Nitro satin finish - what steps after spaying

yarutae

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So I am using the colortone aerosol lacquer from stewart macdonald in the clear satin. I have sprayed 12 coats in all and let it cure for the 2 weeks as the instructions said. I checked out the finish this afternoon and feel very small bumps from overspray and possibly dust particles. What I did was to block sand at 600 and 800 and now the surface feels alot smoother. But now there is dull hazy finish and don't know where to go for that satin finish. Do I progress up to 2000 grit or would I use compound to bring back that satin look?

But since this is a satin finish I want to achieve, do those of you who do satin finishes block sand after the last coat? And if so what is the steps to gain back that satin look.
 
When you sanded with 600 and 800 grit, did you sand wet or dry? It should be wet. After spraying, I wet sand with wet-or-dry paper in 600, then 1200, then 2000. I then buff with two different grits of Maguires liquid polish for a glossy finish. You should be able to achieve a satin finish with just the wet sanding, and you may need to buff lightly with a relatively coarse polish.
 
I've always questioned the spraying schedule from Stew mac for ukuleles, especially for a satin finish. Twelve coats seems excessive, you should be able to get by with half that amount. (Granted, I've never used their rattle can product but I do thin my lacquer 50/50.) I would never suggest sanding a lacquer finish with 600 sandpaper for a glossy finish but satin finishes are very forgiving. If you are using glossy lacquer, I'd start at 1000 up to 4000 (I use Abranet wet) and you could stop there for a satin with a higher sheen. Or you could knock it back with 0000 steel wool with some Maguires wax for a buttery, more satin sheen.
 
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