Problems Sealing Dye Stain w/ Seal Coat

[KBCustomWoodworks]

I'm using Zinsser Seal Coat to lock down my Transtint Dye stain before applying lacquer and I'm intermittently having problems. It seems that if I wipe on the Seal Coat (on small projects or test boards) I don't have any problems however if I spray it on the dye seems to be bleeding into the Seal Coat. The first time it happened I noticed that the mantel I was spraying continued to have that dull look that dye stains have even after the seal coat was applied and had dried. When I touched a side still wet with the seal coat it was apparent that the dye had bled into the seal coat, my finger had brown tinted seal coat on it. I decided I had sprayed it on too thick and tried spraying my next project with a couple of light coats that dried almost as soon as they were applied. When I then applied the lacquer (multiple coats )over that it looked like there wasn't even a finish over it. It looked dull and "muddy" with no sheen at all almost like the lacquer just soaked into the wood. 

I cannot figure out what I'm doing wrong. Has anyone else had a similar problem?

[wdwerker]

Try light coats of the laquer over the transtint. If that doesn't improve things it could be you are leaving too much dye on the surface of the wood. The excess from each coat should be wiped back off. Sometimes sanding too fine a grit will polish the wood and prevent absorption of enough dye. Leaving too much dye on the surface when you are trying for a very dark rich color will cause problems like you describe.

Normally dye then thin light coats of shellac as a barrier coat works fine for me. I use water bourne finishes over the shellac. It's called the universal barrier coat. Works under varnish and laquer just as well.

[AceHoleInOne]

Solvent lacquer contains aggressive chemicals. So as you apply full wet coats over the shellac, it's dissolving and rewetting the shellac allowing the dye to wet up through the shellac and partly into the solvent lacquer.  

As wdwerker mentioned, you could of omitted the shellac and used thin coats of lacquer to seal down the dye. Then do a heavier coat and rock on to your full wet coats.

Without seeing a picture of your "muddy...lacquer looks like it soaked into the wood" comment. I think you actually sprayed too thin of coat(s), more called dry spray. Dry spray has a rough or sandy feel to it. Solvent lacquer properly applied should flow off the gun nice and smooth.

 

-Ace-