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Rod - I want to second that choice of wax. That particular brand is a VERY good wax. I've used that brand on mission furniture restoration for years. It's the only brand I used. Extremely easy to apply and easy to buff by hand....even if you accidentally let it set too long. It's not available at my local home depot though...

Chris

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There is no difference between the man that thinks he can....and the man that thinks he cannot.

My first app of Emtech over the lightly scuffed shellac went very well.

It still amazes me that you get such a high gloss finish without a buffer. I read what you said about the neck. So you use automotive high grit (wet) paper? I have 1000, 4000, and 8000 grit. I also have some micromesh.

Mike

I don't go any higher than 1500 with paper. Then it's onto OOOO steelwool for the neck. The last two bodies I also wet sanded up to 1500 then OOOO steelwooled on the wax. Let it set up just a bit then a soft linen cloth to buff it up. All armstrong power.

I'm sure you'll get a really high gloss if you had a buffer of some sort. I'm still working out details for buffing to a ultra hight gloss (I'm cheep and don't like to spend $$ much) so getting an arbor type buffer might not be in my books any time soon.

Honestly, you can get a pretty nice shine from steelwool and wax then a soft cloth to buff. That's all this one is. This is nitro however (I'm expecting the EM6000 to be similar)

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Rod,

Thanks. I have just put on the 3rd coat. Looking fine. I do notice some bumps here and there (on the back). Is this just an occasional errant droplet? Will they blend in (melt) over time (more coats)? And Will any at the end of the process shear off with high grit leveling?

I'm cheap also, but I am going to get a buffer down the road. I like the high gloss you get. You do know that caswell plating has a good deal on an 1100 rpm model? I know a lot of folks who use it. 12" wheels as I recall.

I must be blessed because my cheapie gun is doing an awesome job.

Mike

What are these "bumps" Mike? Is it finish or dust nibs? Before you spray the next coat (wait overnight) take a single edge razor blade, round the corners, put a single piece of masking tap on the ends to leave about 1/2" of blade exposed and use it as a scraper to level those little bumps. You don't want to continue building on them as they will just get bigger and bigger with more successive coats.

I have a cheap knock-off touch up gun and it does a great job of spraying.

Ya, the Caswell plating buffer is out of my $ range. I also don't have room for it.

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Got to be finish nibs. None of them show up on the sides which are more "horizontally" exposed as it were. I will shave them off as you suggested after the surface has dried in the morning.

I hope I am going to like this stuff. Its nice knowing I can't blow the house up. My wife has no clue. If I were using explosive nitro, she would ban me to the barn (if only I had one!)

Mike

I have decided tp do a scuff with 000 steel wool and the razor before applying 4-6.

Nothing screaming at me, just wanna get it right.

The usual recommendation is to keep steel wool away from your guitar while spraying.

A light scuff sanding with 320 or 400 paper should do the trick.

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Jordan Aceto
Ithaca, NY

Thanks Jordan, will do as you say,

Mike

I'm very interested in seeing pictures of a finished guitar. This sounds like a good option for a guy like me. I have the McFadden's Polyester right now because of the look. If this stuff looks good, I'll definitely go with it.

James, go check out this thread. Similar discussion, more pictures of guitars.
http://luthiercom.org/phpbb3/viewtopic. ... 0c5e925a4f

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Waddy

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I wanted to read that too, but my membership is not yet active. Hope no negative news!

Before the 4th coat, I scuffed with 320. The 4th coat melted in nicely.

Why does this stuff remind me of industrial floor wax? Is it just the amonia?

No problems so far. What is considered a solvent for the cured material?

Mike

A couple of 4th coat pics

Mike,

Is it getting kind of cloudy near the neck joint? It may be the picture. I had some of that using the Stew Mac brushing varnish. On the next one I want to try and avoid it.

Thanks for posting pics.

John

Actually, that is the lighting. But, when you apply the stuff, it can have a cloudy color for a bit. Out of the can the stuff is white. But it always dries clear. And it dries fast.

Rod, what do you do when you find pores?

Mike

depends on how many coats are on. I tend to sand back after 9 coats as thin as I dare (almost back to wood) all to level the finish and see where/if there are any more voids (usually not). Then I spray more coats and how many depends on how far I've sanded. Most everything should be filled by then.

Lacquer is notorious for shrinking and this WB is no different than nitro. It will find every single little void in the wood and the nice thing with it is that you can drop fill finish on it to fill those voids at any time along the finishing process. The finish will burn into the previous coats and all form one continuous layer of finish.

It's a tedious task, finishing guitars. Especially to a high gloss, mirror finish.

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

For James Orr: Pics of a guitar by Metcalf guitars finished with EmTech 6000. From a thread at this link:

http://www.kitguitarsforum.com/forum/th ... 79_0_7_0_C

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Thanks Rod. I have it in my head how to do this now... you have been a BIG help. This stuff is so well behaved that a novice like me can do it! I am still going to build a "clean" closet to have the guitar hang out while drying. That appears to be the source of the occasional nib.

I like the way this stuff dries to the touch in under an hour.

Those Metcalf pics are awesome! James, at $30 a gallon, this experiment will not set you back. And, you won't blow up the shop!

The balloon in the sound hole is actually a nitril glove.

You can get quarts too, I just had one delivered so I can try it.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Quick question.

I went to target's Product matrix site and they have two lacquers listed, the EM6000 production lacquer and LAC1000-Ultima Spray Lacquer. If you look at the column "primary function", the EM6000 does not have a code of SAL while the LAC1000 does. Supposedly this code means "Specialty/Artictic/Luthier". So while the pics here using the EM6000 are beautiful, i just wonder why they don't specifically endorse it for luthier work and they do for the LAC 1000?

I wonder what the differences in properties are.

http://www.targetcoatings.com/matrix-bottom.html

Rob, you prolly already saw this: http://www.targetcoatings.com/forum/vie ... php?t=1244

Mike

Rob, USL (LAC1000-Ultima Spray Lacquer) has been used for a long time by many gutiar makers. The EM6000 is only a few years old and has had little use in the guitar making arena.

Now having said this, the USL has been known to not hold up well on guitar necks, but the EM6000 is expected to hold up better. Basically the EM6000 is an upgrade from the USL.

I think Target wants to have several more confident builders using the EM6000 before giving it that SAL use code.

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Pretty sure I saw on Targets info about this product, that they were hoping it would gain a following among luthiers, due to it's feel. That's what led me to try it.

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Rob

Yeah, what Rod said. If you look at that thread, you can tell the reps are trying to whip up some enthusiasm in the Lutherie community. Guess we will have to wait a bit for the neck issue to flesh out... we will see.

Mike

It's been 4 years since this topic came up and I did a search concerning Zpoxy under Emtech 6000 that brought it to my attention. I'm curious after the 4 years how people are still feeling about the Emtech 6000.
I used it on my first, and am going back to it on my 4th now. I used Zpoxy as a pore filler and now want to start spraying the Emtech 6000. A number of people used Zinsser Sealcoat shellac as an intermediary step. Is this needed? Are there adhesion problems with 6000 over Zpoxy alone?
Thanks all,
Bob

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Bob
From the oldest town in Texas.