Lacquer Questions???

[conwaygolfer]

I just finished building some Oak kitchen cabinets and used brushing lacquer to finish them. Applied 3 coats and sanded final coat with 500 grit paper. Smooth as glass. But in my opinion, it took too long.

I have more to build for another project and am looking into water borne spray lacquer. Does anyone have experience with this lacquer? From what I read, the water base is as good as the solvent base without the hazards, etc.. Any opinions?

Thanks,
Conwaygolfer

[JimD]

Resisthane from Hood Finishes (might be Hood Finishing) s my favorite finish. It is a water based finish that is like a pre-cat lacquer. It is durable and easy to apply. Spraying is recommended but small projects (where the brush marks will not become apparent because it dries so fast) can be brushed. You can do three coats in a day. Odor is low. Dry to recoat time is 2 hours if I remember right.

I also used brushing lacquer on kitchen cabinets and got cloudy places where water got in under the lacquer. I concluded it was not a durable enough finish. I hope you have better experience.

You can also apply Resisthane over other finishes as long as they are throughly dry. Some people have even reported success mixing it with latex paint to thin it for spraying and to improve durability. Finally, Hood sells it tinted either white or black.

Jim

[cabinetman]

I have more to build for another project and am looking into water borne spray lacquer. Does anyone have experience with this lacquer? From what I read, the water base is as good as the solvent base without the hazards, etc.. Any opinions?

Thanks,
Conwaygolfer

The marketing of products have given manufacturers the ability call their products what they want in an effort to sell them. If you want to know what you are buying look on the label to see what is recommended for the clean up or thinning. If the product is a lacquer (acetone/lacquer thinner base), it will say...lacquer thinner. If the product lists water, then the product is a waterbased polyurethane.

Lacquer used to be my primary finish of choice, and in the mid 80's switched to waterbased polyurethane. Most all waterbased polyurethanes finish better with spraying. They are very easy to work with for several reasons. When sprayed properly, that is in thin applications, it isn't affected by humidity, i.e., no blushing. It's a very fast dry. It dries clear. Thins and cleans up with water. Doesn't carry the toxic levels inherent in solvent based lacquer. The gloss and satin look and feel like a lacquer finish and can be as durable.
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[Mr__Bill]

I also used brushing lacquer on kitchen cabinets and got cloudy places where water got in under the lacquer. I concluded it was not a durable enough finish. I hope you have better experience.
Jim

You may be able to spray some lacquer thinner on the blushed area and soften it so the moisture can escape. It should then be nice and clear.

Personally I like brushing lacquer, any repairs can be done with some thinner and a bit more lacquer. It dries very fast and sanding between coats is only necessary if you have bugs or dust in it. Even then if it's only one then dab on some thinner and pick it out then flow on some more lacquer.

Bill

[conwaygolfer]

Thanks Guys

I will look into the water based poly. It sounds like something I would like to try especially since the toxic stuff is not present. I have been using cabinet grade ply from our local distributor. I use either oak or birch without staining. I then apply the lacquer to a satin finish.

Is a sealer necessary before using the poly? Do you sand between coats? What is the normal thinning rate?
Thanks,
Glenn
Conwaygolfer

[cabinetman]

Is a sealer necessary before using the poly? Do you sand between coats? What is the normal thinning rate?
Thanks,
Glenn
Conwaygolfer

I don't use a sealer. I apply thin coats and sand with 320x between coats. Many WB polyurethanes say on the label "ready to spray". Most can be thinned up to 10% without losing body. Just apply thin coats. They dry fast...use many.
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[pelligrini]

I will look into the water based poly. It sounds like something I would like to try especially since the toxic stuff is not present.

It's not exactly non toxic, just less so. The water based products have a much lower VOC.

[JimD]

There is a significant range of water based finishes just as there are for solvent based. In water based, they tell you the solvent based product that it most closely mimcs. There is water based poly, as apparently recommended by Cabinetman. The only one I've used is Minwaxes polycrylic. I liked it OK. It dries faster than an oil based poly but it does not harden as fast as Resisthane, a water based catalyzed lacquer. In addition to drying faster, it also cuts itself into the previous coat. This allows you to skip sanding between coats if the finish is smooth.

In addiiton to Hood finishing, you may want to google Target coatings. I've heard good things about their finishes but I have not used them. After getting my first gallon of Resisthane, I've used not much else. I think I pay around $30 for a gallon delivered to my house.

Jim

[cabinetman]

There is a significant range of water based finishes just as there are for solvent based. In water based, they tell you the solvent based product that it most closely mimcs. There is water based poly, as apparently recommended by Cabinetman. The only one I've used is Minwaxes polycrylic. I liked it OK. It dries faster than an oil based poly but it does not harden as fast as Resisthane, a water based catalyzed lacquer. In addition to drying faster, it also cuts itself into the previous coat. This allows you to skip sanding between coats if the finish is smooth.

In addiiton to Hood finishing, you may want to google Target coatings. I've heard good things about their finishes but I have not used them. After getting my first gallon of Resisthane, I've used not much else. I think I pay around $30 for a gallon delivered to my house.

Jim

An interesting fact about the waterbased products from their MSDS is that Dipropylene Glycol Methyl Ether is the common ingredient.
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[jabe]

I've started to use Deft WB lacquer a few yrs. ago with good results. I always sprayed it but it needs to be thinned w/water. I noticed it does not turn yellow like solvent based lacquer.

[cabinetman]

I've started to use Deft WB lacquer a few yrs. ago with good results. I always sprayed it but it needs to be thinned w/water. I noticed it does not turn yellow like solvent based lacquer.

That's because it's not a lacquer product. The manufacturers just call it that. It's really a WB polyurethane.
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