Lacquer finish Help!

[terry1166]

I am nearing completion of a small project that is finished with gloss lacquer. While rubbing out the small flat top I got a little too aggressive with my flattening and cut through the finish at a couple of edges. I know it can be fixed, but my question is do I need to sand back to bare wood and start over on the top (small top so not a huge setback) or can I simply spray a few more coats of finish and then start the rubbing process over again? This is the first project I've finished with lacquer and I'm not sure which approach to take. The finish is being rubbed to gloss using 800 through 1200 wet/dry paper and then Behlen #2 and #4 pumice. The final rub is with Behlen rottenstone.

The finish is Behlen String Instrument Lacquer with Behlens' vinyl sealer undercoat. The wood is
bubinga. I'm not sure if I sanded and/or rubbed through the vinyl sealer.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Terry

 

[mckenziedrums]

The trick will be the undercoat I think. As far as lacquer goes it burns into the lacquer underneath it so you don't have to sand before recoating there as it's more of a chemical adhesion vs physical adhesion.

If you think you sanded through to the wood, you probably did. On a gloss finish it's usually pretty obvious and unless the Behlens is the exact same shade as the topcoat you'd probably notice if you just tried to build the clear back up. That being said, it might not hurt to try. Put a couple coats on and if you can see that the spot is lighter than the area around it just plan on sanding back and doing it over.

 

[terry1166]

The trick will be the undercoat I think. As far as lacquer goes it burns into the lacquer underneath it so you don't have to sand before recoating there as it's more of a chemical adhesion vs physical adhesion.

If you think you sanded through to the wood, you probably did. On a gloss finish it's usually pretty obvious and unless the Behlens is the exact same shade as the topcoat you'd probably notice if you just tried to build the clear back up. That being said, it might not hurt to try. Put a couple coats on and if you can see that the spot is lighter than the area around it just plan on sanding back and doing it over.

Thanks for your thoughts on the matter. I sprayed two new coats during the day today and the finish is starting to even out. I may get by with just re-coating with several more coats of Lacquer. The vinyl sealer is clear, just like the lacquer.

If not, I just love to sand!

Terry

 

[Gofor]

The lacquer will dissolve into the undercoat, so yes, you can just recoat. If it is just the edge and you are talking multiple coats of lacquer, you may save time by brushing on a thick coat in the sparse areas and then sanding with a sanding block to level it out (if using spray cans you can spray some into the cap to make a puddle, and then use a small brush to apply it). The same technique can be used to repair scratches, etc. trick is to use a firm sanding block (or hard-backed felt using a polishing agent) so the surface stays level. Work the high spots down until you just touch the surrounding area. If there are still low spots in the repair, apply a bit more lacquer and then repeat.

Go

 

[terry1166]

The lacquer will dissolve into the undercoat, so yes, you can just recoat. If it is just the edge and you are talking multiple coats of lacquer, you may save time by brushing on a thick coat in the sparse areas and then sanding with a sanding block to level it out (if using spray cans you can spray some into the cap to make a puddle, and then use a small brush to apply it). The same technique can be used to repair scratches, etc. trick is to use a firm sanding block (or hard-backed felt using a polishing agent) so the surface stays level. Work the high spots down until you just touch the surrounding area. If there are still low spots in the repair, apply a bit more lacquer and then repeat.

Go

Thanks for the reply. I've already re-coated the surface paying special attention to the edges where I rubbed through. I used 1000 grit and 1200 grit wet/dry paper (wet) with a sanding block and then pumice and rotten stone with a felt block when I originally rubbed the finish. I thought I was being careful but still rubbed through at the edges. The on thing I learned was to check my progress a lot more often when rubbing a finish. This is my first experience with rubbing a lacquer finish. It does take some extra time but the results appear to be well worth the effort. I'm ready to rub the finish again after I let the lacquer cure a few more days,

Terry