Replies

1. 
   Rich14 | Dec 22, 2006 01:42am | #1

   Sherwyn Williams Nitrocellulose or their CAB-Acrylic over the companion high-solids sanding sealer.

   Rich

1. 
   adirhu | Dec 22, 2006 01:48am | #2

   Thanks Rich. Do both options require the sanding sealer?

1. 
   Rich14 | Dec 22, 2006 01:58am | #3

   The Sherwyn Williams product is excellent. You could also use shellac. The CAB-Acrylic is water-white so I would use ultra-blonde, dewaxed shellac as a sealer if you go with shellac under that. But I highly recommend their sanding sealer.

   You can try spraying without a sealer and see how you like the results. It's pretty much a personal preference depending on the wood type and the final look that you want.

2. 
   art | Dec 22, 2006 03:29am | #4

   I use M. L. Campbell Magnamax. It's a precat and is very easy to use. I'm not a professional finisher but I get consistently good results.  It does not require a sealer. Art

   
   

   ---

   Edited 12/21/2006 7:31 pm ET by art

3. 
   loucarabasi | Dec 22, 2006 03:42am | #5

   adirhu,  M.L. Campbell is great and easy to use. I like to use their krystal finishes. they make a krystal sealer to go with it. The sealer sands very easy. You can use a fine sanding sponge to sand between coats. 2 coats of sealer and one good top coat of krystal top coat is usually enough. You do have to add catylist to the clear. The magnamax is good stuff too. I just like the way the sealer works with the krystal finish. Gravity feed guns work well to.

   Hope this helps, Lou

4. 
   Willie | Dec 22, 2006 06:37pm | #6

   Deft, head and shoulders above the rest, specially if you are looking for a satin or semi gloss. I spray with HVLP, directly out the can and with a little thinning for the final coat. You can use their sanding sealer as well.

   The reason it performs so good is because the VOC content is not in conformance with regulations, so they call it a "brushing" Lacquer, means it's still the good old stuff we used before the regulators got involved. Just use a good mask with a carbon filter.

   In all probability you will have less VOC exposure than when using the new regulated products, as it applies much easier and generates much less overspray.

1. 
   adirhu | Dec 22, 2006 06:52pm | #7

   Hi Willie:I love Deft and have used it for several years. But it does not seem to be very durable when it comes to scratches and things. Do you have a different experience?Josh

2. 
   loucarabasi | Feb 23, 2007 02:55pm | #24

   Really about deft? I used to love the stuff.

   Thanks for the info

   -Lou C

5. 
   frenchy | Dec 22, 2006 07:00pm | #8

   adirhu,

    I've sprayed laquer and a few years ago switched to shellac..

     Shellac is tougher, and infinately easier to repair. It's also much much cheaper and since it dries so quickly a person can be vastly more productive...

1. 
   mudman | Dec 23, 2006 10:44pm | #11

   I've never heard Shellac described as tougher than Lacquer. As for ease of repair Nitro lacquer repairs the same as Shellac. Pre Cat Lacquer is very difficult to repair.Pardon my spelling,

   Mike

   Make sure that your next project is beyond your skill and requires tools you don't have. You won't regret it.

1. 
   frenchy | Dec 23, 2006 10:56pm | #12

   Mudman,

     Shellac is actaully harder than lacquer  (don't know where I read than but my experiance with them both proves it.  I have Old british sports cars that my dog can scratch easily if he jumps up on them, but the floor which is shellaced he's run and jumped on for a while now and there isn't a single scratch to show for it.  he's a 150# Newfoundland  with untrimmed toe nails,  who thinks he's a puppy and his antics need to be seen to be believed..) 

    

     Repair of Lacquer requires a feather edging of the scratch,  repainting and a further resanding untill the new blends in with the old.  Simply wiping the scratch with alcohol  usually fixes scratches in shellac and if not then the new shellac melts itself into the old to make a seamless repair..

    

    

    

1. 
   Rich14 | Dec 24, 2006 12:27am | #13

   Frenchy, I love shellac, too. But the lacquers I have used (nitro and CAB Acrylic) are tougher than shellac. Repair is also very easy. Additional coats redissolve the under coats and blend or melt perfectly. Rich

1. 
   frenchy | Dec 24, 2006 01:32am | #14

   Rich14

    I used to love lacquer, heck that was all I sprayed for years, decades!..

     Then a few years ago I tried some shellac..

     I've been a convert since..

          Try this!   Scratch a lacquer finish and a shellac finish.. at the count of three repair the scratch in the lacquer finish so that it can't be detected..do the same with the shellac.

     (assume the scratch is to the surface but not into the wood)  I'm done!

    it took me a minute..

    (I cheated because I have a can of alcohol right here as well as a clean rag.   You can have all your supplies nearby as well.) tell me how long it took you  will you?  Frankly I'm still sanding the scratch for several minutes, then I've got to mix the paint and load and adjust the gun,  tape off the other areas, as well as the area that might get overspray  (just because I use HVLP doesn't mean I don't get overspray)  turn off all pilot lights, put on a suit.  (I'm hypersensitive to anything other than nitroceliose lacquer) hook up my fresh air rebreather, spray and let dry for a while {I usually let at least 8 hours go before sanding cat lacquer}  In the mean time I clean the gun and other equipment I used.  Then   sand and polish and then I'm ready..

    Figure somewhere around 9 hours..  OK I should give you credit for the time you used waiting for it to dry so let's say less than an hour OK?  a minute to an hour..

      

    

2. 
   Rich14 | Dec 24, 2006 02:08am | #15

   Qualasole on a pad (It's mostly lacquer thinner, some lacquer, some alcohols, retardants, like that). One minute. I'm done. Rich

3. 
   frenchy | Dec 24, 2006 02:29am | #16

   rich14

    Qualasole?

          Never heard of it.. tell me more!

4. 
   Rich14 | Dec 24, 2006 02:55am | #17

   http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=7242. Also do a Google search

5. 
   Rich14 | Dec 24, 2006 02:59am | #18

   MSDS here:http://www.behlen.co.uk/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=B611-00016&Category_Code=TOUCH

6. 
   frenchy | Dec 24, 2006 03:12am | #19

   Rich14

      Oh, woodcrafters. 

     I won't do anything with them.. bad past experiance..

    

7. 
   Rich14 | Dec 24, 2006 06:21pm | #22

   frenchy,Well, forget Woodcrafters, they're just one supplier. There are many suppliers of Behlens products. There is also a companion solvent for the Qualasole - basically, their proprietary lacquer thinner. Works just as well for simply repairing a scratch.Rich

8. 
   frenchy | Dec 29, 2006 10:12pm | #23

   Rich14

       thanxs for that,  I'll try to find some. 

2. 
   mudman | Dec 24, 2006 06:31am | #21

   I cant confidently argue that Lacquer is stronger, certaintly there is not enough of a difference to be a deciding factor.

   As for repair, regular ol' Lacquer works the same way Shellac does. You dont have to feather it any more than Shellac. With both finishes the next coat redisolves the previous coat creating one film. If you wipe Lacquer thinner over Lacquer it will redisolve the same as Shellac. And they both sand and polish easily.

   For the record I love Shellac and use it when ever I can. Pardon my spelling,

   Mike

   Make sure that your next project is beyond your skill and requires tools you don't have. You won't regret it.

6. 
   oldusty | Dec 22, 2006 07:22pm | #9

    Hi adirhu ,

                  Find out what brands are sold in your area , I use Rudd brand of water white ( Catalast ) top coat with their water white sanding sealer .I use an airless .

            Deft has probably not been reformulated with the additives that help to make the lacquer more mar resistant , that may be why you noticed scratching more easily .

            The Rudd product is considered   self sealing ,,, but especially for someone on the learning curve I would warn you it is much more difficult to sand the harder top coat products than the softer sanding sealers . 

       As far as a product that  " doesen't't require master skills to get good enough " 

        There are no replacements for experience or skills , that can be bought , the prep of the wood and proper mix of materials the temp and moisture of your spray area along with your acquired technic will ultimately become a practice and system you will be able to repeat time after time .

             good  luck          dusty

    

7. 
   Ronaway | Dec 23, 2006 05:42am | #10

   If you spray on a couple coats of dewaxed garnet or dark garnet shellac as a sealer coat and then apply the waterborne top coat I bet you will think it looks like solvent varnish when you're done.

   Ron

8. 
   DonStephan | Dec 24, 2006 03:29am | #20

   You might already be aware, but water borne finishes are often "water white" while traditional nitrocellulose (NC) lacquer and some of the other solvent finishes naturally impart an amber tint to the wood. I think Resisthane is considered "water white". Hydrocote makes an amber additive, and there are other water borne finishes that naturally impart an amber tint more like NC and other solvent finishes.