# Water slides and finishing?



## paraedolia (Nov 26, 2008)

How do you guys finish over a waterslide? 
I got a custom waterslide decal made to go on the neck of my Warmoth bass neck. All the US sites talk about overspraying with Reranch rattlecan nitro, but it's not available up here. I don't need 5 gallons of paint-on nitro, just a spray can to do the odd headstock overspray. 

Any ideas? 

Thanks


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

I've used all kinds of clear lacquer over head stock water slide decals. Everything worked out just fine in all cases. Every hardware/home depot type store around you has some brand of rattle can lacquer. Dust is the enemy, get yourself a tack cloth and use it. 
They don't like sticking to raw wood, so give it a coat or two first before the decal. Get the decal in place, I use a Kleenex to pat/push the water out. Let it dry an hour or two.
I put on 2 or 3 light coats of what ever clear I have, let it dry, lightly block sand with 400 or 600 grit, another 2 or 3 coats & repeat sanding/clearing/sanding until the height of the decal blends/matches the headstock clear.
Somewhere you'll have a line where you masked, usually on the side and back of the neck. Carefully sand/smooth that down to match the rest of the neck. Hand buff or power buff the whole thing. Done.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

Pretty much what Lincoln said. If you have a warmth satin neck it's already sprayed with Nitro I believe. 

I have an amber tint satin neck from warmth, I laid the decal on and let it dry over night. I then buried it with several coats of watco lacquer. You can get it at home depot. Then I knocked it back with wet/dry sand paper and voila all done.

edit:


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## paraedolia (Nov 26, 2008)

blam said:


> Pretty much what Lincoln said. If you have a warmth satin neck it's already sprayed with Nitro I believe.
> 
> I have an amber tint satin neck from warmth, I laid the decal on and let it dry over night. I then buried it with several coats of watco lacquer. You can get it at home depot. Then I knocked it back with wet/dry sand paper and voila all done.
> 
> edit:


Thanks for the info. So, you just use the varathane stuff? 

This one? http://www.homedepot.ca/product/finish-watco-lacquer-sg-319g/983244
Or this one? http://www.homedepot.ca/product/finish-watco-lacquer-gloss-319g/983243

Or sthg else? 

Cheers


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## JCM50 (Oct 5, 2011)

Persoanlly, I'd avoid all rattle can products. They will never harden the way they should and the finish will be sub-par. 
You already have nitro in a can. Spray that with a preval sprayer ( assuming you don't have a gun / compressor ).


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Find a Local Mohawk dealer...get a can of Pre-Catalyzerd Clear Nitro-laquer...do one or 2 coat on the neck as a sort of sealer...i'm talking headstock here. once dried properly..sand with 600 to level. Clean then apply decal. once dried...do a coat of clear...wait a good 2hrs between each coat for best result. once you've done about 4 of 5 lite coat..let it cure/dry for a week. then it's leveing time. use 600 and go quite slowly..this phase will level the decal with the rest of the headstock. 

Clean it..then shoot 4 or 5 lite other coats. Let cure/dry for 2 to 3 weeks for the best result. Then wet-sand with 600 to 1200 slowly..and then buff.

Don't forget to tape the rest of the neck if you're doing only the headstock. 

Spay can are perfectly fine and done properly you can acheive a perfect result.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

paraedolia said:


> Thanks for the info. So, you just use the varathane stuff?
> 
> This one? http://www.homedepot.ca/product/finish-watco-lacquer-sg-319g/983244
> Or this one? http://www.homedepot.ca/product/finish-watco-lacquer-gloss-319g/983243
> ...


Yup, that stuff works just fine.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

yes thats the stuff


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Yup, I did pretty much the same as everyone else. I got the waterslide paper from a hobby shop and some Testors clear laquer spray (model paint). My difference came in that I french polished my guitar. A few coats to seal the wood first. I then printed the decal, let it dry a bit, and sealed it in with the laquer. Slide the decal on and bury it in the shellac. A bunch of coats, level sanding with 600 grit, and some more final coats.


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## Jimmy_D (Jul 4, 2009)

al3d said:


> Find a Local Mohawk dealer...get a can of Pre-Catalyzerd Clear Nitro-laquer...do one or 2 coat on the neck as a sort of sealer...i'm talking headstock here. once dried properly..sand with 600 to level. Clean then apply decal. once dried...do a coat of clear...wait a good 2hrs between each coat for best result. once you've done about 4 of 5 lite coat..let it cure/dry for a week. then it's leveing time. use 600 and go quite slowly..this phase will level the decal with the rest of the headstock.
> 
> Clean it..then shoot 4 or 5 lite other coats. Let cure/dry for 2 to 3 weeks for the best result. Then wet-sand with 600 to 1200 slowly..and then buff.
> 
> ...


Couldn't agree more, lacquer is fast and easy and mohawk is one of if not the best rattlecan lacquer.
I've touched up a lot of pianos with rattlecans and got flawless results - it can be done with the right material and technique.


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## JHarasym (Mar 27, 2007)

http://www.richelieu.com/ca/en/cate...40?s=mohawk+Pre-Catalyzerd+Clear+Nitro-laquer

Scroll down to "Our locations"


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