# Lacquer worked for me



## rsulli16 (Apr 2, 2011)

hi all

   After getting repeatedly fustrated with CA. i decided to try other finishes.
   First up is lacquer. I used a  Valsar Hi-Gloss spray can. It said recoat anytime, but i gave several hours or a day between coats. 
   When i got home i'd run in the garage and spray a thin coat, not enough to sag or run, and when i left for work did it again. I wasn't able to turn anything anyway too busy, but  less than a minute to duck in and spray a coat on-- ok. I got about 5 coats in 2 days on this way. 
   It was almost good to go just as it was!!! I mounted the blanks and used EEE, then OneStep. then a paste wax total time there was <2 minutes! It's beautiful! clear hard finish, great shine, but not that encapsulated in plastic look that CA gives me--once in a while!! (once in a while instead of all the time being the reason why I am doing this)
  So, now I am going to try, turning several at a time, or over several days, sanding them another, then finishing them together after that.
  Up next--When i brought the ValSpar I also got a can of Minwax Hi-Gloss wipe on poly. 
   Let you know how it goes.

Sulli


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## Canadian_Kid (Apr 2, 2011)

Very nice write up but a picture would say a ...... words.

Don.


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## lwalden (Apr 2, 2011)

one caution with lacquer- it is a softer finish than CA. Keep this in mind when:
You are going to ship or keep your finished pens in a small box with an elastic band- the band can dig in to the finish and leave a mar/dent. Also, when being put into one of the foam inserts in a pen presentation case- if it's much of a snug fit, and it's stored in an area that might get overly warm/hot, the finish can stick to the flocked/velveteen insert. DAMHIKT.


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## PenMan1 (Apr 2, 2011)

Laquered finishes are beautiful and shine just like PR. My experience is that laquer doesn't hold up to the abuse like CA.

But then, maybe I'm just doing laquer wrong because it takes me so much longer to complete a pen with a laquer finish?


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## rsulli16 (Apr 3, 2011)

thanks
yes it takes awhile, and i will watch how i store them. long lasting? i find that to be a relative term, some people bash up anything near them, others keep things for ever, some will be thrown in drawers, others loose them anyway 
try for a pix tonight, i only used a slim kit i had laying around, it was an experiment on the finish


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## LeeR (Apr 3, 2011)

rsulli16 said:


> hi all
> 
> [...]
> Up next--When i brought the ValSpar I also got a can of Minwax Hi-Gloss wipe on poly.
> ...


 
Sulli,

You are likely to be disappointed with the MinWax Gloss Wipe-on Poly. I found some on sale at Ace Hardware, and gave it a try. It is so thin, and takes so long to dry, that you'll likely spend days applying it. I've used regular Gloss Poly now with better results.

I used my can of the Wipe-On to put a new topcoat on a wooden workbench top, and it was fine for that. However, I had bought the Gloss, and I'd rate the workbench finish as more a semi-gloss look. This was fine, but made me wonder how much effort would be required to get the true glossy finish with the Wipe-On Gloss Poly.


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## rsulli16 (Apr 4, 2011)

thanks
like i said, experimenting is all, i'll try the regular too. i'll keep trying CA too, when my patience level is high 
still gonna take a pix. keep getting distracted everytime i walk thru the door, got a fridge less than a year old with 5 service calls, two in the last week really has me going.just got a sharpening system i want to try next, a 8"grinder and the wolverine jig.
does anyone else do these in batches? i usually turn and sand and finish one at a time, but if i have anything drying i cant do it that way. so i was thinking of trying to work on several at a time, in batches, turn one day, sand, then start the finishing process on several at at time, any tips or ideas on organizing arranging things? kinda cramped in half a garage 
Sulli


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## rsulli16 (Apr 4, 2011)

*first attemp at lacquer*

well here it is, macro photography will be a learned art too


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## Rmartin (Apr 4, 2011)

I have pens with a lacquer finish that have lasted for years. But, lacquer needs time to fully cure, as much as 30 days depending on climate. You really don't need to wait so long to add the next coat. In fact, if you wait more than 30 minutes, you should wait 72 hours before adding more coats. I would suggest no more than 4 to 5 spray coats every 15 minutes. Then let it sit for as long as you can.


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## ghostrider (Apr 5, 2011)

I recently made a pen out of some very nice cherry, and used purpleheart as an integrated centerband. 

Because I wanted to apply some sort of UV inhibitor to save as much of the purple color of the wood as possible, I found some clear, spray-on poly, and taped off the rest of the barrel when applying it to the CB. 

Since I hadn't experimented with applying the CA glue over the polyurethane, I didn't want to take a chance that it would do some damage to the poly coating. That is why I decided to use Deft spray-on Lacquer. 

I taped off the cherry portion of the barrel, and coated the Purpleheart CB with two coats of the poly. Then I waited the 72 hours for the required curing time as recommended on the can.

After waiting for the poly to cure, I peeled off the painters tape protecting the cherry portion, and made sure to clean off any adhesive residue.

Then I applied about 8-10 coats of the Deft Lacquer, letting the final coat dry overnight. 

The next day it still maintained that lacquer smell (did for several days), but seemed dry. It's now been a week, and the smell is gone, while the finish seems better than last week (shinier, smoother), so I'm thinking there might be something to the idea of an extended cure time. It has a glassy look (although not like a CA that's been taken to 12000 MM followed by plastic polish). It feels much warmer than the CA, but also softer and not as hard, so who knows how it will be in another three weeks. 

http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=78073

Third pen down. 




Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Looking at this picture, I definitely see the difference the week has made. It's glossier.

Also to note is that I sanded the wood to 12000 MM before any finish was applied.


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## rvarner10 (Apr 5, 2011)

*CA & Boiled linseed oil*

Sulli, I too had trouble with CA glue till someone showed me how to use boiled linseed oil. I haven't had any problems with the ca gumming up. I have used lacquer several times after using the ca finish. I have a hand out if you would like me to email it to you. 
bob



rsulli16 said:


> hi all
> 
> After getting repeatedly fustrated with CA. i decided to try other finishes.
> First up is lacquer. I used a  Valsar Hi-Gloss spray can. It said recoat anytime, but i gave several hours or a day between coats.
> ...


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## rsulli16 (Apr 8, 2011)

sure send them over, i;ll try anything twice case i messed it up the first time 
actually had a ca finish go on pretty good today!! must have been the live sacrifices and burnt offerings 
also drilled on my lathe first time, got new chucks---smooth, very nice, i liked it. got HF benchtop drill press, regret it now, only a 2 inch quill travel, pain in the neck and oval and off center holes often as not.
also picked up a wolverine jig, and a set of HF chiesels to practise on, sweet, using full size tools!! been using a starter set from pen st. the minnie ones.
things starting to roll now, had a good time today!!
Thanks to all
Sulli


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