# Lacquer finish



## drgoretex

Hello all.  First post here.

Had a look around to see if I could find anything on lacquer finishing (I usually use CA), but could not find anything.

Wondering if someone can tell me a little about lacquer - I have had a number of buyers asking about it - where can one get it, how is it applied, does it need to be polished, does it stand up to daily use without dulling, etc

Any input would be much appreciated!

Thanks

Ken


----------



## its_virgil

Since you asked for a little info, the here it is. Lacquer dries fast but needs to cure for a week or longer to totally cure to its optimum hardness. Then it can be polished and buffed. I thin Deft lacquer with lacquer thinner 50-50 and apply several coats over a several hour period then put away the pen blanks for them to cure. For more than a little info you can find all of the finishing questions you have at Russ Fairfield's website at http://www.woodturnerruss.com   Russ has an excellent video dealing with pen finishing. I sat in on his finishing demo at the Utah woodturning symposium back in May and it was excellent.
Do a good turn daily!
Don



drgoretex said:


> Hello all.  First post here.
> 
> Had a look around to see if I could find anything on lacquer finishing (I usually use CA), but could not find anything.
> 
> Wondering if someone can tell me a little about lacquer - I have had a number of buyers asking about it - where can one get it, how is it applied, does it need to be polished, does it stand up to daily use without dulling, etc
> 
> Any input would be much appreciated!
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Ken


----------



## bitshird

Ken, there are a few members that use Lacquer for their finish on pens, there have been numerous discussions regarding the use of Precat Lacquer and just plain old spraycan variety, I use it on some of my less expensive pens, usually sprayed on after putting on a coat of Boiled Linseed oil and allowing it a few days to cure, I put the pen parts on a mandrel and spin as slowly as possible, Some folks even use a gear reduction set up so they are only turning 20 to maybe 50 RPM and spray, I've only seen one pen I've done with lacquer come back, after 2 years it needed a refill, it still looked OK, but it didn't have the same gloss that it left with, so it's not as durable as CA. One of the best pen turners around set up a drying box to keep his pieces dust free and his pens are beautiful, but he may be using Precat Lacquer, I just use Deft Gloss spray cans. It does get pretty expensive when you consider how much over spray you have, but time wise it's much more efficient. quality wise Not so sure.


----------



## avbill

My choice to finish a pen is lacquer.  I put between 11-15 coats. allowing the lacquer to dry between each coat.   At the present time I have one pen of  African Blackwood  with 15 coats that has been drying for  a very long time.  Not because its still wet but b/c I have been remodeling my kitchen. 

Th main reason is you can still feel the wood with a lacquer finish.  You can't with a CA finish.  in my opinion.  I have also worked with lacquer from 1980's   I know the product 

Yes people I know am anal  I sand to 2500 grit also.  And polish out to 64,000 grit polishing compound for very high gloss finish. 

if customers want high gloss I give it to them.  They also pay for it too!


----------



## rjwolfe3

After you apply your coats of spray lacquer and let it dry do you then have to sand it? Do you dry or wet sand it? Also are you supposed to sand between coats of spray lacquer?


----------



## avbill

dry sand  The dust of the lacquer will lmelt with application of the next coat.  I do clean the blank off but if you do not  it's not going to hurt the finish. 

I sand between coats  with 800 or 1000 grit sandpaper   with a piano I have used pumice and rottenstone.


----------



## RussFairfield

All finishes for pens and things are discussed in the 4th of the finishing articles.

Lacquer is a good finish for a dipping qpplication on a pen

http://www.woodturner-russ.com/FSOriginal4.html


----------



## drgoretex

Hey, thanks for all the feedback, folks, this has helped a great deal!

Ken


----------

