How long should the guitar sit to cure.

[ZGOZZ]

How long should the guitar sit to cure. I am using ColorTone Black Aerosol Guitar Lacquer.
I will be doing about 10 coats of clear. Then I have to wet sand and buff I am reading conflicting views.

 

[jackthehack]

Till it's dry

 

[ZGOZZ]

Till it's dry

No 3 weeks nothing like that cool..
One book said 3 weeks to 3 months...

 

[willyk]

Drying times vary with temperature, humidy, ventilation etc. A good tip is to "follow your nose" When the solvent has evaporated off the strong smell dissipates.

 

[-CB-]

With nitro lacquer.... one key is to not apply too much lacquer.  Lacquer takes breathing room to dry.  The thicker the coat, the worse it is.  When its thick, the top dries first and makes a non-breathable layer over the bottom.  So its important to let the coats be THIN, and I mean THIN, just barely wet.  Let it dry FULLY before new coats are added.  If you dont, just like before, you trap gassing-off lacquer under new lacquer... the new on top infuses the bottom with more solvent and the whole thing takes even longer to dry.

For DIYers, lacquer is easy - provided you take your time, and let it dry and dry and dry.

If you add up a bunch of quick coats, and have no special nudie bar tanning bed to dry it in... it can literally take months and months to dry.

 

[jackthehack]

Till it's dry

No 3 weeks nothing like that cool..
One book said 3 weeks to 3 months...

3 weeks to 3 months is correct

 

[ZGOZZ]

So when the smell drops , then it would be a good thing then to buff the clear, do many light coats waiting about 2 hrs plus per what the paint you are using.

 

[-CB-]

2 hours?  More like two days or more... a week between coats, especially on rattle can lacquer which is made to flow better etc etc, and has more solvent than spray-gun formulations

 

[jackthehack]

So when the smell drops , then it would be a good thing then to buff the clear, do many light coats waiting about 2 hrs plus per what the paint you are using.

If you've been shooting coats at two hour intervals it will NEVER dry/cure and when you go to level/wet sand it it will go all gummy and pull up.

 

[ZGOZZ]

Cool thanks guys.

 

[Dr Zoidberg]

I shot my strat in nitro last week. I'm leaving it 3 weeks to fully harden, it's killing me but i've paid the price for rushing it in the past.

 

[ZGOZZ]

I shot my strat in nitro last week. I'm leaving it 3 weeks to fully harden, it's killing me but i've paid the price for rushing it in the past.

you and me both, from now on just going to get the body finish LOL easier.