Varnish your guitar with water-based, environmentally friendly products.

Dye your guitar with NitorTint Aqua dyes. Easy to apply with a dye stick

NitorAqua Water dyes are available in a wide range of colours.

The whole process from start to finish. Dyes, base coats and water-based finishes.

TUTORIAL Varnishing guitars with water-based product

• Preparation of the wood
• Wood Staining with NitorAqua Stain
• Primer with NitorAqua Primer
• Finishing with NitorAqua Lacquer
• Sanding and Polishing
• Tips and Tricks

Preparation of the wood:

• The wood should be free of imperfections and stains.
• Sand with different grades of sandpaper up to P 220-320. It should be sanded in the direction of the grain, until there are no visible sanding marks.
• To remove the grain, lightly dampen the wood with a damp cloth and, when it is completely dry, very gently sand the surface with fine sandpaper until it is smooth again. The sandpaper will remove the raised fibres, which will not be a problem again. If you sand too hard, new fibres will come loose and you will have to repeat the operation. You can repeat the process, however, to be sure that you have completely removed all the hairs.

Staining the wood

• Stain the wood with NitorAQUA Stain until the desired colour is achieved. Leave to dry for 24 hours before continuing with the process, each of the NitorAQUA stains has a video explaining how to apply the stain.

Undercoat Process

• Apply a coat of NitorAqua Primer diluted 50% in distilled water. Leave to dry for four hours, sand with P400 sandpaper and apply another coat, this time undiluted. Allow to dry overnight and before applying the next coat of finish sand again very lightly, this time with P800, and in the direction of the grain.
• Apply coats every 24 hours, sanding between coats until a smooth surface is achieved.
• After sanding, it is advisable to clean the surface with a clean cloth or paper dampened with water.
• Attention, when applied a white veil with some orange peel will be seen, when it dries it becomes transparent and the surface is levelled.

Finishing Process.

• Apply a coat of undiluted NitorAqua Lacquer. Leave to dry for four hours, sand with P400 sandpaper and apply another coat.
• Allow to dry overnight and before applying the next coat of finish sand again very lightly, this time with P800, and in the direction of the grain.
• Apply coats every 24 hours, sanding between coats until a smooth surface is obtained.
• Apply 6 to 8 coats, 4 to 6 if a particularly fine or “open pore” finish is required.
• NitorAQUA Lacquer does not need to be thinned. The varnish will take a texture like “orange peel” when applied, this is normal and the small “bumps” that can be seen with the product just applied, will disappear and it will be a level and uniform coat. Although it can be dissolved with distilled water, however, if it dissolves there is a chance of having more “sags” or “drips”.
• Special care must be taken with this characteristic and not to apply too thick a coat in an attempt to “even” the coat when applying the lacquer. Contrary to nitrocellulose lacquer, Eco Guitar water-based lacquer is not transparent when “wet”.
• This characteristic can be used as a guide for the application of each coat. Although when applied in thin coats the varnish falls clear on the surface, if a minimal “veil” is detected when sprayed, this is a sign that the coat is sufficiently loaded and should not be applied any further.

Sanding and Polishing

• Allow the finish to “dry” for 3 to 4 weeks, preferably in a dry ventilated area.
• Sand with waterproof sandpaper to the desired grit. (It is recommended to sand to at least P2000).
• After sanding and levelling, allow the finish to dry for 24 hours.
• Polish, either by hand or by machine. If it is done by machine, it must be taken into account that NitorAQUA is a thermoplastic resin, so it is advisable to avoid excessive heating of the surface to be polished. If you notice that the finish heats up when polishing, wait for it to cool down again and continue with the process. This will prevent the product from “shrinking” due to excessive temperature.

General tips and tricks:

• A water-based Varnish finish, depending on factors such as whether the wood is stained or not, and how many coats of colour are given, should have a total of 6 to 12 coats in total, counting base – colour – finish, with a minimum of 5 coats of translucent finish.
• This will give a thickness of approximately 150 microns (0.15 mm) depending on how much sanding is done, how much lacquer is applied in each coat and what thickness of finish is desired. If you have not finished an instrument before, it is advisable to apply 12 to 14 coats, so that you can be sure not to sand or polish the finish too much, leaving parts with “bare” wood.
• As more experience is gained with the product and the finishing method, fewer coats will be necessary and finer finishes can be achieved.
• The first few coats of the final finish may have a ‘satin’ effect when dry, but as a general rule as successive coats are applied NitorAqua Lacquer will have a glossy appearance. However, if it retains the satin appearance this will be removed by sanding and polishing, after which it will have a crystalline, glossy appearance.
• If an “open pore” appearance is desired, the product can be thinned with distilled water in order to apply less solids in each coat. However, it should be noted that this increases the possibility of “sagging” or “dripping” and that drying times are longer.
• Water-based varnish allows relatively thick coats to be applied without sagging, however it is recommended to apply it very atomised and that each “strip of paint – if applied with a spray gun – overlaps or “rides” 1/3 to half of the previous one, in order to achieve a uniform coat.
• If, when applying, you accidentally get a “drop” or “drip”, let the finish dry (about five hours or overnight) and level it by sanding with P400 sandpaper, preferably on a hard block of material. Alternatively, the dripper can be “cut” with a razor blade, which is quicker and avoids the accidents that can result from excessive sanding.
• To familiarise yourself with the process, it is advisable to test the process on discarded wood, in order to evaluate for yourself the characteristics of the process of finishing a guitar with water-based varnish.
  It is also advisable to use a “control” surface on which to apply the layers of lacquer at the same time as on the piece to be finished.
• To familiarise yourself with the process, it is advisable to test the process on discarded wood, in order to evaluate for yourself the characteristics of the process of finishing a guitar with water-based varnish.
  It is also advisable to use a “control” surface on which to apply the layers of lacquer at the same time as on the piece to be finished.
• A piece of paper stuck with masking tape to a rigid support (wood, thick cardboard) is a suggestion. Thus, by first measuring the thickness of the paper with a caliper and then measuring the resulting thickness of the successive layers once they are dry, you will have a fairly accurate idea of the thickness of the layer to be applied and thus be able to have a better idea of the thickness of the layer. A thickness of 150 to 180 microns (0.15 to 0.18 mm) guarantees a fine finish, which respects the instrument’s own vibrations, while at the same time protecting it, avoiding excessive thicknesses.