I started to have some issues with a CA finish going lumpy, and it was taking a long time. I gave the lacquer a try as an alternative and I really like it. It is much quicker too.
I am a big believer in sticking to one technique when finishing pens, or at least one per finish. There may be other ways of applying the melamine, but this one worked, so I am purposely not trying any others! This may well have been the issue with CA- taking a bit of one persons technique, and a bit of another.