armstrdm Posted December 7, 2010 Report Share Posted December 7, 2010 Hello, I am new to Wood Whisperer and have just recently started trying to build a few projects. I've done a couple a projects using a wipe on poly (Arm-R-Seal) and now I am interested in trying a lacquer finish. I bought a quart of Minwax lacquer even though I'm not a big fan of this brand just to see how it looked on some scrap. It seemed extremely thick. Can any of you give me some tips on how (or even if) I can dilute the lacquer? Can I just use any lacquer thinner or is the chemical makeup important? And is there a favorite brand that any of you use? Thanks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flairwoodworks Posted December 7, 2010 Report Share Posted December 7, 2010 Hello, I am new to Wood Whisperer and have just recently started trying to build a few projects. I've done a couple a projects using a wipe on poly (Arm-R-Seal) and now I am interested in trying a lacquer finish. I bought a quart of Minwax lacquer even though I'm not a big fan of this brand just to see how it looked on some scrap. It seemed extremely thick. Can any of you give me some tips on how (or even if) I can dilute the lacquer? Can I just use any lacquer thinner or is the chemical makeup important? And is there a favorite brand that any of you use? Thanks... Yes, you can dilute lacquer. Pour some lacquer into a clean glass jar and add thinner until it you are happy with the consistency. Thinning is required to spray most lacquers. I have no idea what brand of lacquer thinner I use. The Deft lacquer is pretty good but lately I've been using a lacquer from General Paint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceHoleInOne Posted December 7, 2010 Report Share Posted December 7, 2010 Typically, you should use thinners matched to your lacquer. Thinners are use to address different situations. Such as faster dry, slower dry damp/cold/hot (weather and climate conditions) So, ask several finisher’s, get several answers. Yes you can thin the lacquer. Sure, thin with box store lacquer thinner. Just make sure you test first, for any finish curing issues. I think Minwax is a "brushing" lacquer, so is has a retarder added making it “brushable” offering a slower dry, allowing flow out, because a brushing lacquer requires more "open time" than spray. If this were me, I would not thin it. If you’re spraying, use a brand name quality product and matched thinner, learn and understand handling lacquers safely. After giving lacquer a try, just a suggestion, how about kicking the "water-based" tires, give a quality water-based topcoat a test drive. Yeah, I get all the arguments that lacquer and shellac are “repairable” but water based top-coats are just a joy to use and is the future. There is a learning curve with each, just a thought. -Ace- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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