Finish Defect

[Philip Secrist]

I had a tight crack in the back of a dreadnought I am building that I thought I had adequately repaired and filled before finishing. I applied the finish, let it cure for 15 days, and then leveled, sanded and buffed out the finish today. A few hours later I could see the crack line subtly in the finish.  I am building this guitar for a friend and am giving it to them in 12 days. Is it better to wait another 12 days and then level the area again, or should I apply lacquer to the crack line (with a small brush) to build it up, let it sit the12 days and then re-level?  Which is the best method to minimize the risk that crack line will show up in the lacquer?

[Mark Fogleman]

You may not be able to get the new lacquer all the way into the crack and it will still be there under the surface. Frank has a tip on frets.com on using a slow solvent on lacquer checks after excavating them almost to the wood with the point of a knife.