# Watco Satin Lacquer for Neck



## THRobinson (Jun 29, 2014)

I bought an unfinished neck off Guitar Fetish. Though their unfinished necks look more like a finished neck stripped than a neck not completed. Anyways... '90s style BCRich neck with the batwing headstock. Doing a guitar for my nephew.

Anyways, good shape, needs a bit if finishing and sanding.

I know many say to use something like Tru Oil or something for the neck, but, headstock face will be black with a custom decal so not sure how rubbing oil onto the neck will work for that.

I planned to use WATCO Satin Lacquer rattlecan. Wondered if anyone had any experience with this? and if any good? or is there something better?

I saw a polyurethane in a spray at Home Hardware, but googled and a few posts said it's not the same as used by guitar companies, doesn't sand well or feel right. Few posts said that the Watco stuff is a nitro based lacquer? Not sure if true or not, or a good thing or not.

Basically looking to go to Home Hardware or Canadian Tire and grab something. Lot's of posts online are from the USA and recommend Stewmac and Reranch, which we of course can't get here.


----------



## Ayr Guitars (Oct 24, 2016)

The Watco stuff will work. 

To be honest, if you don’t have spray equipment, give the Minwax water-based poly a try. It brushes on really well, level sands nicely and has a silky feel to it. You will be able to bury a water slide decal under a few coats of this stuff. 

If I am finishing just one or two necks, want a satin finish and it isn’t worth pulling out the spray equipment, I reach for a can of this stuff first.


----------



## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

The satin finish minwax works great to rub on. I used it over Birdseye maple and it looks and feels awesome.


----------



## THRobinson (Jun 29, 2014)

Is it this one?

Minwax® Fast-Drying Polyurethane | Interior Clear Protective Finishes

I was mainly looking at spay cans for ease of use... hang the neck and spray away. If it's the same as in the link they do have a spray option.

I do have a 27gal 3hp compressor, but no spray equipment. Debated it. But I suspect a case of buying all the stuff I need, and after 2-3 jobs, it'll sit and gather dust. Would be nice to have though the rare time I need it.

EDIT - Nevermind, I guess this is the one?
236mL Low VOC Satin Latex Polyurethane

So, why the water based not the alkyd?


----------



## Ayr Guitars (Oct 24, 2016)

You want this one:

Minwax® Water Based Oil-Modified Polyurethane | Interior Clear Protective Finishes 

The water based stuff brushes a lot better and sands a lot better and dries quicker than the oil based. It almost seems to act more like lacquer than poly. I’ve used a LOT of oil based poly over the years when I was building furniture and cabinetry, tried the water based stuff almost by accident. 

Give it a go; it really is nice to work with. Google and YouTube are great for ideas, but to truly learn you gotta jump in and try. Find what you like best, not what someone on the internet says. Best advice is to practice on some scrap or some test panels. Yeah, it takes time and will cost a bit of money - but IMHO it is well worth the investment.


----------



## THRobinson (Jun 29, 2014)

Thanks... I'm all about testing and such, but for this one in particular it's for my nephew at xmas so, got the time restriction.

I'll grab some gloss and some satin, since for the headstock face I want glossy.

I have a Squire that I'll be doing the headstock face for as well, but probably end up with Rustoleum's matte enamel spray since I need it to match the rest of the neck, which no one seems to know what it is, but, thin, clear, matte... no tint at all. But for the BC Rich neck, I will give that Minwax a go. 

I was going to use something like tung oil, or tru oil I hear a bunch about, but for the waterslide decal, I want a decent coating over top I can polish.


----------



## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

If you don't have experience with spraying it get something that rubs or brushes well. Spraying is going to look bad if you don't do it properly. The minwax does a good job of levelling itself and not leaving a lot of marks.


----------



## THRobinson (Jun 29, 2014)

This is why I post in forums. Useful advice that's often hard to find with Google. 

Thanks for the feedback... hoping to get things fitted together. Neck is 1/16" at most too wide... need to shave off a bit of the pocket. Once done and everything fitted, I can dismantle and strip the old body down and paint.


----------



## Ayr Guitars (Oct 24, 2016)

THRobinson said:


> This is why I post in forums. Useful advice that's often hard to find with Google.
> 
> Thanks for the feedback... hoping to get things fitted together. Neck is 1/16" at most too wide... need to shave off a bit of the pocket. Once done and everything fitted, I can dismantle and strip the old body down and paint.



Is this the neck you are finishing? If so, it is easier to sand the heel of the neck than to sand the neck pocket to make it fit.


----------



## THRobinson (Jun 29, 2014)

I was worried if sanding the heel I'd either sand into the fretboard, or id have a small edge/lip between the board and the maple where i sanded in.

Pocket seemed the safest and easiest to fix if messed up since any gouges or chips can be filled with filler and painted over.


----------



## Ayr Guitars (Oct 24, 2016)

THRobinson said:


> I was worried if sanding the heel I'd either sand into the fretboard, or id have a small edge/lip between the board and the maple where i sanded in.
> 
> Pocket seemed the safest and easiest to fix if messed up since any gouges or chips can be filled with filler and painted over.


Sand the entire depth of the heel, including the fretboard.


----------



## THRobinson (Jun 29, 2014)

Sanding into the rosewood and fret markers and fret ends and then blending into the entire length of the neck seems harder then running a sharp chisel along the sides of the neck pocket a few times to shave off 1/16" of an inch or less.


----------



## alwaysflat (Feb 14, 2016)

If you sand all 4 edges, it's a lot less blending, just 1/64 and hopefully less messing with neck taper and alignment.


----------



## THRobinson (Jun 29, 2014)

Already done... got the calipers out and measured and was a whopping 1.5mm off. Used a rasp/file and just went back forth between the two sides to stay as even as I could and 15min later the neck fits in really snug. May take a few more passes to loosen it very slightly, given it being as tight as it is, worried that any expansion will crack the wood. 

Next is to mock it up before drilling any holes in the neck, and make sure the distance is correct to the bridge. Floyd studs were already in place, hopefully everything measures out just fine. The end of the neck is quite curved, the pocket is straight so if the neck needs in some more, I'll be filing the neck. Ideally it's all just fine and when the neck mount bushings come I can drill and mount.

Was going to use a neck plate but I measured the impression in the paint where the old plate was and smaller than standard, and the holes are closer together than on a strat so will have to use the bushings.


----------



## THRobinson (Jun 29, 2014)

Good call on the Minwax. Home Hardware carried the small tin of it, grabbed the last one on the shelf... The satin, water based oil modified stuff, and a 2" wide sponge brush. Goes on well, cleans up great.

So far I've done a coat which brought up all the soft fibres, sanded down with 320 grit, gave it another 2 thin coats. Tomorrow I'll give it a light sanding with 600 and another 2 coats.

For now though, it looks great and already feels really good in the hand.

Thanks for the recommendation!


----------

