Lacquer drying time?

[KellyFan]

I just finished putting the last clear coat of lacquer on my FrankenStrat, over a stain job. How long should I let the lacquer cure before I do a final wetsand/ buff out?

[Evol]

Re: Lacquer drying time?

Depends on the brand/type of laquer and how many coats you put on it.One good way to tell is to leave it be for a few weeks then smell it up close,when it stops smelling like laquer you should be ok to wetsand.

[mm2002]

Re: Lacquer drying time?

Excellent advise Evol! Generally about 4 weeks is enough unless you piled it on there extra thick! If I'm painting an old car with lacquer I'll generally use two medium-dry coats of base color (or until hide) wait about a week, then lay on 6 to 8 medium-wet coats of clear. As long as the temp is 65 degrees or above and the humidity is 60% or less, it's ready to cut and buff in about 4 weeks. I use a med/fast thinner for the base color and the slow stuff for the clear.

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: Lacquer drying time?

not fast enough [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[mm2002]

Re: Lacquer drying time?

[ QUOTE ]
not fast enough [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with that bro. Urethanes rule! Paint it today, buff it tommorow!

[KellyFan]

Re: Lacquer drying time?

Urethanes?? Are there different types? Because the last project I did (a winter camo) I clearcoated with polyurethane. And while it did give me a nice clearcoat, it tinted the white paint to an amber-ish/yellowed shade.

[mm2002]

Re: Lacquer drying time?

If you were using rattle can urethane it probably did yellow it. It'll probably peel right off too, at least some brands do. The polys I'm referring to are the two-part catylized clears.

[rsrelic]

Re: Lacquer drying time?

Lacquer does take 2-4 weeks to dry, but when it's done it's a better sounding finish than the urethane. It's worth the extra time.

[mm2002]

Re: Lacquer drying time?

You must be one of those guys who play their electric guitar un-plugged!
I'll take the durability of a urethane finish and sacrifice the virtually inaudible difference in tone any day. Now if we were talking about an acoustic guitar I'd agree totally. In that case a thick coat of urethane will deaden the soundboard.

[rsrelic]

Re: Lacquer drying time?

To each his own, but the difference between a good guitar and a great one is a thousand small improvments not one big one.

[Ace]

Re: Lacquer drying time?

I leave urethane to dry for 2-3 days before buffing it.