Acoustic Guitar Construction

Well I've been working on leveling the finish on this guitar slowly since I returned from my trip to India in November. Slow going as the lacquer is much harder curing for 2 months then the 2 weeks it usually is when I start leveling. Anyway, almost had the body ready for buffing, just had the bindings to go over, and dang if I didn't sand through in an area. That was frustrating since I had about .010" of lacquer on the thing. There is always something it seems. But, I didn't get bummed, I told myself, I will just have to respray. That is the great thing about nitro lacquer!!! So I'll work on the neck, and as soon as the weather permits, I'll spray another 6 coats on the body, let it sit a couple of weeks and get this guitar completed so I can move on to the next one.

I am with you. I was ready to ship out my latest guitar today when I noticed that the finish shrank in some of the deeply figured black lines in the cocobolo. I was scared that they were cracks but no thin CA wicked through when I filled them, In any case I took the back down to wood and will respray it this week.

Good work Mr. S.
The hard lesson I learned over the last years, is not to spray a too thin finish. So much trouble to fix things. And it never gets more pretty. So, as said before, it is not what you put on, but what you leave on.
For me that means a bit more laquer and a nice amount of material to flatten and polish.
2cts.
Herman

Yeah Herman I agree 100%. This I've been trying to do and by golly I thought I had plenty on this guitar. No issues on the top and back at all. Next time when I think I have sprayed enough, I'll put 8 more coats on.

Since I need to respray this guitar, and I'm not going to put up my spray booth to do it, instead I'll spray it in my driveway, I thought I really needed to make a holder so I can spray the surfaces while they are flat to I'll get better flow out and a smoother finish, so I made this fixture that I will clamp to a portable bench. The dowel will pull out and have a hook on the end so I can hang the body between spray sessions. Nothing unique, but new to me. I've always sprayed holding the guitar with surfaces facing me and I've not been satisfied with the results, too much orange peel on the final coats.
Hoping for better results with this set up. Later, when I spray I'll set it up in my knock down booth.

I like that idea. I'm actually thinking about spraying an instrument, and your setup makes a lot of sense.

I spent the last two weekends spraying using this holder, out in my driveway. Sunny days around 65 degrees and virtually no wind. It actually went pretty well
I think I put 6 more heavy coats on the body and the neck, then I did a 50/50 thinned coat at the end. The top and back are much smoother than I've ever gotten before, the sides still seem to have a little orange peel. The neck looks pretty smooth and glassy too. I don't think I'll have to sand much before I go the the buffing wheels.
I'm going to let it hang for two weeks, then finish this guitar up. I have to have it done by March 21 for sure, I give it to the grandson on the 22nd.