LowMoFo Posted October 27, 2019 Share Posted October 27, 2019 Hi all, I'm struggling with my build still, so I'm turning to you in search of ideas/suggestions. In August, I clear-coated the beast using Rustoleum polyurethane from rattle cans over spirit stain. Both the body and the neck were hit with five duster coats on day one, then two more duster coats and three thicker coats, on day two, then they were put aside for six weeks each. Came back to them, and the clear coat is still pretty soft. I began wet sanding, 800 though to 2000, putting it aside for a day between each grade to aid gassing off. It's now been 8 weeks or so, and it is STILL soft. For example, if I lay the neck on a towel, it marks the clear coat, just under it's own weight. I'm told quite a few people use this product, so would love to hear about their experiences please, i.e curing time. I see three options available to me: 1) Leave it alone for what'll feel like eternity. (much twiddling of thumbs) 2) Strip it & start again. (Grrrrr!) 3) And this is what I'm wondering, can I apply something to the clear coat to assist in it's curing? I've been reading about gently applying denatured alcohol in such circumstances, or using blush remover, but apparently blush remover will have no effect on poly. Learned low-enders, I need your wisdom please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikay Posted October 27, 2019 Share Posted October 27, 2019 A quick google for "rustoleum not curing" brings up a lot of other unhappy people experiencing similar issues. Ditching Rustoleum and starting again with something else may be the way to go... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowMoFo Posted October 27, 2019 Author Share Posted October 27, 2019 Dammit! Had a nasty feeling this may be the case. Thanks for the quick response. I don't have a good enough compressor or gun for a two-part clear coat, so do you have any recommendations for alternatives please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samuel Burns Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 My guess is you went too many coats too soon. I wouldn't trust a can application to be honest. Either go for the long game with a brush, which requires lots of patience or have a local body shop spray just the clear coat. If you do all the prep work, and supply them with the clear coat of your preference they could spray it in the booth together with some car panels to keep it cost effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowMoFo Posted October 28, 2019 Author Share Posted October 28, 2019 Hi Sam, Thanks for your reply, I'm inclined to agree regarding too much too soon, more fool me for following the instructions on the can to the letter. I'm gonna go down the brush route, I've waited this long so a few more weeks is not gonna be too testing. Thanks again for your advice, sir! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samuel Burns Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 Cool. If you haven't done this before be sure to watch some youtube videos on how to go about it. It is very rewarding but takes loads of elbow grease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowMoFo Posted October 29, 2019 Author Share Posted October 29, 2019 Hi, the elbow grease isn't an issue, but thanks for the heads-up. Andyjr1515 has also been kind in sharing his technique, which we know works v well, so time for a deep breath & give it a go. Thanks again Sam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manton Customs Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 (edited) There's a few things you can do to aid drying time, such as heating and air circulation, but after 8 weeks it's pretty safe to say it won't ever cure properly. It was probably caused by spraying it on too quickly without giving previous coats enough time to gas off (as suggested above), the instructions on the can are rarely accurate! Or it could be just a crap product in the first place, the British DIY type finishes really aren't usually up to much. The Poly on guitar and bass bodies these days is actually Polyester rather than Polyurethane but Polyurethane is used on some areas (often necks). However these are quite different than the stuff you get from a DIY store and use a (dangerous) catalyst to make them dry super hard. You could try wiping it down with some white spirit or lighter fluid (presuming it's the oil based poly) and see if it removes any of the tackiness. But if it's just soft rather than tacky I think you're going to need to strip it back unfortunately. Strip it back to bare wood and thoroughly clean any residue of the old finish, then get some Nitrocellulose aerosols which should give you decent results and are fairly user friendly. Alternatively if you're after a satin "woody" finish you could use something like Truoil or Danish Oil. But if you're going for a gloss, it's easier to get gloss out of an aerosol (Nitro) rather than these. Edited October 30, 2019 by Manton Customs 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chienmortbb Posted October 31, 2019 Share Posted October 31, 2019 On 30/10/2019 at 12:41, Manton Customs said: There's a few things you can do to aid drying time, such as heating and air circulation, but after 8 weeks it's pretty safe to say it won't ever cure properly. It was probably caused by spraying it on too quickly without giving previous coats enough time to gas off (as suggested above), the instructions on the can are rarely accurate! Or it could be just a crap product in the first place, the British DIY type finishes really aren't usually up to much. The Poly on guitar and bass bodies these days is actually Polyester rather than Polyurethane but Polyurethane is used on some areas (often necks). However these are quite different than the stuff you get from a DIY store and use a (dangerous) catalyst to make them dry super hard. You could try wiping it down with some white spirit or lighter fluid (presuming it's the oil based poly) and see if it removes any of the tackiness. But if it's just soft rather than tacky I think you're going to need to strip it back unfortunately. Strip it back to bare wood and thoroughly clean any residue of the old finish, then get some Nitrocellulose aerosols which should give you decent results and are fairly user friendly. Alternatively if you're after a satin "woody" finish you could use something like Truoil or Danish Oil. But if you're going for a gloss, it's easier to get gloss out of an aerosol (Nitro) rather than these. I have used Truoil and Danish oil but in my opinion Crimson's Guitar Finishing oil (the original one) https://crimsonguitars.com/store/penetrating-guitar-finishing-oil/. Is the best I have used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manton Customs Posted November 1, 2019 Share Posted November 1, 2019 19 hours ago, Chienmortbb said: I have used Truoil and Danish oil but in my opinion Crimson's Guitar Finishing oil (the original one) https://crimsonguitars.com/store/penetrating-guitar-finishing-oil/. Is the best I have used. I make my own finishing oils, but thanks. What I was getting at is that it's far easier to spray a (decent) gloss than rub one. So what I do when it's a stock build and I have a choice, is to use oil when the build suits it (e.g natural woods which pop from oil) and my spray rig when gloss or paint is needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chienmortbb Posted November 1, 2019 Share Posted November 1, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, Manton Customs said: I make my own finishing oils, but thanks. What I was getting at is that it's far easier to spray a (decent) gloss than rub one. So what I do when it's a stock build and I have a choice, is to use oil when the build suits it (e.g natural woods which pop from oil) and my spray rig when gloss or paint is needed. We are actually agreeing. Unless the wood is special, I would get it sprayed (I don’t have a spray booth). If the wood is beautiful in its own right I would use the Crimson Oil. I also have used danish oil on my last neck and although it took almost a month to “harden”. Anyway thank you for your contributions on BC. I always enjoy your posts and usually follow them. Edited November 1, 2019 by Chienmortbb 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowMoFo Posted November 2, 2019 Author Share Posted November 2, 2019 Hi all, Very many thanks for your ideas & suggestions, certainly a LOT of helpful stuff for this one and for future projects. I've decided to go down the brush-on route & see where that takes me. It may work, or I may be seething again in the not too distant future, time will tell I guess. I have to say, I'm enjoying the learning curve still, and once again, thanks heaps to you all for helping such a noob! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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