Cardinal Lacquer

[Ray Ussery]

Just a note for info and curiosity...LMI has started using Cardinal products...their clear nitro bulk cures harder, faster and buffs out in 7 days..(Or so they say)...I HAVE NOT USED IT...but I know a couple of guys who have and the word is the 7 day cure time rather than 30 days or so...no rattle cans but the price is right.
Anyone here try it?

Thanks, Ray

[ken cierp]

I am scratching my head thinking about this “luthier lacquer” from Cardinal – I too have not used it but it seems to be a bit of a marketing trick (this is my opinion) its lacquer that has been thinned (reduced solids/X) with fast flash off chemical solvents, so yes it will sink back faster --- any of us can do the same thing with any nitro lacquer and high quality solvent. So I don’t get it -- the per coat you spray will be thinner, requiring more coats to get build up for usual minor fill, leveling and final polish. So you are paying for a lot of thinner rather than lacquer solids that don't evaporate into nothingness -- hmmmm? For a process that can be completed quicker I’d recommend one of the pre-catalyzed lacquers now available – they are just the opposite in concept more solids with fast dry sink and shrink back ready too level in seven or so days. $.02

[Ray Ussery]

Thanks ken, that makes sense to me....not too familiar with today's products but we used to do the same thing shooting Lacquer in the 50's so we could get the car out quicker though. :)

[Bob Dill]

I've sprayed six guitars with cardinal lacquer and the stuff works better than Seagrave and a few others that I've tried.It's still a Nitro lacquer and it still shrinks, it is harder and I can buff it in 7 days. I spray 4 to 5 light coats a day for three days,scuff and level sand in between coats. I wait a day after the last coat and sand with 800 grit, each day I'll sand with another finer grit down to 4000 grit, wait for the 7th day and buff. Buffing takes less time and with no signs of scratches. Here's a hint: If you order four gallons of their products, you get a much better price than LMI. I ordered 2 gallons clear, one gallon of satin, one gallon vinyl sealer, that saved me over $25.00 per gallon over what LMI charges per gallon. If you shoot lacquer, it's pretty good stuff in my opinion,I'd like to try some cat. lacquer that Ken is using to see how it compares?

[Tim Benware]

I spray 4 to 5 light coats a day for three days,scuff and level sand in between coats.

Are you saying you "scuff and level sand" between each coat i.e. 4 scuff and level sands each day which would be 12 times or once before you start the days spraying which would be 3 times?

[Bob Dill]

What I'm saying is that I sand after each day that I spray, be it after 3 or 4 coats how ever many coats I sprayed the day before. The first two days I'll usually shoot 4 coats and depending how the leveling goes, the last day I might just shoot 1 or 2 coats. It all depends on what wood I'm spraying and how well the filling went, open grain woods need a little more finish on the body, tops are left pretty thin.

[Tim Benware]

What I'm saying is that I sand after each day that I spray, be it after 3 or 4 coats how ever many coats I sprayed the day before. The first two days I'll usually shoot 4 coats and depending how the leveling goes, the last day I might just shoot 1 or 2 coats. It all depends on what wood I'm spraying and how well the filling went, open grain woods need a little more finish on the body, tops are left pretty thin.

OK, that makes sense. when I read it I thought you meant you were scuffing after every coat, which didn't make sense to me:)