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How long does Nitro last once it's been opened? I bought a Can of Mcfaddens and opened it about 8 months ago to do a repair. Just had another repair need some and the stuff doesn't seem to want to harden. Is that a sign of Nitro gone bad? Also, is there a solution ( like qualaque or something else I can apply to harden it up. The neck feels gummy/sticky. TIA

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

I have had a 5 Gallon pail and using it for 2 years without a problem.

Gary

Dave -
I do not use McFaddens but I have never seen that problem with Mohawk
lacquer. I have some lacquer that is at least 5 years old and it still works
great. I suspect that there is something else causing the problem. Try
painting some of the lacquer on a totally unfinished board to see what
happens. Let's narrow down the problem to either the lacquer or the
project!

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Sylvan
http://www.wellsguitars.com

The project was a 1973 Fender Telecaster. Maple neck. I completely refretted and then sprayed with Nitro. The fretboard and headstock seem fine although it's tough to tell because you don't run your hand down it like you do the back of a guitar neck. It just seems tacky. Is it possible that I layed on a coate too heavy and that's why it doesn't want to harden? I let the neck stand for about three weeks. Didn't notice the problem until I delvered the guitar. Customer played the dickens out of it and then emailed me to say that the laquer was a bit tacky. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

Dave--Hmmmm. Dunno what's ailing ye.
But my experience is like others' in that I've had no problem w/ McFadden's even after sitting around, once opened, for a couple of years.Steve Kinnaird38478.5381712963

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Dave, can you get some heat on the guitar? Put it in a small area that you can heat to ~80?? If you are concerned that you layed it on too thick you might try an extremely light sanding to break the surface. That will allow the lower layers to gas out.

dave

as a guage of how heavy you laid it on look at the area around the fret crown edges. with heavy coating the nitro fills this and makes a ski slope like infill from the fret crown to the fb. the higher up the side of the fretcrown and the further out onto the fb the heavier the coating.

but like the run of opinion here i don't think it's the depth of coat but some other factor which may have contaminated the finish.

how did you prep before spraying?

have you asked the client about his possibe use of clemical agents for cleaning/polishing?

have you contacted mcfadden tech support?

meanwhile sylvan's test suggestion sounds like it should give a better idea of where the problem isn't. crazymanmichael38478.6829282407

Letsee: it felt fine to you, customer played it a lot and said it felt a bit
tacky. Now it sounds as if it's back with you and feels gummy/sticky? Is
it actually getting softer and tackier, or are these different descriptions of
the same tackiness? If you had stopped at customer says a bit tacky, my
reaction would be give it another month. Nothing unusual about it
feeling a bit soft three or four weeks after spraying. Getting softer after
the customer played it and continuing to get softer suggests it got
contaminated while the customer had it. Contact with some plastic, or
something on his hands, perhaps?

McFaddens is more plasticized than ordinary lacquer. I don't think it is
necessary to use musical instrument lacquer on solid bodies or necks.
Ordinary furniture lacquer (e.g. Behlens Qualalac) gets harder faster.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

I wonder if GHS FastFret, or something of this nature was sprayed on the neck by the player?
It could be an interaction of the chemicals as Mike and Howard was speaking of.

DanielD.L.Huskey38479.6147569444

Thanks Everyone for your imput ...here is update...Guitar is still in the couriers hands enroute back to me. I racked my brain a little and decided to double check what exactly I used...It wasn't Mcfaddens...It was Behlens Master. Then I realized the reason I didn't have the can any longer was that I only had a little left and it was in a jar and tinted ( to give the neck a little hint of aging). THAT'S when it hit me! I didn't spray nearly as many coates on the back of the neck with the gun as I did on the front ( I had re-fretted). Well the back only needed some touch up from some light sanding and I did that with a can of Guitar-Re-ranch Nitro. I have no Idea what or where that stuff comes from and had it only to do minor repairs when I don't want to have to dirty the gun. I remember shooting the back of the neck with Behlens ( maybe two coates) and then thinking it's getting too dark so I needed some fresh Clear...rather than clean the gun and put some clear Behlens in (which I no longer had because I had tinted it) I used the can stuff. I bet this is the reason...I have heard different Nitro's reacting different. What do you guys think? Should I sand back completely and re-spray with the Behlens or what? TIA

_________________
Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

You haven't actually had the guitar in your hands again since sending it to
the customer? I'd say examine the finish before deciding what to do with
it.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Dave, did you use Behlen's rattlecan lacquer on the neck?

The reason I ask is, I used that once on a neck and it is the only one I've built that had a problem with the finish. The lacquer on the neck stayed very soft.

I think someone over at MIMF had told me that they thought it was because I had used a gel stain before finishing. But I have used the same gel stain on every guitar I've finished since then without a problem. I do seal after the stain with shellac. Can't remember if the sticky one got that or not.

I also don't use Behlen's finish anymore. Switched over to McFadden's and haven't had a problem with that either.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

No. I sprayed with a gun. The Behlens Nitro was purchased from StewMac. I guess a quart size? I think the problem is maybe the clear that I sprayed over that. That was a rattle can from Guitar Re-Ranch. Never used their stuff before but had a can for those "quicky repairs". I figured I would use it before it "went bad" or the can went flat. Things start to rust pretty fast here in Fla. I get neverous when I see the cans getting all rusty...always think one is going to explode...or go flat...

_________________
Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"