Lacqeur, Decals, Burnishing and other stuff...??

[BillyJ]

Is lacqeur the standard stuff for clear coating pedals?
Any good brands to try? Ones to avoid?
Also about decals...is there a way to really get rid of the fine line around them?
I tried some stuff "micro SOl' that I got with this decals stock.
It works OK at getting the decal to sorta take on the surface texture but the line around the decal is still pretty much there.
Are there techniques to getting rid of that?
Can these be coated over enough with clear coat that they can't really be seen?
Hope someone has some experiences they can share. I have been going around and around fiding everything that doesn't work...LOL.
Super big thanks!!! wish the archive was around...  :cry:

update:
I just did some reading about front panel stuff with lazertran. it says to burnish the decals....but with what?

I am seriously thinking of trying to use some 0000 steel wool on one and see if I can do something about the god awful lines.
I have this one failed box perhaps I iwll try to mess with the idea on that.
Again any ideas or experience is great.

[Kilby]

Microsol, theres a brand name I havn't heard for about 20 years !

Microsol was only used to soften the transfers (decals to the US market), so as they would better show the surface below the transfer.

It made no difference to the edge of the decal

There was a V thin film but I can't remember the name sorry !

[Mark Hammer]

I'm primarily a paint+letraset+lacquer kind of guy.  For the longest time I was using gloss clear lacquer.  Recently, I switched to matte/satin finish clear lacquer and will not likely be switching back.

I find a number of improvements with matte finish:

1) Imperfections (tiny hairs, dust particles, dried paint bits) in the paint do not show up nearly as much.

2) The edges of rub-on lettering and other transfers and adhered materials do not lift up the way they did with gloss.

3) Matte finish seems to blend in the edges of surface materials to the chassis by what seems like building up an "embankment" from the chassis to the surface of the adhered material.  It's like the lacquer fills in the gaps.  One or two coats and it looks like they were silk-screened on.

4) Looks damn sexy (check out Dunlop reissue MXR stuff for a taste).

5) I have yet to run into an issue of the lacquer conflicting with the paint underneath and making it bubble and peel (that could be the luck of the draw, though).

6) Doesn't seem to run as much.

7) Dry to the touch almost as fast as primer.

[Davefx]

Mark...  How durable is laquer compared to enamel?  I definitely want to try the matte finish.  I know the the clear that I sprayed on my Zombie Chorus over the powdercoat is durable, it gets sprayed on Beech 1900D propeller blades, and it handles the wear well, but it's polyurethane enamel!!  But, alas, you see the decals...  Ya just can't have it all!!

If you like it Mark, I bet it's the thing to do then!!  

Dave

[gez]

I came across some spray on stuff recently that looked REALLY cool!  It gives a frosted appearance but is transparent enough to still see lettering, so it would give your box a 'frozen' appearance!

I didn't buy it as I don't have anywhere to spray, plus it wasn't very eco-friendly.  Just thought I'd mention it though...

[BillyJ]

Great stuff folks!
I have more questions if anyone cares to address.
I am having issues with bubbles now. I am wondering if this means
Too haevy a coating?
Spraying too close to surface?
Other?

I am trying a matte finish now. It seems to have more buibbles so if I get to the bottom of that problem I thnk I am good.

No luck with making a decla dissapear completely.
I seem to be able to blend the edges in ok but the decal seem to make the surface underneath shinyer than where there is no decal....
I guess I could try a large decal that fit over the whole sheebang but it seem wasteful and I haven't any more sheets at the momet.

I think the big issue is the sanded box. I think over a paint coat I would not have this problem.

I am experimenting with another sanding technique that seem to make the decal work and look screend but it isn't what I was shooting for.
I guess I will have to keep fooling around..

Thanks for the info Mark! Any brand names work well for you? Doesn't matter really?

[Mark Hammer]

I don't know one single person here who would NOT be in a hurry to install a circuit in a box and start grooving, or at least showing off the finished pedal.  Of course, the sorry end result of that is that the builder tends to either ignore or distort the best advice anyone can offer, and that is THIN COATS.

Bubbles are partly a product of spraying too thick on the chassis itself, and partly a product of the buildup that occurs at the spray nozzle *because* a great deal of paint was released over a prolonged period.  Best to do it in brief shpritzes and clean the nozzle off.  Many pros also turn the spray can upside down and give a few sprays to clean the passage way of the spray can, before wiping down and replacing the lid.

Yeah, I would imagine that having a nonpainted surface would probably tend to show up decal/non-decal surface differences a bit more.

As for brands, I just bought a can and sprayed.  Couldn't even tell you what it was, just whatever they had at Canadian Tire that day.

Just one final note.  I got myself a cheap toaster oven for baking finishes, but it lacks a thermostat so I just set it for 5 minutes, let it cool, set it for another 5 minutes, etc.  Although tinted paint bakes on fine, clear lacquer tends to yellow under backing, so I only bake the colour undercoats, and leave the clear topcoat as is.  Given that it dries pretty quick, it works fine for me.  Of course, given that it isn't baked, I'm not really in any position to comment on durability.

[petemoore]

From stewart Macdonalds
 Sold as a guitar finish in spray cans.
 I have the sandable primer and the gloss...don't even use the primer on the bondo/Raco ...just put the color coat on [+etc] the clear coat it a couple of times
 I like the NC laquer for every reason except the smell...fortunately it goes on quick enough {I spray usually two at a time] that I can hold my breat and squint my eyes ... one whiff of that stuff and you spiral.
 Dries fast to touch, and hard when cured.
 I don't know that Mark's ever tried this stuff or not, seems like he's probably got a good handle on finishing, but I had this here and it sure works great...kinda looks like a thin sheet of glass over black.

[Mark Hammer]

Stew-Mac will not ship NC or other flammable materials across the border, though I may be able to get something from somewhere else here.  I have Lee Valley Tools right near me and they carry a lot finishing materials which Stew-Mac will not ship here.

[BillyJ]

Ok my last question about the whole subject is.......

How the heck can I get these decals to stop curling?!?!?!?

I finnaly got one box to look halfway decent but it so many6 coats there is no way it is good and you can still see the edge on one side where the darn decal curled up just a little.
I am convinced at this time that if I can get a decal to stick and not curl I will have joy.
Of course I am going to try everything I can think of...
The Micro sol last night seemed to make the issue worse...
I am about ready to super glue the damn things down!!!
I am running out of decals quick but I will try anything.
Surely someone has come across this problem and solved it.
I of course will be looking around the net too.
Mark and everyone thanks so much for the help. I was laying that stuff on thick before.
I gave up on the brushed look and just used soe kind of circular sanding device. Looks ok. Not as cool as the first ideas but I am sure now that those would need to be screened.....Uh and that ain't gonna happen....too bad would awesome!
Thanks again!