Sanding / buffing nitro

menamestom

I've just sprayed a tele body Inca silver in rattle can nitro.  Clear coat top.

How long do you wait to flat sand and buff, and what process do you use, as in what grits do you work through and what do you buff with at the end?

The body looks pretty good, I think it will come out okay. The finish is uniform but quite a rough texture, not smooth orange peel.
I tried to go with thicker wet coats but the clear just turned to milk.  Fortunately, a very light coat at the end made it clear again.
Not sure why it went milky, humidity was less than 50% and temperature was just over 20. But looked okay at the end.

Are metallics harder to spray generally? 

SteveRobinson

menamestom said:

How long do you wait to flat sand and buff, and what process do you use, as in what grits do you work through and what do you buff with at the end?

It depends on the underlying wood. I've sanded and buffed maple same day. If you have an ash body and especially if you haven't grain filled adequately then the lacquer shrinks into the grain as it dries. If you flat sand before the lacquer is fully dry you'll have the grain reappear. A couple of weeks should be plenty.

I tried to go with thicker wet coats but the clear just turned to milk. Fortunately, a very light coat at the end made it clear again. Not sure why it went milky, humidity was less than 50% and temperature was just over 20. But looked okay at the end.

It depends on the quality of solvents in the mix. Non-bloom thinners (that I always use) reduce the chance of milkiness and allow you to spray in more humid conditions.

Are metallics harder to spray generally? 

Only in that it's more important to spray evenly as the flakes affect the overall look. https://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/nitrocellulose-lacquer/lacquer-faqs/#metallic