Replies

1. 
   riverr1 | Oct 19, 2003 09:18am | #1

   I'm not sure I follow what you are asking. Eggshell is a sheen level some consider interchangeable with satin. Is this what you are asking? Or has your finish developed an actual texture?

   Don

1. 
   patrick | Oct 19, 2003 09:38am | #2

   The lacquer I bought is a gloss. The finish has a egg shell texture. It is not a satin sheen. I have seen the tern orange peal, but I don't think this is that severe. I have sprayed lacquer a few times before with a flat mirror finish, but it is not happening this time. It is like it did not flow out. I wonder I didn't put on a heavy enough first coat. The second coat seemed to reduce the problem.

1. 
   Kevin | Oct 20, 2003 02:28am | #3

   Sounds like dry spray to me. The two most common culprits are spraying too far from the surface or not reducing the lacquer enough/properly, or a combination of the two. Using too much atomizing air is the next most common cause of dry spray. What's happening is that the particals of nitro lacquer are partially drying before they hit the surface, thus preventing them from flowing out flat as they are supposed to do.

   What you need to do is to:

   1. Check the manufactorer's reduction schedule for the lacquer and make sure that you're adding the proper amount of the recommended lacquer thinner for the conditions that you're spraying in (temperature wise).

   2. Use the least amount of atomizing air necessary to achieve decent atomization. In conjunction with this, use some scrap or cardboard and play around with the fluid pressure too. You can get away with higher atomizing pressure in many cases if the fluid pressure is higher too. If you're using a siphon-feed cupgun, drop the air pressure to the gun as low as you can and still get a decent amount to come out of the tip and then adjust the fluid needle in or out until you get a decently wet spray pattern. If using a gravity gun, the odds are that you need to add more lacquer thinner and/or change to a larger bore tip/needle valve.

   3. Get the gun closer to the surface when spraying. 8" to 12" is pretty common.

   Regards,

   Kevin

1. 
   patrick | Oct 26, 2003 07:38pm | #5

   Kevin,

   Thanks, the solution was to thin the lacquer 10% even though the can directions claimed the product was ready to spray. After thinning, it flowed out like glass.

   I really appreciate your taking the time to answer my question,

   Patrick

2. 
   PlaneWood | Oct 20, 2003 04:53am | #4

   What was underneath the lacquer?

   The exotic waxy woods are notoroius for this happening.  I use a couple coats of thin dewaxed super blond shellac under the lacquer.  Washing the surface down first with lacquer thinner or acetone can help.  Or, a lacquer sanding sealer followed by sanding. 

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)
   PlaneWood