Nitro over Pearloid?

[Gerry Gruber]

I'm planning a build for export to the USA, and am hoping to avoid the USFW "tax" by not using any shell product. I'm considering pearloid for fretmarkers and for headstock inlay. However, given that pearloid is basically plastic, I suspect the headstock inlay could melt under my nitro finish. Has anyone had experience spraying nitro over pearloid? Can it be done? Any trick to doing so?

[Barry Daniels]

It won't melt. Try placing a drop of lacquer on it for a test.

[Gerry Gruber]

Thanks, Barry. I've heard from a few others on this matter, and the prognostication is good. I suspect that the lacquer will in fact soften the pearloid some - we don't store lacquer or lacquer thinner in plastic bottles for that very reason. But, hopefully, the pearloid will harden up again as the solvents off-gas. I'll try to post back on how it goes.

[Mark Swanson]

The amount of finish that you put over the pearloid is so thin that it dries long before it will damage or do any melting like you seem to be worried about. There are many ways to look at it, for example the dried nitro finish on your guitar doesn't melt when you spray a fresh coat over it, does it? Well then neither will the pearloid. The fresh finish will "burn in", meaning it will melt just the surface as it dries and mixes and adheres to it, but you have nothing to worry about here.

[Gerry Gruber]

Thanks Mark. Much appreciated.