Thanks for the mention on citrus degreaser. That seems like a reasonable alternative to typical wet sanding with water. I will try using that instead of water from the start. As the saying goes "an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure". I'm glad I ran across this video.
Thanks again Sam for another of your informative, superior videos. I have been spraying lacquer for about 60 years and have made many mistakes which is the most efficient learning tool I have seen. I thought I would send a few ideas for your consideration. One counter-intuitive method for avoiding blush is to clean your gun by IMMEDIATELY spraying a light coat of lacquer thinner on the project. It thins the surface even thinner and hastens the drying time, leaving less time for water to absorb into the finish. There is a project named Howard "Restore-a-finish" which works fairly well on a well dried finish that has minor blushing caused by standing water on a well cured finish. Lastly although it sounds crazy, mayo rubbed on the finish and allowed to sit for awhile then rubbed briskly will sometimes help. Don Altig
While I am far from an expert, my understanding is that the evaporation of the lacquer lowers the temperature of the surface like water evaporation can cool a home (some still use it). blushing is mostly caused by water condensing from the air and from the compressed air. The cooler surface then attracts condensation. Three things come to mind: 1) use a lacquer retarder - it works to slow the rate of evaporation. 2) make sure there's no moisture in the air line - there are filters for this; 3) spray thin coats so it dries completely before you spray any more. Alan Stratton
Alan Thanks for the information. I did fail to mention the moisture in the air compressor, or in the line. This is an important point. I will make a note in my video. Thanks Sam
A very well produced video , once again Sam. Full of interesting and important does and don'ts. Thanks for taking the time to put it together. Take care Mike PS - That lacquered bowl looks absolutely stunning.
I have a unique problem of using lacquer as water on a diorama, the humidity has created blushing, I dare not sand as my base is XPS foam with paint and tissue paper. I have no idea how to evaporate the moisture trapped between the layers of lacquer. I am left dumb founded as how to solve this problem. Will time fix this perhaps?
Lacquer retarder is used in high humidity conditions to eliminate blushing. It slows down drying/curing to allow moisture to work itself out of the finish.
Thank you for another very interesting video with so much advice. I tried lacquering for the first time just a few months ago but it was spray- on from an aerosol. I think I got to about 10 coats over a few days and the gloss was definitely starting to come up. One of the tool companies recently had an offer on for the spray gun together with a small compressor and it wasn't very expensive. I think I might buy one next time round as I think the finish you achieved on that beautiful small bowl is amazing. I presume using a dust free area is critical to a good finish? Alan.
Alan A dust-free zone is not as critical with lacquer as it is spraying, say varnish or poly-which I used to spray lots.... Lacquer dries very fast. It will skin over in a few minutes and be somewhat impervious to dust. The thing to look for in a spray gun is the tip size. Mine is a 1.4 mm. Some guns are designed to spray more viscous materials. So they will really spit out the lacquer, almost too fast. My compressor is a 30 gallon. A nice size which doesn't run all the time. I HAD a 15 gallon compressor which would run after 20 or 25 seconds of spraying. All things to consider. Sam
Sam, years ago I was spraying a bar for a local country club and I had a major blushing problem. A guy that I knew told me to add 1 part reducer to 4 parts thinner and respray all the blushed pieces. The blushing disappeared right before my eyes as I watched. With shellac it is a bit trickier but you can pad out the blushing from the shellac provided the humidity is down
Hey Kenneth, I know this is a year old, but I hope you get this notification. Are you saying JUST use retarded and thinner? No lacquer in the mix at all?
Thank you for another informative video. I tried canned spray lacquer on a spindle turning and it turned out ok but I have to admit I like shellac blends (wipe on) better. It has been suggested to me that using lacquer (wipe on) for a bowl is not such a great idea? I have some defthane but have never used it for turning but like you said I need to try some of this stuff on small projects or scraps. Thanks again.
James Applying lacquer on a larger piece is difficult with a brush or means other than spraying. It will dry and not blend in well to the wet areas. It will be a mess. I have been there. Bottle stopper, Tops, are OK. Sam
+WYOMINGWOODTURNER Can anyone help? I patinated a 4x8 metal table top. The patina-chemical company suggested I use their air spray-can kit & their lacquer to seal. It turns out those spray tips give me 3"-wide stripes. If I purchase a spray gun with a wider spray, will I be able to ever cover the stripes, or will they always show thru? Would I need to try to fill-in between the cross-wise stripes, or should I begin by spraying lengthwise? Or, do I need to remove the lacquer stripes - and how? After watching your video, I now am aware of all the things that can go wrong & am scared to proceed! I'm in Humid Houston. Thanks!
when should you use sanding sealer, after staining? or dont you need to use it at all. Ive never lacquered and have been reading up on it. So many products and so many opinions. When you use a toner to eliminate blushing (I know you can buy that in colors), can you just use a clear toner and does it work just as good. I dont know if the colored toners hide the blushing or eliminate it. Help
Jodi, I seal most of what I turn in one way or another. You can use a specific sanding sealer or just thin down whatever finish you are using. I used to buy real "sanding sealer" for varnish or poly or even lacquer. They are designed to sand easier. They do not dry as hard as the respective finish. I am not sure about toners. I don't believe it will eliminate blushing. Blessing is caused more by moisture in the lacquer. I don't know that a toner would help. It is very dry here in Wyoming so I don't worry too much. Sam
Thanks Sam, I live in Texas and have sprayed lacquer on my furniture and I just did a bubinga bowl. I have never had a blushing problem I think because I use pre-cat lacquer and I thin it for several coats. Have you ever used pre-cat lacquer?
I don't have a video on that particular bowl. I do have several other videos on applying a dye or stain to burl wood. Search my channel you should find them. Sam
Hi, love your videos! Have 2 questions: - by “blushing”, does this mean a dimpling effect, sort of like what an orange peel looks like? - would a lacquer finished bowl hold up to regular food use (I.e. salads, etc)? My most recent project was sanded up to 1000, spray (aerosol can) lacquered about 5 coats, saw some “dimpling” and wet-sanded with 1500, dried (kinda caused some clumping of finish), followed by a homemade abrasive paste. It smoothed out the dimples, but there are still areas that shine glossier than others. Thinking I should do another application of abrasive paste. Oh, and should I apply anymore lacquer, or move onto polish, buffing? Please advise. Thanks, MikeB
Mike, Lots to unwind here. First blushing is when moisture is trapped under the surface of the lacquer. This happens when the lacquer is sprayed in higher humidity conditions and/or when additional coats of lacquer are applied without enough time between coats. What you are describing is sort of like orange peel (it may be orange peel). What I do is; spray 5+ coats-then sand to 1000 to 1200 grit then spray 5+ more coats sand to 1500 OK...I keep doing this till I have 15-20 coat applied with final sanding to 5K to 10K then I buff. Those shiny spots tell me you do not have enough thickness created and you may be going back to the wood in some spots. Sam
@@WYOMINGWOODTURNER what about "shine juice" (I forget the guy's name, Captain Eddie?)? His recipe is 1 part shellac, 1 part boiled linseed oil, and 1 part denatured alcohol. Food safe? Appreciate your replies!
@@mikeb4555 Yes, I like the shine juice. Good stuff. Love Captain Eddie.....Oh yes it is food safe. I believe most everything we use as a finish is food safe-AFTER it has cured. Sam
Thanks for the info, I know that word muggy around here...not a good condition for any finish. Lacquer is nice and people like it so learning how to use it is very helpful.
Brad I went back and looked at "most" of this video and could not find a comment on mixing or thinning my lacquer. Here is what I remember. I try NOT to thin my lacquer. I like to spray it as it comes from the can. If the lacquer is too thin, it can run ore easily and also, if not blended or mixed up properly can be sprayed unevenly. Hope this helps Sam
Thanks some very good advice. I have never used acetone with lacquer, I would assume it dries faster. And also important not to spray too thick. I may be guilty of this once in a while ha ha thank you very much SAM
That's a very good question. I start with a gloss lacquer and spray it. I have a find, nicks spraygun that works very well. Or simply a rattle can of deft lacquer. I do sand between coats, but the last coat I try not to sand at all. And that gives me the highest gloss finish I can get. If I don't want it so glossy, I simply buffet a little bit. Thanks, Sam.
Hello Jhall The secret with wet sanding lacquer is that you cannot use lacquer thinner. This is the most important thing I can say. Lacquer thinner will melt the lacquer you’ve already applied. I like to wet sand with mineral spirits, or even water mixed with a little bit of soap . If you wet sand with soapy water, you must make sure that you have enough lacquer built-up, so that you do not send through and Sand wood. Sam
@@WYOMINGWOODTURNER Yes - lacquer thinner would be an absolute disaster. Although I already knew this - I'm glad you mentioned it in case anyone else was about to "go there". :). I've since had luck with just plain water with a few drops of soap.. that's worked very very well. I finished my lacquer-restoration/conservation project and although I pray to never have to work with 1940s era lacquer finishes again (ha) - through trial & error I think I got a workable system down that required NO refinish or repair to the wood - not even any re-staining - just a restoration of the lacquer finish. The results were better than expected, and I went on to do a 2nd similar project (same 1940s era mahogany piece) that went even more smoothly than the first. The BEST tool in my bag was definitely Mohawk's Blush Retarder! It not only addressed areas of blushing in original finish, but was a huge help if/when any orange peeling appeared, and with spot-repair of scratches - as I built up lacquer in that area to fill in the scratch, and then level it off with the rest of the surface. I found many uses for it outside of blush repair. Great product.
Tanvion, you found one of my very old videos. That is no excuse however-You are right that I did not really explain how to "deal" with blushing in lacquer. It is simple. You have two options 1) sand back that area where the blushing occurs 2) if it is really bad, you must strip the finish off and get below the blushing. Sam
Heat gun man! Just wave it over the blush and it evaporates the moisture... do this about an hour or so after your laquer coat that blushed. I’ve never tried it on something where the laquer was allowed to cure, but catch it early with the heat gun... don’t get too close or stay in one spot too long, just wave it over and it disappears like magic
Thanks for the mention on citrus degreaser. That seems like a reasonable alternative to typical wet sanding with water. I will try using that instead of water from the start. As the saying goes "an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure". I'm glad I ran across this video.
Thanks again Sam for another of your informative, superior videos. I have been spraying lacquer for about 60 years and have made many mistakes which is the most efficient learning tool I have seen. I thought I would send a few ideas for your consideration. One counter-intuitive method for avoiding blush is to clean your gun by IMMEDIATELY spraying a light coat of lacquer thinner on the project. It thins the surface even thinner and hastens the drying time, leaving less time for water to absorb into the finish. There is a project named Howard "Restore-a-finish" which works fairly well on a well dried finish that has minor blushing caused by standing water on a well cured finish. Lastly although it sounds crazy, mayo rubbed on the finish and allowed to sit for awhile then rubbed briskly will sometimes help.
Don Altig
While I am far from an expert, my understanding is that the evaporation of the lacquer lowers the temperature of the surface like water evaporation can cool a home (some still use it). blushing is mostly caused by water condensing from the air and from the compressed air. The cooler surface then attracts condensation.
Three things come to mind: 1) use a lacquer retarder - it works to slow the rate of evaporation. 2) make sure there's no moisture in the air line - there are filters for this; 3) spray thin coats so it dries completely before you spray any more.
Alan Stratton
Alan
Thanks for the information. I did fail to mention the moisture in the air compressor, or in the line. This is an important point. I will make a note in my video. Thanks Sam
The temperature also causes blushing, anything under 65 F will cause problems.
Very good video Sam,as always.
Cheers Colin.
A very well produced video , once again Sam. Full of interesting and important does and don'ts. Thanks for taking the time to put it together.
Take care
Mike
PS - That lacquered bowl looks absolutely stunning.
Good job Sam.
Great video. Thanks
Whats the difference between Lacquer Thinner and Mineral Spirits?
I have a unique problem of using lacquer as water on a diorama, the humidity has created blushing, I dare not sand as my base is XPS foam with paint and tissue paper. I have no idea how to evaporate the moisture trapped between the layers of lacquer. I am left dumb founded as how to solve this problem. Will time fix this perhaps?
Lacquer retarder is used in high humidity conditions to eliminate blushing. It slows down drying/curing to allow moisture to work itself out of the finish.
Muy buen video bien esplicado felizidades
Today I got blushing ony walnut cabinet doors, but after they dry it goes away!
Thank you for another very interesting video with so much advice. I tried lacquering for the first time just a few months ago but it was spray- on from an aerosol. I think I got to about 10 coats over a few days and the gloss was definitely starting to come up.
One of the tool companies recently had an offer on for the spray gun together with a small compressor and it wasn't very expensive.
I think I might buy one next time round as I think the finish you achieved on that beautiful small bowl is amazing.
I presume using a dust free area is critical to a good finish?
Alan.
Alan
A dust-free zone is not as critical with lacquer as it is spraying, say varnish or poly-which I used to spray lots....
Lacquer dries very fast. It will skin over in a few minutes and be somewhat impervious to dust. The thing to look for in a spray gun is the tip size. Mine is a 1.4 mm. Some guns are designed to spray more viscous materials. So they will really spit out the lacquer, almost too fast. My compressor is a 30 gallon. A nice size which doesn't run all the time. I HAD a 15 gallon compressor which would run after 20 or 25 seconds of spraying. All things to consider.
Sam
WYOMINGWOODTURNER g
Just spray thin coats to avoid blushing and air bubbles. I use acetone and retarder only. I never used laquer thinner!
Sam, years ago I was spraying a bar for a local country club and I had a major blushing problem. A guy that I knew told me to add 1 part reducer to 4 parts thinner and respray all the blushed pieces. The blushing disappeared right before my eyes as I watched. With shellac it is a bit trickier but you can pad out the blushing from the shellac provided the humidity is down
Thanks, Sam
Hey Kenneth, I know this is a year old, but I hope you get this notification. Are you saying JUST use retarded and thinner? No lacquer in the mix at all?
Thank you for another informative video. I tried canned spray lacquer on a spindle turning and it turned out ok but I have to admit I like shellac blends (wipe on) better. It has been suggested to me that using lacquer (wipe on) for a bowl is not such a great idea? I have some defthane but have never used it for turning but like you said I need to try some of this stuff on small projects or scraps. Thanks again.
James
Applying lacquer on a larger piece is difficult with a brush or means other than spraying. It will dry and not blend in well to the wet areas. It will be a mess. I have been there. Bottle stopper, Tops, are OK.
Sam
+WYOMINGWOODTURNER Can anyone help? I patinated a 4x8 metal table top. The patina-chemical company suggested I use their air spray-can kit & their lacquer to seal. It turns out those spray tips give me 3"-wide stripes. If I purchase a spray gun with a wider spray, will I be able to ever cover the stripes, or will they always show thru? Would I need to try to fill-in between the cross-wise stripes, or should I begin by spraying lengthwise? Or, do I need to remove the lacquer stripes - and how? After watching your video, I now am aware of all the things that can go wrong & am scared to proceed! I'm in Humid Houston. Thanks!
when should you use sanding sealer, after staining? or dont you need to use it at all. Ive never lacquered and have been reading up on it. So many products and so many opinions. When you use a toner to eliminate blushing (I know you can buy that in colors), can you just use a clear toner and does it work just as good. I dont know if the colored toners hide the blushing or eliminate it. Help
Jodi, I seal most of what I turn in one way or another. You can use a specific sanding sealer or just thin down whatever finish you are using. I used to buy real "sanding sealer" for varnish or poly or even lacquer. They are designed to sand easier. They do not dry as hard as the respective finish.
I am not sure about toners. I don't believe it will eliminate blushing. Blessing is caused more by moisture in the lacquer. I don't know that a toner would help. It is very dry here in Wyoming so I don't worry too much. Sam
Thanks Sam, I live in Texas and have sprayed lacquer on my furniture and I just did a bubinga bowl. I have never had a blushing problem I think because I use pre-cat lacquer and I thin it for several coats. Have you ever used pre-cat lacquer?
I have only read about it (pre-cat lacquer) I am not even sure what it is. Pre-catalyzed I guess.
Sam
I use pre cat daily and it will blush too
Sam do you have a video on that bowl? I would like to see how you painted and made it.
I don't have a video on that particular bowl. I do have several other videos on applying a dye or stain to burl wood. Search my channel you should find them.
Sam
WYOMINGWOODTURNER
I have watched some off those. I just liked the way that bowl looked would like to see how you did it. No worriers
Thanks Sam.
Sorry for the typo in my last note. Its 5:30 a and I wish I could blame it on that rather than advancing age.
Don
Hi, love your videos!
Have 2 questions:
- by “blushing”, does this mean a dimpling effect, sort of like what an orange peel looks like?
- would a lacquer finished bowl hold up to regular food use (I.e. salads, etc)?
My most recent project was sanded up to 1000, spray (aerosol can) lacquered about 5 coats, saw some “dimpling” and wet-sanded with 1500, dried (kinda caused some clumping of finish), followed by a homemade abrasive paste. It smoothed out the dimples, but there are still areas that shine glossier than others. Thinking I should do another application of abrasive paste. Oh, and should I apply anymore lacquer, or move onto polish, buffing?
Please advise.
Thanks,
MikeB
Mike, Lots to unwind here. First blushing is when moisture is trapped under the surface of the lacquer. This happens when the lacquer is sprayed in higher humidity conditions and/or when additional coats of lacquer are applied without enough time between coats.
What you are describing is sort of like orange peel (it may be orange peel). What I do is; spray 5+ coats-then sand to 1000 to 1200 grit
then spray 5+ more coats sand to 1500
OK...I keep doing this till I have 15-20 coat applied with final sanding to 5K to 10K then I buff.
Those shiny spots tell me you do not have enough thickness created and you may be going back to the wood in some spots.
Sam
I forgot to mention that shellac and lacquer are not good for food servers. I always use oil of some kind. Sam
@@WYOMINGWOODTURNER what about "shine juice" (I forget the guy's name, Captain Eddie?)? His recipe is 1 part shellac, 1 part boiled linseed oil, and 1 part denatured alcohol. Food safe?
Appreciate your replies!
@@mikeb4555 Yes, I like the shine juice. Good stuff. Love Captain Eddie.....Oh yes it is food safe. I believe most everything we use as a finish is food safe-AFTER it has cured. Sam
Thanks for the info, I know that word muggy around here...not a good condition for any finish. Lacquer is nice and people like it so learning how to use it is very helpful.
What ratio do you thin the lacquer?
Brad I went back and looked at "most" of this video and could not find a comment on mixing or thinning my lacquer. Here is what I remember. I try NOT to thin my lacquer. I like to spray it as it comes from the can. If the lacquer is too thin, it can run ore easily and also, if not blended or mixed up properly can be sprayed unevenly. Hope this helps Sam
If you spray to thick it blushes and you'll get bubbles! I use acetone and retarder! I've never used laquer thinner but I want to try it!
Thanks some very good advice. I have never used acetone with lacquer, I would assume it dries faster. And also important not to spray too thick. I may be guilty of this once in a while ha ha thank you very much SAM
How do you get your lacquer finish so glossy
That's a very good question. I start with a gloss lacquer and spray it. I have a find, nicks spraygun that works very well. Or simply a rattle can of deft lacquer. I do sand between coats, but the last coat I try not to sand at all. And that gives me the highest gloss finish I can get. If I don't want it so glossy, I simply buffet a little bit. Thanks, Sam.
Can you wet sand lacquer with Mineral Spirits?
Hello Jhall
The secret with wet sanding lacquer is that you cannot use lacquer thinner. This is the most important thing I can say. Lacquer thinner will melt the lacquer you’ve already applied. I like to wet sand with mineral spirits, or even water mixed with a little bit of soap .
If you wet sand with soapy water, you must make sure that you have enough lacquer built-up, so that you do not send through and Sand wood.
Sam
@@WYOMINGWOODTURNER Yes - lacquer thinner would be an absolute disaster. Although I already knew this - I'm glad you mentioned it in case anyone else was about to "go there". :). I've since had luck with just plain water with a few drops of soap.. that's worked very very well. I finished my lacquer-restoration/conservation project and although I pray to never have to work with 1940s era lacquer finishes again (ha) - through trial & error I think I got a workable system down that required NO refinish or repair to the wood - not even any re-staining - just a restoration of the lacquer finish. The results were better than expected, and I went on to do a 2nd similar project (same 1940s era mahogany piece) that went even more smoothly than the first. The BEST tool in my bag was definitely Mohawk's Blush Retarder! It not only addressed areas of blushing in original finish, but was a huge help if/when any orange peeling appeared, and with spot-repair of scratches - as I built up lacquer in that area to fill in the scratch, and then level it off with the rest of the surface. I found many uses for it outside of blush repair. Great product.
U didnt answer rhe question 🤦🏼♂️
You forgot the most important point that both lacquer and shellac bond to the previous coats by softing the previous coats to the wood!!!!!!
Yes an excellent point. I will mention it in the future. Sam
Yep you could say it's muggy in KY! Hotter than He#%
A whole 17minute video and literally shows nothing about how to remove white spot from lacquer
Tanvion, you found one of my very old videos. That is no excuse however-You are right that I did not really explain how to "deal" with blushing in lacquer. It is simple. You have two options 1) sand back that area where the blushing occurs 2) if it is really bad, you must strip the finish off and get below the blushing. Sam
Heat gun man! Just wave it over the blush and it evaporates the moisture... do this about an hour or so after your laquer coat that blushed. I’ve never tried it on something where the laquer was allowed to cure, but catch it early with the heat gun... don’t get too close or stay in one spot too long, just wave it over and it disappears like magic
please. get. to. the. point.
I get that a lot.... seriously Sam