Behlen Qualalacq sanding sealer

[Alex Horvath]

I have a stained project that I have sprayed with this sealer.
The project has some carved details where I will surely sand through the stain.
I will use a sanding sponge as best I can.

It appears that the sealer is a lacquer and if so subsequent coats of lacquer will burn in so it is OK if some areas are not thoroughly sanded?

Also, not surprisingly I'm not getting good flowout and some dryfall on a table top with the sealer and I expect the same with the top coat lacquer (I always seem to have this problem with lacquer).
The reducer helps (I had to reduce the sealer by 10%)and I also have the retarder.
With ML Campbell precat 275 lacquer, addition of Butyl Cellosolve made an un-useable product perform flawlessly.

With the Behlen lacquer, should I try 10% reducer, 5% reducer first?

Thanks

[David Hawxhurst]

i would start with 5% then add more if need. easier to add reducer then remove it.

[Alex Horvath]

FYI, I ended up having to use 15% Butyl Cellosolve. Even with 10% Behlen retarder the product dried too fast (rough finish) and there was some dryfall.
I'm using a turbine sprayer and that may be part of the problem but I don't warm it up when spraying lacquer and it takes quite a while to reach operating temp.

I had the same issue with BM Campbell 275 precat lacquer and the Butyl Cellosolve was the only reducer that made any difference.
On both the Behlen and Campbell lacquers it almost makes spraying a pleasure.


I think part of the dry fall issue is the fact that I don't have much airflow in my makeshift spray booth and also the large horizontal table surface does not help either.
I can spray boards (i.e. the apron) no problem even w/o reducer.