sanding before lacquer finish

[jeffj13]

Lacquer has been my finish of choice for pens. Typically I have gone through the micromesh sheets prior to using lacquer. After letting the lacquer cure, I go through the micromesh again. I have been pleased with the results.

I read recently that if you use lacquer, you should only sand to 320 grit because you need some roughness for the lacquer to adhere to.

For those that use lacquer, how fine do you sand the blank before using the lacquer.

Thanks for your help.

jeff

 

[DCBluesman]

Sand to whatever degree of imperfection you can live with. Lacquer still has plenty of ability to adhere to wood that has been sanded to MM12000. Also, if you have applied sanding sealer somewhere around 320 - 400 grit, the adhesion will be that much better.

 

[ctEaglesc]

I read recently that if you use lacquer, you should only sand to 320 grit because you need some roughness for the lacquer to adhere to.

Jsuat because someone wrote it doesn't make it true.
Lacquer "burns" in the the existing surface.
Disregard the remark about sanding to 320.
Edit in
For some intersting reading go to Russ Fairlfields site and read all he has to say on finishing. It is an interesting read and dispells a lot of urban pen finshing myths.

 

[RussFairfield]

The higher the surface gloss ON the wood the greater the "depth" of the finish. The appearance of "depth" in a finish is from seeing the light reflected from both the top and bottom surfaces of the lacquer film. Think of it as seeing the double images from both surfaces of a window glass or a mirror. The higher the gloss on the bottom surface, the greater the "depth" appearance of the finish.

The gloss on the bottom surface also has an effect on the "brightness" of the wood grain, and the higher gloss on the wood surface is "brighter" because there is less there to scatter the light and obscure the grain.

You don't have to take our words for it. Do an experiment. Sand a pen to 320, and another to 12,000MM. Give them an identical lacquer finish, and see if you can tell the difference.

I have never had a lacquer finish peel off of a piece of wood because the surface was too smooth.

 

[jeffj13]

Thanks all. I'll keep doing it the way I have been doing it.

jeff