Disaster, or Temporary Setback?

I had the use of an unoccupied shop here in town for a few months in 2016 and was able to work on some instruments there until the owner asked that I vacate so he could begin renovations. I’d recently sprayed lacquer on a couple of guitar bodies and necks at the time, and they hung inside a cupboard with a computer fan porting the fumes to the exterior of the building for a few weeks while I got on with other things. When it finally came time to pack up and move out, I stored the guitar bodies and necks in some cheap cases, comfortable in the knowledge that they’d be protected throughout the move and beyond.

From that point on, construction of my workshop became a priority that occupied me for more than three years. When the dust had settled and I was ready to complete those guitars, I found that dye from the guitar cases had penetrated the lacquer on the soundboards to an unknown degree, although it's evident that the staining extends to a significant depth. I’ve pondered how best to remedy the situation for some time, often practicing avoidance behaviour for months at a time as I’ve moved ahead with new instruments.

Scraping and sanding the lacquer off the soundboards and respraying is one option, but merging new lacquer into old may give less than optimal results; I’ve used a pre-catalysed lacquer that supposedly doesn’t melt into previous coats as effectively as nitrocellulose.

The alternative is to use a chemical stripper over the entire body which essentially takes me back to square one in the finishing process. The degree to which I’ll be successful in neutralising the stripper before I apply new sealer and top coats gives me cause for concern though.

As it’s almost time for New Year resolutions, it seems like a good time to make a decision; these instruments serve no useful purpose other than acting as trip hazards in the workshop!

Cheers

Pete