Expert: Greg Scholl - 8/25/2009

Question
Greg, I am attempting to paint some antique furniture to start a small business.  I love the lacquered furniture and in a previous post to someone you mentioned spraying the lacquered finish is the best.  I'm a bit confused about this.  When I checked with the large home improvements store close by, lacquer is clear.  Are you saying to paint first with the color of choice, then spray the lacquer or do you tint the lacquer.  I know this sounds so stupid, but I'm not getting it.  Another question is this.  I sanded, primed and painted a small antique table.  It was beautiful until I put the clear coat on...then poof...the stain came back through.  Why would that do that?  I thought the primer was to prevent the stain..  I did not use oil based products however, would that have prevented it.  I have purchased a nice sprayer (haven't opened it yet), plan on using oil based products on my large china cabinet, but really want to know about the lacquer and the clear coat.

Thanks,

Answer
Hi Cookie, Lacquer comes in colors as well as clears,colors can be altered or custom mixed, and the clears can be tinted for use in toning and shading too. Colored Urethanes are also used on furniture and cabinets, and both are available as a catalyzed finish as well ( 2 part crosslinking). Lacquers and Urethanes take skill and experience to work with, and I would not suggest trying to learn this on your own.There are other additives as well, (thinners, retarders, flow out additives), that you need to know how to use, too, and all of this is not something that can be taught in a forum such as this. On top of that, they are explosive and fairly toxic to work with, so the right environment and precautions are imperative. Professional products such as these will not be found at the local Home center, and neither will you find the typical sales guy who has knowledge in these techniques or products. Also, to spray lacquer, you'll need a Pro HVLP system or conventional spray system and gun, that will cost $500 and up. The easiest way for you to start experimenting with these finishes, is to use a good aerosol, like Krylon, which are solvent based  (very similar to lacquer), and will give you very good results with the right spraying technique(which is a learned process as well). They can also be clear coated with lacquers, or other clear coats to increase the depth of the finish, add durability, or even out, (or change) the gloss level. I use them regularily when painting furniture, as they're extremely convenient, and offer excellent recults.
When refinishing a project, like your table, you need to strip the old finish off completely with chemical stripper as a first step. You always should start with a clean, bare surface when applying a new finish, and sanding does not remove a finish at the pore level of the wood. What products did you use? It is a bit odd that the primer would fail like that, but perhaps you used incompatible products together. Finishing is quite complicated, and there's an extensive amount of knowledge and technique involved with the varied and multiple methods used in the industry. I would suggest that you start to educate yourself with books, videos, etc., if you really want to get into the more professional realm of the craft.I also wouldn't open your new sprayer until you're sure that it's what you want. An inexpensive impeller type sprayer will not give you a super smooth, furniture grade finish that's possible with Pro grade equipment. I would start with some materials from Taunton Press, they have a huge assortment of informational materials available, and of course the local Library. I would also look for some local classes in your area, there's usually some Adult Ed, or Craft Center that will be teaching these methods for a fee....a small table is a perfect learning project, and the great thing about finishing, is that if you make an error, or don't like what you've done, you can strip it all off and start again. Hope that helps a little, I could write for days on the subject, but that's really not possible  in a forum like this, (especially on a volunteer basis!). Regards- Greg

http://store.taunton.com/onlinestore/catalog/finishing