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Hi all, I have a guitar here with some interesting checking that isn't visible when looking straight on. . It is the target water-based lacquer. I know what causes nitrocellulose to check, but this looks slightly different. The guitar is just under two years old. Has anybody had this experience with Target EM6000?

I've finished twelve guitars with EM6000 and haven't seen checking. On your guitar, is the EM6000 applied directly to the wood?

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

I used their sanding sealer as a color coat. Side note, I talked to the guy at Target last year who told me I could skip the sealer. Thanks for your reply.

I've done the same using their sanding sealer as a color coat on some guitars without problems so it's probably not due to that.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

Rocher, what is your Sanding process?

For final sanding and polishing of the finish, I've been level sanding dry with 400 grit and, since I didn't have a buffer until just recently, I've been wet sanding with Micro Mesh pads 1800 through 12,000 followed by LMI's cut polish and Meguiar's Mirror Glaze #17. It's tedious, but it gives pretty good results.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

What exactly was in the "color coat"? Dyes, colorants etc can have drastic effects of film flexibility.

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Brian

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

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

Brian's question reminds me that Target Coatings sells two sealers: EM1000 WB Universal Sanding Sealer and EMTECH USH3000 UltraSeal-WB Shellac Sealer. Which one did you use?

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

I’ve been using it since it was called PSL. I’ve never seen anything like that. One of the reasons I like EM6000 is that it won’t check. I did have a problem a few years ago when I tried the Target high build lacquer, I think it was EM7000, as a base coat (to help fill pores) followed by a top coat of EM6000–that crazed and had to be removed. I use flake shellac dissolved in Everclear as a sealer and base coat. If you figure this out, please post the results. We need to know.