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Thread: Clear Coat Problems

  1. #1

    Clear Coat Problems

    Hope someone can help.

    I've applied 3 coats of spray can paint (15 mins apart). I left the guitar for an hour then applied 3 coats of clear coat (again 15 mins apart).
    A couple of hours later, I had a look. The clear coat is white in some places and cloudy in others.

    Has anyone had this problem?

    If so, what's the fix?

  2. #2
    Overlord of Music Sonic Mountain's Avatar
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    The cloudiness sounds like moisture trapped in the paint, but pics would help for confirmation.

    It happens if it is too cold or humid when spraying. If you notice it straight away, you can sometimes fix it with a hair dryer, but you may be stuck with sanding back and starting again unfortunately.

    It also sounds like too much paint going on at once which will slow down curing. The first application of three light coats would have been enough to start. I wouldn’t repeat that until the first application is completely dry. There is a lot of watching paint dry in this hobby and it can be frustrating, but the more patient you are, the better the end result.
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  3. #3
    Overlord of Music McCreed's Avatar
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    What Sonic said.

    Also, what kind of paint & clear? (acrylic lacquer, nitro lacquer, enamel) Are they the same type & brand?

    And I presume the 15 minute re-coat time is what the instructions on the can stated?
    Making the world a better place; one guitar at a time...

  4. #4
    I've had a look this afternoon. After a wipe most of the clouding/white patches have gone, though some are still evident.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Photos A & C were taken a couple of hours after spraying. Photo B was taken today (24 hrs after spraying) after giving the guitar a wipe.

    The paint, stain (the maple veneer top was stained) and clear coat are all compatible according to the luthier supplier I bought them from.

    It's looking a lot better today.

    Thanks for your help.

  5. #5
    Overlord of Music fender3x's Avatar
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    It's more likely to be a moisture issue. Living in Florida it's a big reason I sought out an acrylic clear coat, and not applying by spraying. That has challenges too, but so far I am not having a clouding issue. Quite in contrast from my last build.

    Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

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