Can a lacquer coated wooden surface be safely painted with an enamel? Safely meaning without requiring the removal of the lacquer? The surface (many bar stools) are natural in color and the owner wishes to have the color a dark brown or possibly black. Is enamel paint the way to go? Or would it be better to find black lacquer in quantity?
Thanks,
Owen
Replies
Owen,
For speed and quick drying times, I would use lacquer. This can be done without stripping the coating.
To prep; clean the surface well. Fantastic works very well in this capacity. Sand the surface with 220 paper to give it some "tooth" and remove all dust. If the coating is thin you might be able to prepeare it up by using a maroon scotch pad.
Not knowing exactly what the coating is can be troublesome. If I were going to shoot these with lacquer, I would do one as a trial. I wouldn't want to set up, shoot everything and THEN find out there is a compatibility issue.
One easy step to keep matters under control;
After you sand the surface and clean, put a barrier coat of shellac on first. You can use Zinseer SealCoat (blonde shellac) for this.
Since the surface is so small, you can easily apply it with a soft cotton cloth folded over a few times. Be sure it has no wrinkles in it. It dries quickly so be aware. In this case there is no need to thin it.
Just get the pad wet but not dripping, and lay a quick coat on the surface. It will dry to the touch quickly, but wait about 45-60 minutes before lightly sanding with 320 paper.
You now have a barrier coat and you can proceed with the lacquer.
If you decide to paint I would prepare as above. The shellac will give you a good foundation with either.
Be Sure And Do A Sample First
Good luck.
Peter
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