Any recommendations for spray can lacquer?

axisus · March 2022

.... other than nitro cellulose?

I've used Nitro for all my guitars so far, and they have all had an aged look. I want to do something with a more modern, thick shiny and polished finish. Just wondering what I should be looking at?

I've never tried a shiny, polished finish before, is is a world of pain? Anything one should know?

munckee · March 2022

If your.handy with a spray can you can get a good finish with halfords spray paint and gloss poly. The hard but is sanding it flat and buffing it properly.

Roland · March 2022

@SteveRobinson ;

SteveRobinson · March 2022

Thanks @Roland but OP doesn't want cellulose.

It is possible to get a very shiny finish with cellulose though!

elstoof · March 2022

2K poly spray is often used on bikes and things for that hard plasticky finish

axisus · March 2022

SteveRobinson said:

Thanks @Roland but OP doesn't want cellulose.

It is possible to get a very shiny finish with cellulose though!

yeah I just feel like trying something different. I get all my cellulose from you of course!

paulnb57 · March 2022

I don't like Halfords colour cans but the satins and the lacquers are pretty good

WezV · March 2022

paulnb57 said:

I don't like Halfords colour cans but the satins and the lacquers are pretty good

Yeah, not used them for years but tried a few times early on for "convenience". I always found the colours far too soft. I had one I was sure was ready, passed the fingernail test, then I left it on a table overnight and it had a perfect imprint of the tablecloth.

The satin clear doesn't have the same issue. I still sometimes use that for the headstockand decal on oiled necks

Roland · March 2022

Has anyone tried acrylic varnish? It’s finding favour with wood turners to put a shine on bowls. I wonder how hard and plectrum resistant the finish is.

Sporky · March 2022

I've used the Chestnut polyacrylic on a few guitars. Dead easy to apply, I usually use a foam brush.

ThePrettyDamned · March 2022

Not a spray, but my recent build thread used milk paint and brush-on water based finish. It's gorgeous, easy to apply, enviro friendly, soap and water clean up and sands brilliantly. I'm never going back.

Obviously for colour you don't need to use milk paint but for top coat I can hugely recommend general finishes high performance gloss. My finish has a bit of a vintagey look to it, not beautifully sanded flat, but that's down to my skill level. I also did a test piece with very careful sanding and it was ultra mirror shine.

Kalimna · March 2022

I have bought a couple of cans from these chaps, their flip-flop colours (though they have many, many different colours/finishes). Those are acrylic based, I think (and for the record there was no cross reaction using Steve Robinsons nitro as clearcoat), and they have a huge selection of colours and clears. I would heartily recommend.

https://perfectpearlsandpigments.co.uk/

Adam

Kalimna · March 2022

Not a great image, but gives you an idea of their metallic/flipflop finish

https://i.imgur.com/BhvwlBQ.jpeg

randella · March 2022

Sporky said:

I've used the Chestnut polyacrylic on a few guitars. Dead easy to apply, I usually use a foam brush.

I've just done a headstock clearcoat with Chestnut acrylic in an aerosol. I used the satin stuff (trying to replicate the original neck's early 90's USA flat look).

Really easy to use, touch-dry in 20 minutes, goes on nice and even. Bit easier to use than nitro and doesn't smell (quite) as rough. Piece of cake to work with. Just as an experiment, I sprayed some on a bit of scrap and it polishes up to gloss with a bit of Meguiar's car polish. Didn't take three decades to dry like nitro does, either.

Flip · March 2022

My experience is that the shiniest, glossiest result I get consistently is from several thinned coats of Barrentine wipe on poly.

thejkr · March 2022

Wow, this is beautiful! Great job!

ThePrettyDamned said:

Not a spray, but my recent build thread used milk paint and brush-on water based finish. It's gorgeous, easy to apply, enviro friendly, soap and water clean up and sands brilliantly. I'm never going back.

Obviously for colour you don't need to use milk paint but for top coat I can hugely recommend general finishes high performance gloss. My finish has a bit of a vintagey look to it, not beautifully sanded flat, but that's down to my skill level. I also did a test piece with very careful sanding and it was ultra mirror shine.

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Any recommendations for spray can lacquer?

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