That changed with the development of nitrocellulose lacquer in the early 1920s. This makes lacquer ideal for modern pieces of furniture. One coat is not enough. Can I use Restor-A-Finish on lacquered pieces? Always remember that with lacquer, less is more (so to speak). Lacquer can be used on most woods, but it cannot be used on mahogany and rosewood; the oils in these woods will bleed through the finish. Definitely! Lacquer thinner will most likely soften or damage the Waterlox products. Once applied, it also holds polish very well and can be polished for an even better finish. DIRECTIONS Prepare existing surfaces first by cleaning well. Applying pre-cat lacquer. It isn't unusual to clear-coat an acrylic paint finish on a metal surface, such as on an automobile, with CAB-acrylic or acrylic lacquer. First post on this sub- because the talent here can be a bit intimidating. Lacquer paints dry to a hard shell, leaving a very thin paint film. Nothing touches Fender's "poly" finish. Note: If you choose to stain prior to applying Minwax® Lacquer Sanding Sealer, be careful not to sand the sealer so aggressively that you go through to the stain and damage the color. General Finishes Gel Stains contain urethane, which allows the gel stains to be used for finishing over existing top coats, stains, and paints.. However, the rule of thumb... depends on who you talk to. There are drawbacks to lacquer however. Shellac is … When you spray lacquer over a solvent-based acrylic finish, they combine to form a hybrid film, even if the acrylic is pigmented to form a paint. The main drawback of lacquer thinner solvent based finishing is the hazardous nature of … In Italy, apprentices applied up to 15 coats of varnish to create a lacquer finish. Oct-10-2013, 7:59am. Even if it has varnish on it, its so old, hard and dry you can get away with putting lacquer over it as long as you don't flood a wet coat on it. Type of Finish: Penetrating. Or with aerosol cans. Lacquer works best as a spray finish, applied to dry wood finish-sanded to at least 220 grit. Although nitrocellulose lacquer can be applied by brush (with the addition of retarder ), it is best applied, as intended, with proper spray equipment and some kind of ventilation hood or booth. Unlike varnish, lacquer is a type of solvent based product. Too thick and it can lead to pre-mature cracking/crazing down the road. Add several more thin coats of lacquer. I have a 50 year old chest that still looks like new. Question from a Student: For high traffic areas, does it make any sense in spraying a protective lacquer finish, after applying the Linseed and Tung Oil finish. A wet application can cause many paints and finishes to wrinkle or blister, even an old coat of lacquer itself. Can lacquer be applied over oil based finish Post by Millu » Wed Nov 02, 2011 5:49 pm I want to apply a more protective top coat over an existing finish on wooden boards finished in a green colour that I'm not 100% positive how they're finished. Following is some basic advice for applying lacquer with a spray can, brush, and rag. Lacquer goes over it ok. Applying lacquer does not have to be as daunting of a task as some make it out to be. Sanding roughens up the lacquer, which plays an essential role in forming a strong bond between the surface and the finish. Yes, you can, but normally one coat of shellac is applied before the gel stain as well. However lacquer may not be the best bet here for a couple of reasons. It’s this makeup that allows to provide a particularly intense gloss finish – it contains a solution of shellac in alcohol, which produces a resilient synthetic coating. Lacquer can be used on most woods, but it cannot be used on mahogany and rosewood; the oils in these woods will bleed through the finish. Greg Williams: The best I’ve used is a shellac sealer from Zinsser called SealCoat. Lacquer needs multiple coats to build sufficient film thickness. This is not the end of the world, though. The new lacquer dried even faster, and it could be applied using spray guns. The easiest way for a lacquer coating to be applied is by spraying, but it can also be brushed or wiped on with a rag. If another coat is deemed necessary then, once again, this can be applied over the previous coat once this has become tacky. Lacquer goes over shellac and vice versa, pretty well. Some poly goes over lacquer. Under Lacquer Lacquer should not be used over any Waterlox products. David’s Answer:. Wait at least 2 weeks after the last application of mineral oil. Then the shellac goes on top of the gel stain as a top layer finish. You might ask to see samples. There are risks to spraying any type of solvent lacquer over any existing, and older, paint or finish. With luck, applying the finish on your next project may take less time than reading about how it’s done. Bill Snyder. One good coat is all you need. The fundamental issue of course is that the thinners in lacquer when applied over reactive or coalescing finishes act like a stripper; softening and swelling the original finish and leaving a mess. Try it on a scrap piece first as you may need to experiment with dyes in the shellac to get the colour match just right. Brushing lacquer is available also. I've found it to be more of a problem with conventional varnishes than with polyurethanes but it is always a risk. Lacquer also comes in various sheens. The problem is the lacquer thinner in the lacquer. Several coats, thinly applied. The main one is that your lacquer's solvent may be 'hotter' than alcohol and if so the shellac will be soluble in it, which can lead to crazing after application. Lacquer can discolor over a … For these reasons, lacquer is a good undercoat for any other paint product. A pre catalyzed lacquer is better, and a post catalyzed is even better. Of course you need to test in a inconspicuous place to be sure. As far as your spray gun goes, denatured alcohol cleans up shellac better than lacquer thinner. However, it can change color over time and will eventually scratch with continued wear and tear. If you google wood finishes you should find lots of info on lacquer and its uses. If you are talking about spraying lacquer over the polyurethane and the poly is well aged, you might be able to get away with it by spraying light well-thinned coats of the lacquer. It seems that would be the best of both worlds. Years ago in school we oiled cedar chests to bring out the grain then we used lacquer over it. Mineral Oil. We used Johnson’s paste wax on the lacquer and to this day it is a great finish. For aspiring woodworkers, choosing the right finish can seemingly be a difficult task at least at first. It is a simple wipe-on, wipe-off process. Lacquer can be over-coated with other lacquer, paints, or enamels and acrylics. This is not a will happen, but some testing is … This can be with a spray system. Avoid the temptation to over-apply the lacquer, as more problems are created by too much than not enough lacquer. So the lacquer paints cannot be sprayed on in a thick coat, or the product will not perform properly. Generally, lacquer is a poor finish when compared with many other finishes. Still looks like new time than reading about how it ’ s paste wax on the outside parts but did. Method is used, care must be taken to begin in one area and work outwards with oil varnish lacquer! 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