Pigmented PreCat Lacquer in HVLP

[MHRestorations]

I've been doing some research on professional grade cabinet finishing strategies, and a lot has come up on using Pre-Catalyzed, Pigmented Lacquers in place of paint.  I know the advantages/disadvanteges etc, but I cannot find a place to purchase online.  Do I purchase the lacquer not yet tinted, and have it tinted to a custom color somewhere locally?  I've got limited knowledge on how to get it, so any and all help is appreciated!

[Chet]

I sent a message to someone that should be able to help you.  It may take a while for him to see my message but he has used the stuff you are looking for and lives in your neck of the woods. 

[MHRestorations]

Chet - Thank you very much!!

[Chet]

He forwarded this to me - 

Tinted lacquers are not really a consumer product, so you are unlikely to find it online. You might be able to find clear or white precats online, but you would still need to get it tinted to your color of choice. While in theory any paint store can do this (universal colorants work in lacquer), in practice they probably won't. My understanding is the Illinois EPA regulates the stuff and a store has to have a permit to open cans of solvent lacquer. For that same reason, most local paint stores don't carry it for that reason (and because there is not a huge demand for the product).

That said if you know what you are looking for it is not hard to find. You have to find a commercial finish supplier. In my experience they will sell to anyone, you just need to know what you want. Your best bet is find a distributor for one of the following products in your area. Call them and tell them you want precat lacquer and you wanted it 1) tinted to match a color sample or 2) tinted to match a color of whatever paint they carry. Most precats come in a clear or white base. White is generally used if you want an opaque, paint like finish. Clear is used if you want a translucent "stained" look.

Most, if not all, of these manufacturers have both a water based and a solvent based "precat" product. I almost exclusively use the solvent base. They are easier to spray and more durable (on average). But you need to make sure you ventilation and respirators are good. I have used ML Campbell Aqualente (their waterbased product). It is good, just takes a bit more skill to shoot.  

ML Campbell
www.mlcampbell.com/product/hp-pre-cat-white-opaque-base/

Mohawk
www.mohawk-finishing.com/products/wood-staining-finishing/industrial-coatings/duracoat-pre-catalyzed-white/

Sherwin Williams. You need to go to one of their "product finishes facilities" to get lacquers and other architectural coatings. A local paint store might be able to order it in, but that will be a pain and you still have to convince them to tint it. Better to just go to one of the product finishes stores (which is just their way of saying commercial coatings).
oem.sherwin-williams.com/products/wood/clear-wood-finishes/solvent/catalyzed/sher-wood-catalyzed-lacquer-pre-cat/
Store locater: www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners?gclid=CjwKCAjwqqrmBRAAEiwAdpDXtCaoU0lg_iU-f4fE7FHlnfWgZotOlpi2b_MA9MA8ZmnmAiOqG3PwzhoCJewQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&storeType=FinishesStore&address=Glenview,%20IL%2060026,%20USA

[MHRestorations]

That is fantastic. Can't thank ya enough!

[Alan G]

On 5/1/2019 at 5:12 PM, MHRestorations said:

I've been doing some research on professional grade cabinet finishing strategies, and a lot has come up on using Pre-Catalyzed, Pigmented Lacquers in place of paint.  I know the advantages/disadvanteges etc, but I cannot find a place to purchase online.  Do I purchase the lacquer not yet tinted, and have it tinted to a custom color somewhere locally?  I've got limited knowledge on how to get it, so any and all help is appreciated!

Are you wanting to use solvent or waterbourne products?

[Tom King]

Also probably worth considering is that HVLP's heat the air as it goes through the turbines, so some fast curing finishes don't play well with HVLP spraying.  I have no experience with spraying any of this stuff with an HVLP, but it's worth doing some searching about people using it.

[MHRestorations]

Alan - Ideally we would go waterborne because we are around this stuff all day every day.  But we also don't want to sacrifice on durability.  

 

Tom - Good point there.  I've not read anything where folks have recommended not going HVLP with this type of precat lacquer, but I'll do some more searching. 

[JBag09]

I know a little bit about this. I’ve been using Sherwin Williams Kem Aqua Plus, both clear and white. I was lucky enough to have a commercial place about 45 minutes from me. I call a few days before and give tell them what I need and they are good about pouring off 1 gallon cans for me. I wish I could buy it by the 5 gallon but I don’t use it fast enough perhaps. 1 year shelf life they say. 

Ive been using, for now, an Earlex 5500 to spray it and have had great results. I use the 1.5 tip for colors and 1.0 for clears. 

My tip, if the store asks what your spraying it in, just tell them a spray booth, not I’m just using a fan out my garage window. In actuality a fan in the window is fine for this stuff. Also, since I just do this stuff as a hobby, but I like stuff done right, I don’t have a “business” but I still gave them a business name and I got a better price also. But the store by me is really cool. They have also answered a bunch of other questions I had when I first went in and asked about it. 

[AceHoleInOne]

Reach out to General Finishes. 

The thing to remember using pigmented topcoats, when they chip or get damaged... you remove color and can metal mark on light colors. Perhaps keep the paint approach for ease of custom colors and simply apply a topcoat over the wood paint  to achieve better durability. Most of the water-based paints formulated for wood are pretty damn tough and don't need top coating. However, I would stick with one finish manufacture for paint and topcoat to make certain they play nice with each other. 

Professional tinted topcoats are more geared for production. Some tinted products can't take too much tinting by volume, so the color range could be limited?

-Ace-

[Tdegan]

I've been doing wood restoration for the past ten years and have an opportunity to get into the cabinet painting game. I was googling pigmented lacquers as it seems like an easier product to work with (business partner is nervous about getting into it and this would be closer to what we are familiar with). Does anyone have experience refinishing kitchen cabinets with precat colored lacquers? Is it an easy alternative to priming and painting?

[wtnhighlander]

@Tdegan, welcome to the forum! I recall a few threads that discussed rfinishing kitchen cabinets, but nothing specifically about lacquer, at least in the padt year or so. Perhaps one of the pros, like @BillyJack or @freedhardwoods can offer some insight.

The big drawbacks I can see to using lacquer for in-place refinishing (assuming spray) are masking time and off-gassing. Most of us hobby guys use a water-based paint or stain product to avoid the fumes. 

[BillyJack]

I only use poly and pre-cats....  we had a professional finisher at Jacobe Furniture.

 

I use HVLP for both methods