Need Suggestions For Lacquer Problem

[BILL DONAHUE]

For the 1st time I'm finishing a piece with lacquer and have run into problems with "orange peel." I read online that it can be sprayed with lacquer thinner which I tried but it just didn't work. (the site said to use "preval" an aerosol sprayer, but couldn't get it so I tried using a plastic spray bottle). I could rub it out with steel wool but I may have the same problem with a final coat. Any suggestions on how to get rid of the orange peel and/or how to prevent it on the next coat of lacquer?

[Steve Mawson]

I to have that problem to different degrees. Lite coats seem to work better. Also just got home from woodturners club-suggestion was to use sanding sealer first then the lacquer and you will not get that orange peel effect. I am going to try that on the next one as I use quite a bit of lacquer.

If all else fails 0000 steel wool works pretty good.

[Jim Underwood]

from this link:
http://www.paintproblems.com/general_problems.htm

Orange Peel
Orange peel is very common, it will appear to have a texture like an orange. Using insufficient air volume and/or pressure or not using enough paint thinner will greatly effect the flow out of sprayed paints. If the pressure is too low the paint will not atomize properly. If the paint thinner it too fast it will evaporate before allowing the paint to flow out. Extreme heavy coats will cause a heavy pattern once it is dry. Piling on thick coats may get rid of orange peel upon application but will show up before the paint is dry. In order to remove the orange peel sand the finish with wet sandpaper and then buff it with a high speed buffer.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Bill - you didn't mention the size of the turning. Was wondering if the orange peel could be buffed out? I have removed orange peel in poly a few times by buffing - but not lacquer.

[David Christopher]

Bill, a blush remover will work at removing orange peel... all you have to do is spray it on the piece and it will re wet the lacquer and let it dry slower

PM me, I have some on hand.

[BILL DONAHUE]

Steve, it's a 14" platter with crystal mineral inlay as learned at my recent class fron Stephen Hatcher. I've spent more time on this than on any 3 or 4 turnings put together and with the finish line in sight I'm managing to screw it up royally. Just had a thought - wonder if I could just go to the Bealle and buff it out and skip a final coat of lacquer???






















































'

[Richard Madison]

Bill,
0000 steel wool or wet sand level with 600 and spray one or two light, repeat light finish coats. Let dry for 3 days and buff if still not smooth enuf. Avoid carnauba. Ok to use Ren or ordinary SC Johnson paste wax.

As mentioned, many light coats rather than few heavy coats are best w/ lacquer. No need to sand or whatever between coats, as each new coat dissolves into the previously applied material, unlike poly or other varnish materials.

[Thom Sturgill]

There are three main problems with lacquer finishes and stem from different causes.

The worst is probably fish eye, which is the result of surface contamination with silicon. There are additives to correct that.

Orange peel which was described above is normally 'fixed' by abrasion. IMHO only very light OP can be removed by re-spraying either with more lacquer or with lacquer thinner. Just make sure you don't sand completely through the lacquer. Re-spray with light coats. Lacquer is unusual among finishes in that the new coat will dissolve the top surface of the coat underneath and thus does not need 'roughing up'. That does not mean that OP and the telegraphing of blemishes will just go away without mechanical smoothing.

The last problem is blushing, and is caused by condensation during the spraying. Don't work lacquer of the temp is too low, or the humidity too high.

[Dave Ogren]

I have yet to lacquer wood but I have done a lot of metal. My experience is to use a very slow drying thinner, and the colder the temperature the better. High humidity only turns the color more white which goes away as it dries. As you are adding coats the higher percentage of thinner the better. We have had lacquer take several hours to even tack up.

Just my $.02

Dave

[Allen Neighbors]

Some good suggestions in this thread, Bill. Here's what I do.
I've been spraying lacquer for about 18 years now. The last time I had orange peel, I "washed" the piece with lacquer thinner, taking it back to bare wood. Then final sanded it again. I changed the type of lacquer I use, and haven't had orange peel in about 5 or 6 years, IIRC.
I now use pre-catalyzed, nitrocellulose lacquer. It's not supposed to be thinned, but I thin it to about 10-15% thinner in the sprayer cup. I also add 3/4 of a film canister of Retarder. Pre-cat lacquer is a high build, ready-to-spray, lacquer that has very good flow out characteristics. It just builds a little too fast for me, hence the thinning, and then I add the Retarder to counteract the thinner's quick dry properties. Don't know how to explain it professionally, but that's it, in a nut shell. It works for me.
I haven't cleaned my spraygun in about 8 or 10 years. Lacquer melts lacquer, so I just rub my finger across the spray nozzle while pulling the trigger. Every once in a while I unscrew the nozzle and drop it in a jar of thinner. Sometimes I go months between sprayings, and it always works. Hope this helps a bit.

[Richard Madison]

Interesting info. Thanks Allen.