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Or shellac? Or Sander Sealer? Then Lacquer?

G.

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www.leddingtonguitars.com

If you don't want to use a pore filler, Behlen has a vinyl sealer. I assume you mean Nitro Lacquer. Regardless, Nitro will adhere to all you mentioned. I just did a strat body with z poxy and Behlens Nitro. Your question sounds like this is your first attempt. I'd suggest asking a lot of questions, telling us about the wood, and specifying your goals. Also, do you live in a place where you can safely shoot nitro?

Yes, but would recommend toothing the epoxy with 220 prior to nitro.

I put down a couple of coats of shellac between them. And be sure to wait a couple of days between steps (DAMHIK).
Ken

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Ken Mitchell
Durham, NC

You put shellac over z poxy?

I'm just wondering if i need to seal the z-poxy before shooting nitro... but i have my answer i think as long as i scuff sand it should be good.

Thanks Folks.

G.

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www.leddingtonguitars.com

I do. I like tru oil on back/sides/neck, and find shellac is a good barrier between the zpoxy and tru oil. Works great.

Glenn

Lacquer works just fine straight over z-poxy. No need to do anything special.

Andy

I used Cardinal over shellac over Z-Poxy on my last one as well and it worked fine. They don’t recommend it, but I didn’t want to buy a quart of sealer for one guitar. Adhesion is not quite as good as it is over their sealer, but still perfectly solid.

To clarify: Z-poxy > shellac made from kusmi button lac dissolved in Everclear > Cardinal LuthierLac


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For Nitro I only use cardinal. I use their vinyl sealer followed within 30-60 minutes with nitro.

Before I started with cardinal I did a test panel. I tried it a) direct on epoxy, b) over vinyl sealer that had been drying for 12 hours and c) over vinyl sealer that had been drying less than an hour. The results were Best- spray over vinyl in less than an hour, Close 2nd- spray direct on zpoxy, and a distant 3- spray over vinyl sealer that had completely dried (at least 12 hours)

After hearing bad things from Cardinal I didn't bother to test it over shellac.

I might have gotten different results with a different product.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Thanks for all the great insight folks!



Really? I thought oils 'thing' is that it absorbs into the wood.

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www.leddingtonguitars.com

>Really? I thought oils 'thing' is that it absorbs into the wood.

I think Tru Oil is more varnish than oil... but based on numerous reports of Tru Oil having difficulty adhering directly to Z-Poxy, thats what I do. Have a few guitars 6 years old now, and no issues.

I’ve never lots over z poxy. Waterborne or nitro. Works great. I do scuff epoxy surface to increase mechanical bond. (This includes west system epoxy as well). To me, perfect surface prep is a level epoxy layer, no wood showing. Perfectly flat. I do use a special sealer for most wood, oily, before epoxy application.

I’ve shot Cardinal nitro directly on z-poxy on multiple guitars. Probably my preferred combo. I typically signfigantly thin the first couple coats before shooting thicker coats. May not be necessary, but it works for me.

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Aaron Craig

Are you leaving a layer of Z-Poxy over the entire surface or just in the pores? I'd say if it's over the entire surface you're fine. If not, I'd use vinyl sealer or something to make the surface all the same.

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

What Kevin said is a very good point. Myself, I leave a layer over entire body. Use a vinyl sealer on the top. Do not epoxy the top just in case there was a question about the that.

I shoot vinyl sealer regardless what's under my nitro top coats. It's cheap. It's fast. I'll take the security, and consistency (same old boring thing) approach with the predictability it lulls me in to.

Andy