Quote Originally Posted by McCreed View Post
First, apologies to a_novice for the hijack...



Rabbit, I've seen water based clear "lacquer" for guitars and woodworking. How would that differ from an automotive lacquer?
I'm just thinking vintage guitars were painted with auto lacquers, so wouldn't it work other way around?
FTR, I've never done any car painting and my only experience with lacquers has been on guitars.

Also, I've just been reading a bit about waterbourne automotive paints, and it does seem like the technology just isn't quite there yet. Even PPG, whom I think kind of came up with it first (???) points out its shortcomings.
With regards to clears, it comes down to durability. Auto grade clears are the highest in durability, then marine finishes a step below that. For a guitar , that level of durability isn't realy needed, but it's nice to have. As for base coats, in the auto industry, both factory and refinishing industries are increasingly making use of waterbourne technology.... your information may be a bit behind the times. The technology has improved dramatically, but it requires re-training to apply them properly.