Lacquer for guitars now available in aerosol cans...

[Pete Howlett]

Behlen UK have now in stock their stringed instrument lacquers in aerosol can form. They also have a DVD which shows you how to use these (I was going to do one but no need now) and are introducing kits for finishing. I use Behlen lacquers and they are great. You will need one can of lacquer for a ukulele, vinyl sealer if you are using porous wood like mahogany and koa and pore filler. Behlen por-o-pak is very expensive if you are making the odd uke. However, cheaper grainfiller is obtainable from Axminster Power Tools - Rustins is the manufacturer. You will need to thin this with white spirirt and wait for 24 hours for it to dry before spraying vinyl sealer. If you want to use a cheaper sealer then Chestnut Sanding Sealer from Yandles of Martock is your can...

The lacquers from Behlen are only available through their website and won't be listed until early next week.

 

[ByronBlack]

Pete, i've recently finished my guitar using their previous aerosol lacquer which the guys at behlen said is/was suitable for guitars - the finish has come out really well and was easy to spray. What is the difference between what I used, and this new product?

 

[Pete Howlett]

It's not a new product. Stringed Instrument Lacquers have plasticisers in them that allow for the movement of the wood. If you look carefully at old cellulose finished products they craze because the lacquer is brittle. Dave Dearnly in Cardiff uses Fiddes lacquer specifically because it will crack for his replica vintage guitars.

For your guitar, you could just as easily have used car spray as I have often done without the expense of buying imported coloured lacquers.

I gave up posting about the issue because we were talking about two different products. The instrument lacquer I use in my spray gun is now available in aerosol cans and is very suitable for one off jobs. It won't crack or craze. They have initially as well as clear and the vinyl sealr (sanding sealer is just as good) an amber and a brown for sunburst finishes and a DVD to show you how to use the cans.

On the website next week i believe.

 

[ByronBlack]

So, are you saying that the behlen laquer I have used will crack/craze? Because if not, then i'm confused on the main difference between the two, if so, then clearly, I've been given bad advice...

 

[Pete Howlett]

If they have advised you then the advice stands. I am explaining the difference between traditional cellulose lacquers and instrument lacquers. Look at the can and you will probably find that there are ingredients other than nitro cellulose and solvents.

Behlen's instrument lacquer like McFaddens is specially formulated for the acoustic instrument configuration. Our original disagreement was whether or not you had bought their 'Stringed Instrument Lacquer ' which you clearly had not. I ended responding to the thread because you kept insisting that it was instrument lacquer - couldn't see the point in carrying on the discussion.

I'm now informing everyone that what I use on my acoustic instruments is now available in a simple form.

 

[Ironballs]

I got the DVD from them at Harrogate last weekend, you can buy a complete guitar finishing pack from them too