Water slide decal problem

[Maurice]

Wondering if someone might know why my clear water slide decal shows an almost milky colour on my tru oiled roasted maple neck? I am quite sure I put it on correctly and I have sprayed 4 coats of lacquer over it to level sand and polish but yet the shape still shows and it is not clear. Any thoughts.

 

[Fat Pete]

Some waterslide decal makers specifically state that they're not compatible with tru oil.  :dontknow:

 

[stratamania]

Ideally you would want a coat of shellac between the tru-oil and lacquer. But after the tru-oil has taken several weeks to become more than dry to the touch.

It takes a few coats with enough build up prior to sanding back to achieve a level result.

Lacquer that looks milky is usually caused by moisture in the air.

 

[Maurice]

Thanks for your opinions, I will sand it down and start over with a shellac coat prior to putting another decal on.

 

[Cagey]

Make sure your decal is good and dry, and don't shoot lacquer on a humid day. You're getting "blush", which happens when the pressure change from your spray device causes the humidity to condense in the vapor stream and get caught in your finish. Lacquer dries very quickly, so anything trapped in it tends to stay in it.