Laquer vs CA?

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Wheeljack

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So far, I have used only two different finishes; friction polish and CA (using BLO). I've wondered about using spray laquer. If I were to apply it while it was still on the lathe, allowing it to dry and sanding between coats, how many coats would I need to give it a similar durability to CA? Are there any other precautions I'd need to take?

If those are stupid questions, don't tell me. Just pat me on the back and pretend like they're intelligent ones.
 
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I use lacquer a lot and would not consider using less than 6 coats except on stabilized wood. I haven't done a hardness test, but feel that 6+ coats should be sufficient for a high quality pen. Of course, some woods seem to drink up lacquer, so that number can go up.
 
I have recently started using lacquer. AFTER using sanding sealer, several coats.

The whole process takes a couple weeks with drying time - but it does look nice.

Remember, I am NOT a wood guy (Plastic, man!!)[:D][:D]
 
Hard to really answer that because a "coat" will mean different things to different people. Someone who applies thicker coats and has good enough technique might be able to get away with as few as three coats.

I tend to apply light coats and like to rub out the finish when I am done. Consequently, I typically apply between 9 and 12 coats.

I would suggest that you turn some scrap and practise a little until you fine a technique that you are happy with.

jeff
 
I made a few pens with lacquer and I got really good finish on them...probblem is they reacted with my case elastic bands (even after a week of drying) so I stopped using it.

I predominantly use CA on my finish now.
 
On custom cars they put a hundred coats of lacquer or more to get that deep glass look. We can get the same look with a few coats of CA. The problem with very thick lacquer is that it'll crack or chip if dropped. If exposed to extreme cold it gets those spiderweb cracks. Maybe CA does the same thing, probably, but I don't know. I like lacquer on dense, oily wood and CA on more porous woods. Good luck!
 
Originally posted by Dario
<br />I made a few pens with lacquer and I got really good finish on them...probblem is they reacted with my case elastic bands (even after a week of drying) so I stopped using it.

I predominantly use CA on my finish now.
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Dario,

I had that happen to one of my pens as well, although I assumed that it was because I didn't net the lacquer cure sufficiently (don't remember how long before I put it in the box).

I haven't really wanted to use a pen to test to see if it was a lack of patience on my part or a reaction problem. May have to try that with a dowel.

jeff
 
Dario,

I have had similar results with lacquer as Jeff. If lacquer does not cure for at least a week of two, the finish may get impressions of what ever rests against it, I had this trouble on pistol grips I wrapped in bubble wrap to ship, and that was after 2-3 days of dry time. I also had some trouble with adhesion on some of the more oiler woods, seems like it would scrape off easily. I used to use a two part auto enamel that uses a hardener with good results, then I found out about CA and have been using that ever since.
 
Fully cured lacquer should not be a problem unless 1) the bands are extremely tight or 2) they are allowed to get hot (such as in a closed car on a sunny day). Fully cured means different things to different folks, but from experience it takes 2-4 weeks. Most folks aren't patient enough for that, so they move to a quicker curing finish like CA or poly. There are sacrifices in each finish decision. And yes, Jamie, CA has the cracking drawbacks of lacquer, only worse. I've seen pens that have fallen a very short distance get the shattered glass look in the CA due to its brittle nature. For the most part, lacquered pens do not suffer the same fate.
 
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