(Wilko or others) How long to let Nitro cure?

[tugboat]

As stated in the Clone Zone, I'm going to do the neck of my partsocaster with Minwax Wipe-on Poly (satin), primarily so I don't have to futz with cleaning off any frets (and I doubt there'll be any tonal difference).

But I want the Butterscotch Blonde, and since I already have the stuff from Reranch, I figure I'll go ahead and do the body in Nitro.

First off, I really have no desire at all to have a super-duper liquidy mirror gloss to the thing. More of a vintage look. No I'm not going to "relic" the thing, but more of a matte or satin look than gloss. How long do I let the Nitro sit between sprays? How long do I let it sit before wet sanding? How long to I let it cure before its ready to be screwed together?

I think Wilko said that you can finish spraying and wet sanding in a weekend or so if you want a more vintage feel.

But do you really need to let the Nitro cure a month before final assembly? Can you go ahead and do it after 2-3 weeks or so?

Thanks!

[tugboat]

I COMPLETELY missed the link at the bottom of the page for the rest of the ReRanch 101 article.

[Wilko]

I've used the reranch stuff and got some really good results using a very short amount of time.

I did my cream tele in a weekend and by rushing the buffing stage by buffing the next day is that the very thin coats settled very well after buffing and look much older than it really is.

Reranch products are very fast to dry and allow for layering after just a couple hours (or less). You can assemble in a few days without any ill effects.

After you pull the pickguard the first time it will look like it's been on there for 40 years.

I only recommend these times for a vintage look and if you want mirror thick shiny surfaces you will need to cure for much longer and buff when properly dried.

[tugboat]

I'm not after a mirror-thick shiny surface, but more of a vintage look. Super shiny mirror-like finishes on guitars just don't turn me on. So I guess I won't be letting it sit for weeks at a time. Not only will I get the finish I want, but I'll be playing it a lot sooner. ShaWINGGGGG!


Thanks Wilko!

[Tonedog]

3 passes per coat (not too heavey)
3 coats per day
3 hours between coats.

At a minimum I'd let it cure 3 or 4 days before wet sanding and buffing. If you're in a big hurry you could blow hot air on it with a hair dryer for a few minutes at a time after a couple of days to slightly warm the top (don't get it too hot or it will destroy the finish) to help it cure a bit faster.

The longer you wait before the sanding and buffing, the harder the lacquer will be. You can get a way with only waiting a few days. If you can wait a couple of weeks that would be a good idea.