Spraying Hard Shellac with Cheap Spray Gun

[GourmetSaint]

I'm building an archtop guitar out of Tassy Blackwood.
I will be tinting the timber with ubeaut ink (red with maybe a drop of blue to give cherry) and finishing with the hard shellac. A couple of finishing questions:
1. Would a cheap electric spraygun, such as the $40 Ozito suffice?
2. What is the recommended dilution with 100% IMS?
3. How many coats?
4. Timing between coats (if any)
5. Thin coat before inking?

Thanks in advance

[GourmetSaint]

And one last one: at what point should I cut f holes, holes for switch and pots, holes for stop and bridge, routings for humbuckers and binding?

[GourmetSaint]

Maybe a reply from Neil? Please?

I have noticed on another luthiers forum (violins?) that some are claiming that the updated hard shellac formula still crazes for some. Anybody else have comments?

[RETIRED]

Neil has been notified and will respond when he can.

[ubeaut]

G'day GourmetSaint - Not sure if it was you I spoke to on the phone or someone else planning to do something similar.

Anyway if it wasn't you here's a quick response to your list of questions

I'm building an archtop guitar out of Tassy Blackwood.
I will be tinting the timber with ubeaut ink Water Dye (red with maybe a drop of blue to give cherry) and finishing with the hard shellac. A couple of finishing questions:

1. Would a cheap electric spraygun, such as the $40 Ozito suffice? Even a cheap gun can be made to work reasonably in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing.... if it has the ability to work properly. Just as an expensive one can make a mess of a project in the hands of someone who has no idea.

2. What is the recommended dilution with 100% IMS? This depends on the ability of the spray gun and the person using it. A number of thin coats will in most instances give a better finish for a novice and for a cheap gun.

3. How many coats? This also is dependent upon spray gun, ability, porosity of the timber and finish required.

4. Timing between coats (if any) Once dry to touch recoat.

5. Thin coat before inking? Wipe over with Sanding Sealer after final grit, allow to dry for a few hours or overnight then sand off with 1200 grit or higher to just take the raised grain away. Doesn't have to be anything more than a light wipe over the surface with the abrasive. Then apply the WATER DYE.

Make sure you try the dye on a scrap piece to get colours right before jumping in boots and all.

If someone has crazing with our Hard Shellac it will most likely be because they didn't shake or stir it before use, they used it wrong, or they put it over or under another product. People do some very strange things with finishes and when it all goes wrong will steadfastly refuse to divulge exactly what they did to have it all go wrong.

Unfortunately a manufacturer has no control over the product and how it is stored or used once it has left their premises.

Hope this is of some help.

Cheers - Neil

[GourmetSaint]

Thanks Neil. No it wasn't me on the phone...

What would the difference be if I used a diluted hard shellac as the sanding sealer? Almost the same stuff isn't it?

Cheers,

Mark

[ubeaut]

Using diluted hard shellac as the sanding sealer should work but will probably clog the abrasive where the sanding sealer shouldn't clog the abrasive.

Give it a go on a scrap piece of timber and see if you are happy with the result. Make the sealer with 1 part hard shellac to 10 parts metho.

Cheers - Neil