How long does it take for clear coat to Cure?

[61fury]

I just finished off a can of ReRanch over Watco lacquer. I was wet sanding to get some of the cat hair off. Then I tested it with my thumbnail, not a dent, no smell either. This was just 1 day later. I have used Watco alone on a neck and it stayed soft for some time, still it hardened faster than my first attempt with Deft.

[61fury]

Duracoat.

Hey I just looked that up, can you describe your experience with it? Did you use the Preval style or do you have a spray rig? There's a ton of options on that site. Thanks, Jack

[Joey]

I stick to Deft for the clear coat because I have had really good finishes vs what I used on my first body. (That stuff dried with pin holes all over the finish.)

Parks and Deft are good. But you gotta try some Seagrave on your next project if you have a spray rig.

StewMac.com

Sadly, after 135 years the venerable Lawrence-McFadden Company is gone, but happily their legendary nitrocellulose lacquer formula lives on, now under the Seagrave brand. A long-time favorite of guitarmakers including Martin, Fender, Collings, Santa Cruz and Benedetto, it produces a durable, easy-to-spray traditional finish with a beautiful gloss.

Seagrave/McFadden lacquer can be sprayed with or without thinning, for fast build-up in multiple coats. It sprays well with practically any gun, and can be polished and buffed after as little as seven days curing time.

The clear gloss is pricey at $25 a quart. But it's great. They also make a sealer but it sucks balls. I prefer Parks sealer, it's just as good as Deft. I don't use Parks clear gloss, had bad experience with it not drying fast enough.

You could give 10 guys the same spray can and get 10 different results with lacquer...... like Narco said

[DGNR8]

If I could use cat poly as a top coat, I would try it. It can go on quick, dry hard, and not have to be too thick. It works on cars, so it must be resilient. But the health warnings are pretty grave.

I use Reranch for colors, and Minwax nitro (black can red stripe gloss) for clear. I haven't had great experiences with acrylic. There are times when it feels arduous, but so can making breakfast. I like how nitro ages. I like the cracking. If you chose to after 40 years, you could spray fresh clear and it would soften up and fuse and it could be polished like new. But we will forget all that and use what lasts. Mojo doesn't come in a can like whoop ass does.

[Addam]

I've started using 2pack recently.
Old 2pack (polyurethane) used to contain isocyanates, which are poisonous. Requiring an air fed mask and proper spraybooth/low bake oven.
They make isocyanate free paint now, which I think most is now for environmental reasons.
I think you need a spray gun with a slightly wider nozzle than Nitro too.

The main problem I've encountered is that it's so hard.
Once cured (hours) it's resistant to almost anything.
Just makes it more difficult to polish to a decent shine.

I have tried Nitrocellulose, Acrylic in spraycans, Polyurethane in spraycans, and a Nitro/Acrylic/Nitro sandwich.
I found acrylic on wood to be a waste of time, not ever really hardening. (Over a Nitro primer OK though)
Polyurethane in a spraycan just stayed sticky forever, and reacted with it's self when spraying more coats.

I would like to try using a 2pack/nitro combo for a sunburst at some point.
Using 2k clear as a smooth base and Nitro for the black/red/amber for a good blended burst.
I think Fender did a similar process in the '70s and used a poly clear on top.

[Narco Martenot]

This new product by Target Coatings might interest some of you who have spray equipment. I use their SuperClear 9000 and it is very, very nice stuff. I definitely want to try this lacquer, though. Also, their customer service is excellent if anyone has questions.

[Joey]

Mojo doesn't come in a can like whoop ass does.

[h8mtv]

Duracoat.

Hey I just looked that up, can you describe your experience with it? Did you use the Preval style or do you have a spray rig? There's a ton of options on that site. Thanks, Jack

I have used lots of Duracoat with a HVLP gun doing equipment, tools, guns, parts, I recently did a tele body in the off white Pearl color and it went on smooth and looked great. I think I may do another body and take pics. I just used 600grit to knock off the gloss, the original paint was intact and fine.

[Spitfire7]

HNB your paint job looks really good. I hope it works out for you guys. Aren't most finishes a minimum of a week or two to cure and sometimes a month for full cure?

[HNB]

HNB your paint job looks really good. I hope it works out for you guys. Aren't most finishes a minimum of a week or two to cure and sometimes a month for full cure?

Thanks, yeah it does take awhile to cure. Waiting is the hard part, but you can't really get around it.

[Spitfire7]

HNB your paint job looks really good. I hope it works out for you guys. Aren't most finishes a minimum of a week or two to cure and sometimes a month for full cure?

Thanks, yeah it does take awhile to cure. Waiting is the hard part, but you can't really get around it.

Oh I totally know what you mean about waiting. I have to do that for every new tortoise shell sheet. I just want to play with it right away but patience.

[HNB]

Yup! Fingerprints or other boogers would suck on those.

[Awstin]

every new tortoise shell sheet

What?? You make your own?