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I'm sure the answer is no, but I'm stumped. Is there any other kind of finish that will work with nitro?

I'm fixing up an old Gibson LG from the 50's, it has a fairly serious head stock break that I'll be addressing with a back strap, obviously I'll inevitably need to add some finish to the new wood. I have not been able to find nitro-cellulose lacquer anywhere in Canada, and definitive advice about what's possibly available is as scarce.

There's lots of "lacquer" (I've used some post-catalyzed stuff before) available but everyone at the paint stores and in the wood finishing industry around here I talk to kind of just shrugs and says they don't bring it in anymore, or its unavailable. It also doesn't help that a lot of people I've talked to locally use the word "lacquer" as a catch all term and seem to think of all the options as interchangeable. I haven't had much luck online either.

I'd welcome any suggestions for a source or an alternative solution.

Conor

Welcome to the post nitro age of Lutherie.

Lots of other things "work" with nitro. If all you need is adhesion then most other materials will work, especially over lacquer from the 50's due not only to it's age but the formulas used then. Something that will buff in seamlessly? That is a different question. Most auto repair clears will work for buffing into almost anything with proper prep but may lift old nitro so a test is in order if you try that.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

Thanks Brian, I'm going to keep digging a little more. I talked to another luthier nearby and he gave me some leads to chase down. But I won't jump into the repair until I get my lacquer questions sorted out, so if I do need to test some alternative finish I can do it on the back of the head stock where I'll be removing material anyway for the back strap, since I have no other 50 year old nitro kicking around to test compatibility with.

What do you mean by proper prep?

Its funny when I started out diving into the world of luthiery I loved all the classic designs and was just uninterested in anything not associated with 60's and earlier guitars. The more I learn and grow though, the less interested I am in those guitars, and I'm so much more interested in builders that are moving the ball a little farther down the field (within reason). I guess I'm losing my grip on "mojo".

Witness lines between materials can be greatly minimized by taking care to prep the zone where the two finishes overlap and blend carefully. A good cleaning is in order first so no surface contaminates make a line between coats. Scuffing in the area is also very important. If using an auto refinish cut in clear follow the TDS for that coating for sanding grit. It will be the same as used between coats without wet stacking.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

Shellac can be made to blend into nitro well. Stew Mac sells rattle cans of Nitro will they not deliver to Canada?

Then there's TruOil which plays well with nitro or poly finishes, and in some cases - cyanoacrylate finishes (but it requires thought and prep before using). TruOil is basically foolproof, super glues not so much.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Nope, no nitro over the border. Turns out Mohawk does have a distributor in Canada. I just need to get those guys to sell to me, they won't take customers off the street, or off the internet apparently. So I'll wait to see if they'll set me up as a COD account.

There's lots of leeway with this particular instrument. As an extremely beat up 50's LG-1 there's not much value. The friend that picked it up basically had me in mind, saw it as a project to cut my teeth on a few different repairs I have yet to do, so if the nitro thing falls through I may try the shellac route.

Conor, richelieu carries Mohawk products.
There is one in Victoria

B

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My memory is so good, sometimes I remember things that never happened.

Industrial Plastic and Paints in Nanaimo carries the Mohawk classic instrument nitro as well. I have some at the house if you need some Conor

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Blue Ring Acoustics
blueringacoustics.ca

Thanks Alan. I got set up with a Richelieu account and ordered some online.