Closed-grain timbers like maple don't need grain filler — your sealer handles it. Open-grain timbers like mahogany, ash, and rosewood absolutely do, or your finish will sink into the pores...
Read MoreHow long should you wait between coats? When is it safe to handle, sand, polish, or pack the project away? We've put together drying and cure times for our cellulose...
Read MoreNitrocellulose is the classic guitar finish, but it's unforgiving if you're new to it. We walk through gun setup, thinning ratios, spray patterns, between-coat sanding, and the patience required to...
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Lacquer drying times trip people up because there are three of them — touch-dry, recoat-ready, and fully cured. We break down what each one means in practice, why nitro can...
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Building a complete guitar finish means stacking several different products in the right order: sanding sealer, primer, colour coats, clears, sometimes tinted topcoats. Here's an overview of the Dartfords paint...
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Nitro, pre-cat, acrylic, polyurethane — the 'clear' bottle on the shelf could be any of them, and they don't behave the same way. We compare what each clear lacquer is...
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They sound similar and sit on the same shelf — but cellulose paint and nitrocellulose lacquer aren't interchangeable. We compare what each one is, how they're used, when you'd reach...
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Short answer: yes, but order matters. Oil-based grain fillers play well with oil finishes, water-based ones don't. We cover which combinations actually work, the right sequence, and how to fill...
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Imperial and metric measurements collide constantly in the workshop, especially in guitar work where specs are still quoted in inches and 'thou'. We've put together conversion charts for fractions, decimals,...
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