Spraying over a Slide decal

[BlackStrat_Fan]

I have a new neck from Musikraft coming any day now. I'd like to apply a Tru-Oil finish to it and add a waterslide decal to the headstock. What is the best way to seal the front of the headstock to protect the decal? Clear Nitro? Any compatibility problems between the two?

 

[theon]

Nitrocellulose lacquer over Tru-Oil is fine.
I believe the reverse causes compatibility issues. You can also spray Tru-Oil.

 

[BlackStrat_Fan]

Nitrocellulose lacquer over Tru-Oil is fine.
I believe the reverse causes compatibility issues. You can also spray Tru-Oil.

Thanks.

 

[Dan40]

I just finished a maple neck in Tru-oil. I wiped on about 5-6 coats of the oil and then applied the slide decal. For the last 5 coats I used the aerosol Tru-oil which turned out very nice. It seemed to leave a smoother finish after drying than the wipe on version. The 5 spray coats buried the decal pretty good and left a nice gloss finish over the entire neck.

 

[swiveltung]

I expect putting Nitro over tru oil will be an issue. I would not do it. Nitro solvents are pretty invasive to oil based finishes. I just finished a neck with Formby's that is very similar to Tru oil. After 2 coats of the finish, I made sure the headstock was very smooth, no fuzzies and put the decal on. The next day I put a coat of the Formbys over the decal very thin. Let it dry and day then went for another full coat. No problems
My experience is most things can go over Nitro as it's a very different solvent base and very hard when dry. But Nitro over most anything is often not good. However, you can get lucky as Nitro dries so fast that it's solvent may not attack the undercoat.

 

[BlackStrat_Fan]

I'm going to try this route. Seems the easiest and most straight forward.

I just finished a maple neck in Tru-oil. I wiped on about 5-6 coats of the oil and then applied the slide decal. For the last 5 coats I used the aerosol Tru-oil which turned out very nice. It seemed to leave a smoother finish after drying than the wipe on version. The 5 spray coats buried the decal pretty good and left a nice gloss finish over the entire neck.

 

[Dan40]

I am very happy with the feel and look of the neck. After several months of playing it, the Tru-oil seems to be getting even slicker. I went with the Stewmac vintage amber dye mixed in water for tinting the neck and that also turned out very nice.

 

[great-case.com]

Are you going to polish the top coat at all? If so, watch out for cut through at the decal's edges. The decal is probably thicker than the lacquer.

ALSO: Nitro over True Oil raises some compatibility issues, as I recall.

 

[Rhomco]

With all respect and political correctness, your suspicions are misguided. I have done this many, many times with stellar results.
ROB

I expect putting Nitro over tru oil will be an issue. I would not do it. Nitro solvents are pretty invasive to oil based finishes. I just finished a neck with Formby's that is very similar to Tru oil. After 2 coats of the finish, I made sure the headstock was very smooth, no fuzzies and put the decal on. The next day I put a coat of the Formbys over the decal very thin. Let it dry and day then went for another full coat. No problems
My experience is most things can go over Nitro as it's a very different solvent base and very hard when dry. But Nitro over most anything is often not good. However, you can get lucky as Nitro dries so fast that it's solvent may not attack the undercoat.

 

[SamBooka]

Excellent timing. I am doing my first virgin neck.
So my question is... why would you put nitro over tru oil? I am thinking about tru oil just because I like the bare wood feel but why wouldnt you just do nitro on maple? I did nitro over shellac since I am in Canada and getting amber nitro is pretty difficult or prohibitively expensive. My understanding is tru-oil is more or less clear and doesnt yellow the way some nitros do.. you cant just put down a few we coats of nitro, sand smooth, a few dry coats over the decal and then a few more wet coats?

 

[202dy]

Suhr used to do nitro over oil. They used a sealer coat of shellac.

Shellac is compatible with virtually every finish. Two pound cut should do nicely.

 

[Rhomco]

Excellent timing. I am doing my first virgin neck.
So my question is... why would you put nitro over tru oil? I am thinking about tru oil just because I like the bare wood feel but why wouldnt you just do nitro on maple? I did nitro over shellac since I am in Canada and getting amber nitro is pretty difficult or prohibitively expensive. My understanding is tru-oil is more or less clear and doesnt yellow the way some nitros do.. you cant just put down a few we coats of nitro, sand smooth, a few dry coats over the decal and then a few more wet coats?

Great question SamBooka. I apply clear nitro over decals on necks finished in TruOil to protect and level them. I generally apply the TruOil finish to the bare neck until the finish is suitable. This is followed by the nitro on the face of the headstock.
Rob

 

[SamBooka]

Great question SamBooka. I apply clear nitro over decals on necks finished in TruOil to protect and level them. I generally apply the TruOil finish to the bare neck until the finish is suitable. This is followed by the nitro on the face of the headstock.
Rob

Ok.. so you do the entire neck in tru oil .. even the headstock.. makes sense

 

[gtwannabe]

I used clear gloss guitar lacquer from Stemac to do exactly what you are describing (on a Musikraft neck), and it turned out great - honestly looks like a professional job if I do say so. I could post some pics if I wasn't feeling rather lazy.

 

[Dan40]

5 or 6 coats of the spray Tru-oil will bury the decal pretty nicely. My neck ended up with a smooth glossy finish using the spray version and I never buffed it out. I imagine buffing would make it even nicer.