Nitro finishing products
Many of my Youtube followers have mentioned to have had some difficulty finding the right products for their nitro finish project. To cater to everyone’s needs, no matter where they live in the world, I have compiled a list of products and equipment that are suitable for the job. At least some of these products should be available in most parts of the world.
Please note: I am not affiliated with any of these products or companies. My experiences with these products are my own. And although I believe in these products, your milage may vary. This page will be updated continuously. Although I have sorted these products based on quality (and some will be better than others), all of these products will get the job done.
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Excellent
Will produce excellent results with little effort (when used properly).
Dartfords nitrocellulose 400ml
– Excellent spray pattern, accurate colors, easy to achieve a smooth and glossy finish with.
Good
Will produce (very) good results, sometimes requiring a little more effort and/or work after use.
Northwest guitars nitrocellulose 400ml
– Very good spray pattern, colors sometimes not completely accurate, overall very good results but usually requires a little bit more sanding.
Manchester Guitar Tech nitrocellulose 400ml
– Very good spray pattern, overall accurate colors, results are usually not as smooth as Dartfords but good nonetheless.
Stewmac ColorTone nitrocellulose 13 ounces
– Overall accurate colors, fairly smooth results, some nozzles seem to create some splatter (swapping them out will solve this).
Average
Will get the job done but will require more effort to achieve perfect results.
Boston nitrocellulose 500ml
– Simple, round spray head/nozzle. Difficult to achieve smooth results with. Will do the job, but that’s it.
Excellent
Will provide excellent results with little effort (when used properly).
Kovax eagle brand wet sandpaper
– In my opinion the very best wet sanding sandpaper out there. Cuts very well, is very durable and leaves a very fine scratch pattern.
Good
Will provide (very) good results, sometimes requiring a little more effort and/or work after use.
Micro-mesh soft touch pads
– Very uniform, fine scratch pattern, cuts fairly well. Pads fall apart when sanding with mineral spirits though.
Kovax Tolecut finish repair system
– Extremely durable, very uniform, however doesn’t cut all that well.
3M wet sandpaper
– Good cutting strength, quite durable. Scratch pattern can be a little more difficult to get rid of.
Average
Will get the job done but will require more effort to achieve perfect results.
Micro-mesh sanding sheets
– Cuts well and is pleasant to work with in terms of feel but leaves a fairly coarse scratch pattern. Loses a lot of particles in the first few minutes of sanding.
Good
Will provide (very) good results, sometimes requiring a little more effort and/or work after use.
Stewmac ColorTone powdered grain filler
– Easy to apply and sand, available in multiple colors. Will usually require multiple applications.
Aeronaut porenfüller / grain filler
– Liquid grain filler. Very easy to apply with a brush. Sands well. Solvent based so it will shrink more than the competition.
Rustins Grain Filler
– Putty type grain filler. Quite effective at filling the grain. A little more difficult to sand though.
Average
Will get the job done but will require more effort to achieve perfect results.
Stewmac ColorTone clear grain filler
– Easy to apply, but requires many coats. Tends to crack.
Excellent
Will produce excellent results with little effort (when used properly).
Rupes D-A polishing compounds
– My choice of polishing compound. Cuts very well and creates a perfect mirror shine. Get the coarse (blue), medium (green) and fine (yellow) when polishing by hand. Available in small bottles as well.
Good
Will produce (very) good results, sometimes requiring a little more effort and/or work after use.
Stewmac ColorTone polishing compounds
– Cuts well, although not as good as the Rupes. The coarse compound is way too coarse, especially for machine polishing. Get the medium and fine and you’ll be all set.
Excellent
Will produce excellent results with little effort (when used properly).
Motip spotblender
– Affordable, does the job perfectly.
Behlen Jet spray / blush eraser
– More expensive than the Motip but does a perfect job as well.
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