First refin. nitro dramas

G'day good peoples,

Im currently in the middle of a refinish on my MIM strat. I originally got all amped up to do a 3 tone burst finish on her with rattle can nitro after looking at the US sites, though the goose in me didn't think to realize they cant ship aerosols and toxic goods to down under.

Now it seems its basically impossible to be able to do a 3 tone sunburst with rattle cans sourced from OZ let alone any colour.

I've considered the preval unit idea, though sourcing the colours is still gonna be an issue.

So basically my dilemma is i have a sanded down 3 piece alder strat body ready to rock n roll but im having real dramas as to which direction I should take on the finish. Plus i've got a beaut set of MickB's 68 grey bottoms on their way in the mail so I need to get a start on this bloody thing.

Any help / advice / ideas are muchly appreciated. :)

N.B . Hope this isnt an offensive post, i've been doing a hell a lot of searching ( these forums included) and theres a lot of mixed opinions on the nitro in OZ.

Mods if this is inappropriate please move / delete at your will.

Hi there!

I've refinished quite a few guitars using nitrocellulose rattle cans & the results can really be nothing short of spectacular.

I've heard of issues in getting nitrocellulose in rattle cans where you're located. That would really be a downer indeed. :(

If you can live without doing a tri color finish & go with a natural one this may help.

Have you considered using a hand finished product named "Tru~Oil". Though I've not done a finish myself in Tru~Oil I've seen some spectacular results when done correctly then buffed out.

I'm not sure you will need any type of grain filler for the type of timber you have but you must have as level & smooth as surface as possible to attempt any hand buffed high gloss finish.

I truly do hope this helps rather than confuses you. If there's any other questions I can help you with please don't hesitate to ask. :)

I've subscribed to this thread.

Robert V. aka Last

Hi Slum,

You may want to repost in the musical instrument makers area of the forum, you will see some spectacular work and there are finishing gurus who will advise you.

Thanks for the replies guys. :2tsup:

It seems like ill probably be able to source the nitro rattle cans I was after now after contacting a paint shop JupiterCreek mentioned in a thread of his.

Last, i was actually considering doing a natural finish in " tung oil ". I havent heard of "tru-oil" though i would suspect it'd be similar. I probably wouldve done a oil finish if the body was one or two piece. Even with the 3 tone sunburst, the 3 piece body will still be noticeable though itll probably be a little easier on the eyes.

I'd love to do a natural finish at some stage. I love the look of stained wood on a guitar. Cant beat it. :)

TruOil is a modified linseed oil. Ive used it on a number of Mandolins with great results. Its sold as a gun stock finish. It is expensive which is the main drawback IMO.

Ive been using "Timber Care" Tung Oil finish for floors on boxes and knives. From Bunnies at less than $15 per litre from memory. I think it is going to also be good for instruments but dont tell any purists. Tough, shiny, scratch resistant, transparent and wipes on easily.