I’ve just spent some time reading about laquer here on the forum. As a remodeler who does some furniture projects each year, I’ve stuck to Poly and water based poly.
I had a customer contact me about a piano he just had rebuilt (sent it to Mexico and saved a bunch). The 100 yr old grand piano is made of Mahogany. The finish as I was told was a “closed” pore laquer and cost extra (probably five cents a gallon in Mex.). The laquer has a milky/hazy look and looks like a 220 grit sandpaper was all that was used since fine scratches are quite noticeable in the light. I used some 0000 steel wool and wax on a small section with hardly any results. The steel wool can easily scratch the finish. The finish is smooth but a final rub with steel wool would really smooth it out. I tried a little rottenstone and it did nothing for the haze.
There are also some odd marks in the finish (kind of like tire tracks). I tried rubbing them out, no luck. These marks are not rough. I’m thinking they may be from the plastic wrap during shipping.
Any thoughts? This piano is nice and with a good finish job, it will be great. I bailed before making things worse. I will be going back next week.
Why the milky look? Can I put poly over the laquer if I need to (wipe on probably)? Does laquer do this?
Thanks, Dave
Dave Otto — Otto Construction — PA
Replies
Years ago I was in the auto body business. Anytime we tried to shoot black laquer on a humid day it would turn hazy and white. I believe the haze is moisture, but I don't remember how we fixed the problem.
If it was from humidity, then what I've done for that is to spray raw lacquer retarder on the surface. It will work if the haze was from the last coat and it hasn't set to long. Never tried it on a vertical surface.
Lacquer dries so fast that on humid days, mositure will be trapped inside the surface and produces the white haze. Thinning lacquer with retarder can prevent that. Also directing an air stream such as from an electric fan over the surface while spraying can help.
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)PlaneWood
Don't know about the haze, but the marks that look like tire tracks are, as you suspected, probably from bubble wrap. I've seen them on several pieces that were shipped not long after they were finished. Plastics contain a number of chemicals to keep them flexible, my suspicion is that these compounds can migrate into the finish before it is fully hardened.
John W.
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