Sag In My Laqcquer Finish

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challagan

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Well, I was putting on my last coat of Lacquer finish on my cocobolo pen I have been working on and I got a little to close and got a good sag in it. I kind of leveled it out a bit by applying another shot or two in front of it and blending it in but I still have a 1/32 thick blurb in the finish.
How should I handle getting rid of this. I know the pen will need to cure for about 5 days. But once cured, how should I proceed in getting this down. I have been MM my lacquer thru the entire cycle but I imagine I need something a little lower in grit than the 1500.
Thanks as always for any help,
Corey
 
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I think that Alamocdc (Billy) is our resident Lacquer expert, but I would say that after the full cure some light MM to even things out would likely do the trick. Even if then you had to apply one more coat. That is how I handle any issues with the spray deft. I only use it on my flat work, but the theory is about the same.

Cheers,

Fangar
 
Corey, you can do one of two things. 1) You can mount the barrel back on the bushings and lathe and apply a SMALL amount of lacquer thinner to a clean cloth. Then with the lathe running at a medium speed lighty go over the run with the dampened cloth to smooth it out. Then let it cure for a few hours and lightly spray it again to further smooth the lacquer. 2) If you have the final number of coats applied, let it fully cure for at least five days and like James said, try to MM it out (off the lathe and with the grain). When you have the run taken down level to the rest of the finish, buff or rub it out in your usual manner. I've actually used both methods. I have also sanded it back out and started over so I guess you could call that a third option.
 
I think you will have to mechanically remove the sag either with sandpaper or scraper. A single edge razor blade makes a good small scraper. Also if you use sandpaper you should put it on a block of wood to keep it flat. I'm afraid if you spin it on the lathe you will just bump over the high spot and leveling will be difficult. I would remove the sag in a static position, then if you want to polish it, turn on the lathe.

Any kind of blending without removing the sag will just remove the regular thickness of finish first, then the sag. Lacquer is always easy to repair. As stated, you can just scrub it with lacquer thinner, without any sanding, then just start over with the finish.

That stuff is just a miracle product, just wish it wasn't sooooooo damn toxic!!!![:(][:(]
 
The best way to avoid sag is to prevent it in the first place.

I made a rotating finisher using a common grill rotisserie. You can view it on my web site at: http://mikemehrle.com/woodworking/shop-photo-5.htm I know many of you have visited my site and saw this contraption and did not give it a second thought. Kind of a “what is it†photo. I ran across this thread and thought some of you might be interested in this finishing station.

What it does is rotates the pen until the finish you are using dries. I have built a box to keep dust off while it is drying and to heat up the enclosed area if heat will aid in the curing process. The heat is generated by a small 25W light bulb.

Feel free to write me with any questions. Please use idea for your own use, no duplication for commercial purposes permitted without permission.
 
Originally posted by assembler
<br />I made a rotating finisher using a common grill rotisserie. You can view it on my web site at: http://mikemehrle.com/woodworking/shop-photo-5.htm
Click to expand...

Neat idea Mike! Any good sources for cheap rotisseries?
 
Mike,
Do you spray the blanks while it is mounted in the box? Or do you remove from the rotisserie and then remount after it has been sprayed?

Thanks
 
I have updated my site with some answers. I will also give better detailed step by step instructions and results in the near future.

Again the process can be viewed here:

http://mikemehrle.com/woodworking/shop-photo-5.htm
 
I spray lacquer on cabinets nearly every day. Maybe I can help.


1) Let it cure overnight. For removing a sag, overnight is fine. You're probably already there.

2) Use 320 grit sandpaper. Wet/dry is fine, use water or mineral spirits as a lube.

3) Wrap the sandpaper around a small piece of wood (like a tongue depressor or large fingernail file). You need a hard, flat cutting surface.

4) Sand that area by hand with the block until the sag seems almost gone. Sand softly and don't get in a hurry. If you notice little corns on the sandpaper, use fresh sandpaper, those little corns will TEAR the finish.


5) Using the lathe (once you've hand-sanded the thing best you can), using the SLOWEST speed you can (200-500 rpm), WET sand with water or mineral spirits very gently with the 320 until you feel it's round again.

6) You can now recoat but I'd personally resand that whole thing again with fresh, new 320, then 400. You just don't want any scratch marks to show. You can MM the thing if you want to. Not much benefit past, say, 2400 MM though.

7). Shoot a new, *sane* coat of lacquer. The lacquer will burn into the previous coat just fine.
 
That is a very similar contraption to what is used to wrap fly rods. Cabela's sells a motor for about $25. If you go to Cabelas and look at the section on fly fishing-&gt;&gt;Thread / Wrappers-Dryers / Spine Finders. You will see a whole lot of different types of slow speed revolving system used to slowly turn fly rods after finishing the guides. The principle is exactly the same as finishing a pen. Ideally, you might want to do this in a closed off room that you have run run a home dust collector, ie. ionic breeze type of device.
You can buy just the motor. It will revolve around 4 rpm. All you would need to come up with is a 1/4" shaft and a method to mount it to the motor. If you made supports(for the shaft), you could have the shaft as long as you could find it. You could then stack pen blank after finished pen blank after...well, you get the idea. Then you apply your finish to multiple pen blanks as the device is rotating, go away and come back when you're ready to assemble. That motor would actually drive 2 or 3 shafts if you configured it properly so you could do a lot of pen blanks all at once with a finish you don't want to sag.
This is what I plan to use when I get my hands on some gym floor finish (should be any day now.)
 
Response to post by mdburn_em
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Mark,

Absolutely! There is more than one configuration for this set up. And true you can have the shaft as long as you can find, but don't forget to have the wet pens in an enclosed (dustless) area, because dust loves wet finishes. That is why most turners want to finish on the lathe. Pretty much when the lathe stops turning the finish is done.

Additionally...I am a fly fisherman (I have been fly fishing for over 42 years), tye my own flies, have built my own rods. (In fact there is a thread in this group with a link about turning a wooden reel [:p]... I might give it a go).

As far as buying from Cabela's, you can do that but by the time you pay shipping, you could of bought one for much less at a nearby home center. Additionally, Look at yard sales, I have seen them there.

I know pen turning is going to turn into a passion. But fly fishing will always be in my blood.
 
Originally posted by assembler
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Response to post by mdburn_em
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Click to expand...

Mark,

...don't forget to have the wet pens in an enclosed (dustless) area, because dust loves wet finishes...

As far as buying from Cabela's, you can do that but by the time you pay shipping, you could of bought one for much less at a nearby home center. Additionally, Look at yard sales, I have seen them there.
Click to expand...

I absolutely agree Mike,
That is what I meant about using the device in a separate room. It would be best to use a device that circulates the air, while at the same time removes the dust. Do this for 24 hours before applying your slow drying finish. Stack on as many pens as you can and go...

I don't know how much a rotisserie is, I do know how much the motor is and thought I would put that out for comparison.

It is actually cheaper for me to pay postage than to drive to a home center. The nearest one is 100 miles away $40 in my pickup...[:(]

As far as fly fishing...30+ inch Brown Trout and Rainbows live less than 15 miles away from me. No civilization [:(!], BIG FISH!!![:D][:p]
 
Mark,

I am soooo jealous! The only thing brown for me less than 15 miles away is the muck on the banks of the Scioto River, and maybe a carp or two, surrounded by a small concrete jungle.

As far as the rotisserie motor... go with what ever is cheapest, because they are all about the same. Even when applying the finish in a separate room, I would consider covering the wet pens. If you try this technique it will take some experimenting.

By the way I think the ionic breeze type device is a great idea; I might see if I can find one small enough to fit in or on my little contraption.

Good luck!!!

And let me know how yours goes.
 
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