No, generally speaking oil and grain filler are incompatible. Both products work by filling in the pores of the wood, so using either will prevent the other from working as intended.

Grain Filler is for use on open-pored woods as preparation for Sanding Sealer, Lacquer and Paint spray finishes.

Oil is used on bare wood and both fills the pores and eventually saturates the wood giving the final top finish. Oil finishes are often finished with waxes such as beeswax and carnauba wax. Some products claim to be an oil grain filler, but this is simply a much thicker oil that fills the pores quickly, after which you apply a thinner finishing oil such as gun oil.

Nitrocellulose lacquers and cellulose paints are often confused due to differing terminology used in different places at different times. We've compiled the comparison table below to try to clear up some of this confusion and help you achieve the finish you have in mind.

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to get in touch - we're happy to help, and will expand these guides over time to encompass more detailed information.

Before we dive in to the table itself a few definitions are useful:
  Build: Lacquers and Paints are resins dissolved in solvents. This solution conforms to the shape of the surface being sprayed, the solvent evaporates and leaves behind the resin. How much of the solution evaporates and how much is left behind as the final finish is referred to as its solids content, which is analogous with its build. High build has high solids content; low build has a low solids content. The higher the proportion of solids in the liquid lacquer/paint solution the higher the build, the thicker the coat of resin left behind once the solvent evaporates and the thicker the layer of finish.
  High Clarity: A term used when describing see-through but coloured finishes. High Clarity means that it will give the surface beneath a new colour, but will not cover up the pattern. A good example of this is a wood stain, which changes the colour of the wood but does not hide the pattern of the wood grain.
  Opaque: Not see-through - anything underneath will be covered up.
  Tinted: Referring to a lacquer or finish having a pigment or dye added to give it colour without making it opaque.
  Translucent: Slightly see-through, will block some of what is underneath.
  Transparent: Completely see-through, does not obscure or block out what is underneath.

We are often asked "which lacquer is best for my project?". Wood finishes can be a baffling world, many types of finish each with their own characteristics, their own advantages and disadvantages. In an attempt to clear things up a bit we've put together this comparison table.

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to get in touch - we're happy to help, and will expand these guides over time to encompass more detailed information.

Find out below the process and materials required to finish a guitar body in a variety of guitar finishes and for a selection of the most common and popular guitar woods.

How To Spray Finish a Guitar Body in Cellulose Paint

The table below summarises the steps required to finish a bare-wood guitar body in either solid colour or metallic cellulose paint. It assumes you are starting with a new, fresh, previously unfinished guitar body which has had its shaping sanding done, but otherwise is untouched.

 ✓  = Required,  ✗  = Not Required,  ~  = Optional

How To Spray Finish a Guitar Body in See-Through Tinted Nitrocellulose Lacquer

The table below summarises the steps required to finish a bare-wood guitar body in tinted see-through nitrocellulose lacquer. This type of finish will allow some of the grain of the wood to show through the finish, while also giving it a colour. Famous varieties of this type of finish are Blonde, Butterscotch, and all Sunbursts (as seen on Stratocasters, Telecasters, Gibsons etc.). It is also the finish used on the back and neck of some Gibsons, either using Heritage Cherry Red or Dark Rich Mahogany tints. Follow the process outlined below for creating a non-coloured clear natural finish (on both electric and acoustic guitars) - it is the same process, just without the colour coats.

Sometimes you might want to use a dye as well as a tinted lacquer to achieve your final colour effect. The main example of this is when you are finishing a flamed or quilted maple top - you use a water based dye to bring out the figure, then a spirit dye to give the colour, followed by a clear lacquer over the top. This process is detailed in the Figured Maple column.

 ✓  = Required,  ✗  = Not Required,  ~  = Optional

How To Spray Finish a Guitar Body in Waterborne Paint

The table below summarises the steps required to finish a bare-wood guitar body in our waterborne paint. It assumes you are starting with a new, fresh, previously unfinished guitar body which has had its shaping sanding done, but otherwise is untouched. This waterborne paint should be sprayed on. It gives excellent coverage, is available in an increasing range of vintage and modern colours, and contains none of the harmful VOCs found in cellulose paint. The finish is hard-wearing, doesn't crack or discolour, yet is still thin like cellulose.

 ✓  = Required,  ✗  = Not Required,  ~  = Optional

For the best finish and most protection coats of oil should be applied to the wood until the wood is saturated.

As a very general rule for finishing instruments, furniture and finer items:

- Apply the oil with a brush or soft cloth, leaving 24 hours between coats.
- Apply a coat of oil daily until the wood will absorb no more.
- Leave the oil to dry for 7 days.
- Using 1500 grit wet/dry paper rub in one last coat of oil to the surface to give it a fine, smooth finish.
- Once this has dried for a day a wax, such as blended beeswax, can be applied to offer the final layer of protection and lustre to the surface.

Different oils differ in their viscosity, thickness, and in how hard and resilient they are when dried.

Thinner oils will penetrate deeper in to the pores of the wood but will require a lot more oil to saturate and finish the wood. Thicker oils will build a fuller finish more quickly, particularly on open pored woods such as Mahogany and Sapele.

Examples of thin oils are Danish oil and Tru Oil. Thick oils include Teak Oil, which is used as part of the blend in our high quality finishing oil.

Recommended Quantities of Nitrocellulose Lacquer

Oil finishes work by soaking in to the pores of the wood, saturating it and eventually forming a layer on the surface. Different oils give finishes with varying durability, chemical and water resistance, and shine.

As the oils soak in through the pores of the wood we would not recommend using them together with fillers such as our thixotropic grain filler, as these fillers block the pores of the wood and inhibit the action of the oil.

The general process for applying oil finishes is as follows:

- Ensure the wood is sanded smooth to 240 or 320 grit.
- Using a clean cloth or brush start applying the oil to the wood. The oil will gradually soak in. Allow 24 hours to dry.
- Repeat, applying more oil with a cloth or brush. Keep applying the oil until the wood will hold no more, until it is saturated. You will be able to tell when this has happened as the oil will not soak in to the surface.
- Wipe off the excess oil, and allow to dry for 7 days.
- Use 1500 grit wet/dry paper to apply a final coat of oil. This will give it a very smooth finish.

Allow this final coat to dry for 24 hours, and then if desired apply a wax finish such as beeswax to enhance the shine.

'Blooming' is an effect caused by moisture being trapped in the nitrocellulose lacquer finish as it dries. This most often occurs when the lacquer is sprayed in cold or humid conditions, or if there is a temperature difference between the lacquer and workpiece. The result is a cloudy white appearance to the lacquer.

It looks dramatic and disastrous but, thankfully, is easily fixed. The cloudy appearance will vanish, and the lacquer return to clear, if the moisture is released.

Nitrocellulose lacquer burns in to the coats beneath it. The solvents in the lacquer when sprayed redissolve the very top of the coat being sprayed on to, and the lacquer then dries to a single homogeneous layer. This is in contrast to modern curing lacquers, where each coat sits on top of the last, building up like the layers of an onion.

To cure blooming key the bloomed lacquer to 600 grit, then apply a light coat of lacquer over the top. This will re-dissolve the existing lacquer allowing the moisture to escape. It should now dry to a clear finish. It is important that this process is performed in a dry, room-temperature environment.

Nitrocellulose Lacquer

Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer should be allowed to dry at room temperature for two weeks before polishing is performed. This allows the lacquer to settle and harden, allowing for a higher gloss shine to be achieved and minimising the risk or cracking and peeling.

Hand Polishing
Wet sand the lacquer using 600 grit wet/dry abrasive paper. Only a small amount of water is required, just enough to lubricate the surface without soaking it.

Continue wet sanding through 800 > 1000 > 1200 > 1500 > 2000 grits. Work consistently in straight lines, not swirls.

Ensure the surface is clean, dry and free of all sanding residue.

Using a soft lint-free cloth apply our RF3 polishing compound. The compound should be dabbed on to the cloth, not the workpiece. Work consistently in straight lines, not swirls. Do not allow the cloth to dry out during application. Use a clean part of the cloth to wipe off any residue.

To enhance the gloss further apply our RF5 polishing compound using a clean, soft lint-free cloth. The compound should be dabbed on to the cloth, not the workpiece. Work consistently in straight lines, not swirls. Do not allow the cloth to dry out during application. Use a clean part of the cloth to wipe off any residue.

For the deepest gloss shine apply our RF7 polishing compound using a clean, soft lint-free cloth. The compound should be dabbed on to the cloth, not the workpiece. Work consistently in straight lines, not swirls. Do not allow the cloth to dry out during application. Use a clean part of the cloth to wipe off any residue.

Finish with your polish of choice. Ensure it is silicone-free.
Note: Each stage of the above process eliminates the scratches and swirl marks of the stage before. Working through the stages these marks are gradually minimised until, with the RF7, they are eliminated entirely to give an exceptional gloss sheen. It is important that each intermediary stage is followed, otherwise the finish will be swirly in some parts and highly polished in others. Do not reuse the same part of a polishing cloth for two different compounds; do not mix liquid compounds.

Machine Polishing

Great care should be taken if machine polishing nitrocellulose lacquers using a buffing wheel or similar. In comparison to modern car lacquers nitrocellulose is softer, and if too much force is used the buffing wheel can go through the top coat of lacquer and in to the colour coats below, leaving the finish in need of repairs. Be gentle!

Cellulose Paint

Cellulose Paint should be allowed to dry at room temperature for two weeks before polishing is performed. This allows the lacquer to settle and harden, allowing for a higher gloss shine to be achieved and minimising the risk or cracking and peeling.

Hand Polishing
Wet sand the lacquer using 600 grit wet/dry abrasive paper. Only a small amount of water is required, just enough to lubricate the surface without soaking it.

Continue wet sanding through 800 > 1000 > 1200 > 1500 > 2000 grits. Work consistently in straight lines, not swirls.

Ensure the surface is clean, dry and free of all sanding residue.

Using a soft lint-free cloth apply our RF3 polishing compound. The compound should be dabbed on to the cloth, not the workpiece. Work consistently in straight lines, not swirls. Do not allow the cloth to dry out during application. Use a clean part of the cloth to wipe off any residue.

To enhance the gloss further apply our RF5 polishing compound using a clean, soft lint-free cloth. The compound should be dabbed on to the cloth, not the workpiece. Work consistently in straight lines, not swirls. Do not allow the cloth to dry out during application. Use a clean part of the cloth to wipe off any residue.

For the deepest gloss shine apply our RF7 polishing compound using a clean, soft lint-free cloth. The compound should be dabbed on to the cloth, not the workpiece. Work consistently in straight lines, not swirls. Do not allow the cloth to dry out during application. Use a clean part of the cloth to wipe off any residue.

Finish with your polish of choice. Ensure it is silicone-free.
Note: Each stage of the above process eliminates the scratches and swirl marks of the stage before. Working through the stages these marks are gradually minimised until, with the RF7, they are eliminated entirely to give an exceptional gloss sheen. It is important that each intermediary stage is followed, otherwise the finish will be swirly in some parts and highly polished in others. Do not reuse the same part of a polishing cloth for two different compounds; do not mix liquid compounds.

Pre-Cat Lacquer

Gloss Pre-Cat Lacquer should be allowed to dry at room temperature for four weeks before polishing is performed. This allows the lacquer to settle and harden, allowing for a higher gloss shine to be achieved and minimising the risk or cracking and peeling.

Hand Polishing
Wet sand the lacquer using 600 grit wet/dry abrasive paper. Only a small amount of water is required, just enough to lubricate the surface without soaking it.

Continue wet sanding through 800 > 1000 > 1200 > 1500 > 2000 grits. Work consistently in straight lines, not swirls.

Ensure the surface is clean, dry and free of all sanding residue.

Using a soft lint-free cloth apply our RF3 polishing compound. The compound should be dabbed on to the cloth, not the workpiece. Work consistently in straight lines, not swirls. Do not allow the cloth to dry out during application. Use a clean part of the cloth to wipe off any residue.

To enhance the gloss further apply our RF5 polishing compound using a clean, soft lint-free cloth. The compound should be dabbed on to the cloth, not the workpiece. Work consistently in straight lines, not swirls. Do not allow the cloth to dry out during application. Use a clean part of the cloth to wipe off any residue.

For the deepest gloss shine apply our RF7 polishing compound using a clean, soft lint-free cloth. The compound should be dabbed on to the cloth, not the workpiece. Work consistently in straight lines, not swirls. Do not allow the cloth to dry out during application. Use a clean part of the cloth to wipe off any residue.

Finish with your polish of choice. Ensure it is silicone-free.
Note: Each stage of the above process eliminates the scratches and swirl marks of the stage before. Working through the stages these marks are gradually minimised until, with the RF7, they are eliminated entirely to give an exceptional gloss sheen. It is important that each intermediary stage is followed, otherwise the finish will be swirly in some parts and highly polished in others. Do not reuse the same part of a polishing cloth for two different compounds; do not mix liquid compounds.

Metallic Paint

Metallic Paint is not a top coat and should not be polished directly. Please apply a compatible clear coat over the metallic paint, and follow the polishing instructions for the chosen top coat.

Nitrocellulose lacquer is a fast drying solvent based spray on lacquer.

It is suitable for use over the following finishes:

Cellulose Sanding Sealer
Shellac Sanding Sealer
Tinted (Coloured but see-through) Nitrocellulose Lacquers
Solid Colour Cellulose Paints
Metallic Cellulose Paints

It may be possible to apply over other finishes, but this is not something we would officially advise. The solvents in nitrocellulose lacquer are strong, and have a tendency to melt and react with non-cellulose finishes. If spraying over a finish not listed above cannot be avoided then ensure that the first coats of nitrocellulose are very light sprays so that most of the solvents have evaporated before hitting the surface, thus minimising the chances of a reaction occurring.

Preparation

Wood

For a natural finish (a clear, see-through finish where the colour of the wood is not changed and the grain is still completely visible) the wood should first be filled and sealed.

Open pore woods such as Mahogany and its substitutes (Khaya Ivorensis, Sapele etc.) should be filled using a grain filler, such as our Thixotropic Grain FIller. Use a colour which most closely matches the colour of the wood itself. See our guides What is Grain Filler? and How To Apply Grain Filler.

All woods then require a Cellulose Sanding Sealer. See our guides What is Sanding Sealer? and How To Apply Sanding Sealer.

The sanding sealer coat should keyed in to 600 grit.

Shellac Sanding Sealer

Shellac sanding sealer should be applied as per the manufacturer's instructions and then keyed to 600 grit.

Tinted and Coloured Lacquer

Tinted lacquers are see through - they give colour, but the grain is still visible. The intensity of the colour depends on the thickness of the coat. Therefore, any keying in of tinted lacquers should be done with great care, and it is usually best to avoid entirely. Unless the keying is uniform across the whole surface then the sanding of keying in can lead to an uneven finish, something that is tricky to fix on a tinted lacquer.

Solid Colour Paint

Solid colour paints should be keyed to 600 grit.

Metallic Paint

Metallic paint should not be keyed before applying nitrocellulose lacquer, as any sanding can give an uneven looking colour and metallic effect.

Spraying

Aerosols

Do not spray in cold or humid conditions. Cold and humidity can lead to moisture becoming trapped in the finish as it dries, giving a cloudy appearance. This is known as blooming. See our guide How To Fix Blooming.

IMPORTANT: Always work in a well ventilated area and wear suitable breathing and personal protection equipment.

Our Nitrocellulose Lacquer Aerosols are pre-mixed and ready to spray.

The lacquer can and workpiece should be at room temperature. If the lacquer has been stored in a cold shed or garage the can should be given a few hours to return to room temperature before spraying (approximately 22 degrees Celsius). It is not necessary to warm the can by soaking in hot water, etc.

Shake the can for two minutes immediately prior to use.

Aerosol cans are activated by depressing the nozzle on top of the can. The nozzle should be depressed fully - only partially depressing the nozzle can lead to a weak or spluttery spray. Coat thickness can be controlled by speed of movement over and distance from the workpiece.

Move across the workpiece at a consistent speed, changing direction off the edge so that the lacquer does not pool around the edges. Overlap each pass by 50%. Work with the workpiece laying flat, not hanging up, to reduce the risk of drips forming.

Depending on the surface onto which you are spraying 2-5 coats will usually be sufficient. Spray coats 4 hours apart. Key lightly before spraying new coat. Do not spray more than three coats in one day.

Spray Gun

Do not spray in cold or humid conditions. Cold and humidity can lead to moisture becoming trapped in the finish as it dries, giving a cloudy appearance. This is known as blooming. See our guide How To Fix Blooming.

IMPORTANT: Always work in a well ventilated area and wear suitable breathing and personal protection equipment.

Our neat bottled lacquer should be thinned 10-30% before spraying using anti-bloom thinners. If the lacquer has been stored in a cold shed or garage it should be given a few hours inside to return to room temperature (approximately 22 degrees Celsius).

Move across the workpiece at a consistent speed, changing direction off the edge so that the lacquer does not pool around the edges. Overlap each pass by 50%. Work with the workpiece laying flat, not hanging up, to reduce the risk of drips forming.

Depending on your thinning ratio and the surface onto which you are spraying 2-5 coats will usually be sufficient. Spray coats 4 hours apart. Key lightly before spraying new coat. Do not spray more than three coats in one day.

Finishing

See our guides on How Long Should Nitrocellulose Lacquer Be Left To Dry Before Polishing and How To Polish Lacquers and Paints.

Cellulose Paint Drying Time

Nitrocellulose Lacquer Drying Time

Waterborne Lacquer Drying Time

Waterborne Paint Drying Time

Grain filler fills the pores of open-pored woods so that the spray on finishes to follow do not soak in to the wood unevenly. They also fill the larger ridges of grain to allow for a flat surface to be achieved. Grain filler should be followed by an appropriate sanding sealer or primer for the colour and top coats you wish to use.

Grain filler should be used on open-pore woods such as mahogany and its substitutes (sapele, khaya ivorensis etc.), and some ash.

For a natural finish use a colour of grain filler which most closely matches the colour of the wood being finished.

Grain filler should be applied prior to wood stain and sanding sealers or primers. Our thixotropic grain filler can be stained over using our Lightfast Spirit Based Wood Stains.

See our guide on How To Apply Grain Filler for more information on applying our thixotropic grain filler.

If you have your own design, for example your company logo, signature, or a special emblem, we can make this into your own bespoke waterslide decals.

Listen up folks, these are our preferred file formats for supplied artwork are listed below. Supplying artwork to these specifications will ensure best results and no further setup charges.

• ✔ PSD Photoshop File: 600dpi, actual size, separate layers for White, Black, Gold, Silver, CMYK, all fonts rasterised, transparent background
• ✔ AI Illustrator File: Must contain solely vector data with all fonts converted to paths
• ✔ PDF File: Provided it is either a 600dpi transparent background export as per the Photoshop file, or an export of a suitably created AI
• ✔ PNG File: Fine for either single colour of White, Black, Gold or Silver, or a full colour CMYK print. 600dpi, actual size, transparent background (i.e. all unprinted areas should be transparent)

Other file formats aren't good to use for a variety of reasons, such as:

• ✘ JPG: Compressed images have a lot of artefacts which lower the quality, and JPG doesn't allow for colour splitting or transparency. This will required a complete redraw before printing.
• ✘ CDR: We do not use Corel formats - please export as a universal format such as PDF.
• ✘ DXF: This format is ideal if you want us to make a custom cut inlay, but is not suitable for graphics and print. Also, in our experience it doesn't work simply exporting it to an AI format, as the export does not create the required paths or information for printing. This will require a complete redraw before printing.
• ✘ Word / Powerpoint: Both of these are containers and not suitable for us to print from. If you have an image, instead of putting it in an Office document please send us the image instead. If you would like a particular font please tell us the font and width in mm.
• ✘ Any of these in any of the good ones: A JPG boshed in to a Photoshop file does not make it usable - it is still a JPG, just in a different container.

Common issues to avoid are:

• ✘ White background: Backgrounds, i.e. any areas which don't contain design and aren't to be printed, should be transparent. Putting the design on a white background will result in either a printed white background, or mean we need to redraw the design to extract it before printing.
• ✘ Colours on the same layer: We build up special colours layer by layer, so White, Black, Gold and Silver should be drawn on separate layers, with all unprinted areas remaining transparent. CMYK full colour prints can be on a single layer - no need to split CMY and K for these.
• ✘ Fonts not rasterised or converted to vectors: You may have used fonts in your file which we do not have installed. This is fine, but to ensure the prints turn out as you expect them to please rasterise (in Photoshop) or vectorise (in Illustrator) your text before sending the file to us. This way we can deal with just the raw pixel or vector data, and it doesn't matter if we don't have the font.
• ✘ Low resolution: The quality of the print depends on the quality of the artwork, so we ask for bitmap artwork to be made at a minimum resolution of 600dpi, with the canvas at actual size. For example, if your design is 2 inches wide by 1 inch tall, we would expect the image to measure 1200 x 600dpi. 
• ✘ Enlarged to high resolution: Artwork should be created at its final resolution. Making it small and then enlarging it will not give a good quality result - detail cannot be invented.

Waterslide decals are for transferring logos on to painted or lacquered surfaces. They consist of a very thin film on to which the design is printed. After being soaked in water to loosen them from their backing paper the decal film - with the design - can be slid in to position.

The waterslide material we use is exceptionally thin so when the decals are lacquered over - which they must be - the edges vanish and the unprinted areas remain completely clear. As a result it looks like the design is a part of the surface, giving a similar effect to if the design was painted straight on.

Because they are printed it is possible to achieve a very high level of detail, far greater than with painting, airbrushing, or cut vinyl transfers, making them ideal for placing logos on instruments or graphics on items such as cases, helmets, or control panels.

All of our inks are opaque and waterproof so the colour of the design is not affected by the colour of the surface which the decal is applied to.

Waterslide decals are not suitable for use on oiled surfaces.