Lacquer Finish prep question

[HeatherA]

Hello, I was trying to follow Old Griz's methof of finishing with lacquer and have a question. Here is what he posted:


I always apply spray lacquer on the lathe... at the lowest speed. Just hold a piece of cardboard behind the blank when spraying so it does not get all over everything...
I usually apply 2 coats of lacquer sanding sealer, allow to dry and then sand from 4000-12000MM dry very lightly to get a nice gloss. After the sealer I apply 4-6 coats of lacquer over a 1 hour period and then allow to cure for 5-7 days before using automotive polishing compound followed by automotive antiswirl (McQuire's {sp} #9) cream to get a high gloss.

I have completed the sanding sealer step and have a nice gloss but still have a couple on little defects where there are tiny knots and such (stabilized BEB)
I have usually filled these with CA sanded while still wet. I quess I was expecting the sanding sealer to fill in more. Will the lacquer itselt level these out or do I need to do the CA thing? Can I use CA over the sanding sealer (deft) or will I have to remove it and start over?

Thanks,
Heather

 

[clewless]

Heather,

I've been experimenting with dipping into lacquer rather than spraying. It's working pretty well but I had a piece of BEB with cracks, etc. and after 4 dips there's still a depression in the finish over the crack...the next time I run into this I will slurry sand with CA to get the surface smooth before going to the lacquer. I think that's what you can do in your case.

The sanding sealer, in my limited experience, doesn't do much in the way of filling imperfections, just seals grain.

Dipping doesn't create as many of the fumes you get from spraying. I'm working on a system for sealing the tubes that I'll share when I think its worthy.

 

[Spike]

i have filled knots with ca. I let it dry and then sanded with 150. this also worked with a small crack. i also use deft spray.

 

[Old Griz]

Heather, etal,... To get a perfectly smooth finish with lacquer, enduro, whatever, you need to start with a perfectly smooth sanded piece of material.. I don't care if it is wood, acrylic, or left over potroast.. [][]
The only way to get a great finish is to start with a great material under it...
ALWAYS, fill any voids in the wood before applying your finish..
Sanding sealer will not fill voids.. sanding sealer is used to create a base for the applied final finish..
I hope this helps... especially on the left over potroast... [][]

 

[clewless]

So Tom, what do you use for the "mashed potatoes" to fill voids, checks, etc.?