I remember many years ago boiling my Rosewood sets to get the oil out, cos' thats what the books said at that time. I still have a rosewood guitar from that time and a more recent rosewood one [untreated], both are the same but I think from memory boiling the sets gave me deeper pores to fill. I wondered if the boiling made the timber more responsive as it was less dampened by the crap that came out of it in the vat of hot water. The "boiled' guitar has a brighter ringing tone, but this could be down to its age.

[Allen]

I only use Epoxy for a pore filler now. It gives the most consistent results, and isn't effected by high humidity like other pore fillers are.