I love lacquer, myself.
Lacquer takes quite a while to cure completely, however.
After spraying lacquer on a pen blank, I will let it cure for 30 to 45 days BEFORE I even try to polish it. (I've been using MM) The problem is that even though it feels dry to the touch, even after hours or weeks, the depth of the finish is not cured!
I can tell if the lacquer hasn't cured when I get little "eraser like" noodles when using the MM. I noticed that the lacquer would have the impression of the elastic band from my pen holder if I didn't let it cure properly.
Lou (Sensei) taught me this, and the result is a very nice, very durable finish IF you let it cure enough. If I remember correctly, Sensei, even a thin coat of lacquer could take months to cure, right?
Just my .01 (devalued opinion pennys), your milage may vary. Hopefully Lou will give us the details.