Lacquer Cured - How to tell?

[DoItMyself]

Got my new Warmoth neck headstock painted with lacquer. It's been 4 weeks and don't think it's cured enough to install the tuners. I pushed the edge of a popsicle stick close to the tuner hole and I see a slight mark. Also tried to push my fingernail near the same spot and also got a slight mark. Slid my fingernail over it with little tension and no marks at all. Don't want the tuner washers to push into the lacquer but sit on top of it, obviously.

How do I tell if the lacquer is cured enough to mount the tuners?
Thanks!!

 

[DuckBaloo]

Which lacquer did you use? I assume nitro? Brand? Some use inhibitors that slow drying (looking at you, Stewmac). How many coats on what sort of shooting schedule? You haven't mentioned polishing, I assume you're using a satin? Spray conditions

"Curing" is a chemical reaction. Catalyzed finishes and two-part finishes cure when the hardener reacts. Evaporating finishes, like traditional nitro lacquer, "dry". And they dry on their own schedule.

 

[bagman67]

It's possible, depending on the species of wood (and the particular piece you have, since wood is extremely variable), that it's just soft enough that you could dent it with your popsicle stick or fingernail no matter what the finish. Does the finish still have an odor to it? If so, you will want to wait a little longer for the solvents to finish evaporating. If you sand it with 320 or finer sandpaper, does it clog the paper quickly? Does it feel gummy or sticky? If so, same story - it's not ready yet.

Obviously you cannot go back in time to do this, but for future projects, if you finish a piece of scrap at the same time as you finish the production part, you can experiment on the scrap at various times to judge the likely state of the production part.

Finally, installing parts will invariably result in some compression or other effects on the finish - so you may wait forever if you want to be absolutely certain you won't mar the finish where the part makes contact. The part will hide whatever is going on there as long as it's installed. In any event, a very careful hand may be more helpful here than a longer wait.

 

[DoItMyself]

Thanks for those that replied!!

I have absolutely no smell to the lacquer.

Used an airbrush to spray the lacquer. Haven't had good luck using cans.

I used leveling lacquer and leveling thinner. I probably have more coats than I'd like but I had planned to do some sanding and polishing but the finish looks great and I may only make it look worse so no sanding or polishing. I'm done with the painting and ready to install the tuners.

 

[DuckBaloo]

Used an airbrush to spray the lacquer. Haven't had good luck using cans.

That must have taken forever. But, it’s no fun trying to buff out orange peel, between the frets, from a rattle can. Next time, I'm trying Mohawk Ultra-Flo.

Give it another 2 weeks if you want, then bite the bullet. I usually spray 10-12 coats of clear nitro, then set it in the basement for forget about it for 6-8 weeks.

 

[Rick]

Yep, 6 to 8 weeks for me too.

 

[raystankewitz]

Minimum six weeks or longer, if I still smell the solvents outgassing. It sounds like your lacquer isn't cured yet.

 

[DoItMyself]

Minimum six weeks or longer, if I still smell the solvents outgassing. It sounds like your lacquer isn't cured yet.

Thanks for your message. There is absolutely No smell to the lacquer after the 4 weeks. Tomorrow will be 6 weeks.

 

[DoItMyself]

So, is the only way to tell if the lacquer is cured enough to mount the tuners, if it has any lacquer smell to it?

I didn't check it prior to 4 weeks but at 4 weeks there was no smell to it.

 

[Orpheo]

Don't take the gamble at 6 weeks. The longer, the better. It's that simple. I sand between the coats, and in the end, all I have to do is level sand with grit 1500, wet 1500, wet 3000, wet 8000, use Menzerna 400 on the 3M green pad and I'm done within an hour.