Spraying Lacquer

[Blaine Harrison]

I'm about to use pre-cat lacquer on a project for the first time. The project is a sofa table. The lacquer product I'll be using is ML Campbell's Magnalac and my spray gun is a simple Harbor Freight HVLP gun. My question has to do with thinning. A buddy uses Magnalac and thins it 50/50, but the store I bought it from says to spray it full strength.

For a novice spray finisher like me (I've sprayed varnish on a larger table), do you recommend thinning? If so, to what degree? I don't care whether I have to spray more coats, I want an even finish. I do not plan to rub out the finish, however.

Thanks,

Blaine

[John C. Wilson]

Blaine
I spray the same thing(M L Campbell Pre-cat) with a Grayco air-less here in my cabinet shop. Yes, you can spray right out of the can but I thin mine......Oh, approx. 1 cup per gallon, just seems to flow out better. Either way the satin #35 gives me a excellent finish.......John

[Jim Becker]

Blaine...do be careful with that stuff...it's much more noxious than "regular" lacquer products. Great results from what I hear, but not necessarily a good product for a home shop situation without a proper spray booth.

[Don Selke]

Very good advise from Jim:

As a retired professional firefighter with 30 years service, I can tell you about horror stories in regards of people cleaning the garage floor and the basement floor with gasoline or lacquor thinner. If you spray lacquor, I would spray it outside away from the garage or building. You need special equipment when spraying inside, explosion proof fans and motors and a good, no a great spray booth. No doubt lacquor is a excillent finish but some of the water base finishes have come a long way.

[Blaine Harrison]

Blaine...do be careful with that stuff...it's much more noxious than "regular" lacquer products. Great results from what I hear, but not necessarily a good product for a home shop situation without a proper spray booth.

Jim,

Thanks for the warning. I spray in my detached garage and was planning on turning off the furnace that's in there during the spraying. In talking to my buddy who uses the same product, he just sprays in his basement, I think, and doesn't even turn off the furnace or water heater. I'll check back with him before I start, though.

I do have a respirator with the proper cartridges.

Thanks for the input.

Blaine

[Brad Olson]

With HVLP and some caution, pre-cat spraying in a home shop isn't a problem, just make sure you have your respirator on and open up the garage door in between coats.

I ALWAYS test spray on scrap before spraying a piece, because with lacquer environmental conditions make the biggest difference in results. I thin to get a good balance between flow out and coverage. Typically for premium pre-cats I thin no more than 5%.

I also make sure I keep my finish temperature at about 70 degrees when spraying. To do this, I keep the finish in my house for the days when I am spraying, I find this very important if you are storing you finish in a cold shop (i.e. 50-60 degree shop temperature).

[Bryan Cowing]

With about 3 inches magnalac lacquer in the cup, I add 1/2 inch of thinner using a wagner hvlp turbine ( plastic gun ). You need forced ventilation, so vapours don't build up. I made a version of highland hardwares booth, setting it up in front of the garage door. I raise up the door several inches so the fan exhausts outside and open a door at the other end of the garage about 2". Better guns can spray full strength , but the low end unit like mine needs thinner fluid to atomize well. I would do practice runs on 2'x2' sheets of 1/4 plywood or other scraps to practice your set up on. If your 1st coat is pebbly, add some thinner.

I'm about to use pre-cat lacquer on a project for the first time. The project is a sofa table. The lacquer product I'll be using is ML Campbell's Magnalac and my spray gun is a simple Harbor Freight HVLP gun. My question has to do with thinning. A buddy uses Magnalac and thins it 50/50, but the store I bought it from says to spray it full strength.

For a novice spray finisher like me (I've sprayed varnish on a larger table), do you recommend thinning? If so, to what degree? I don't care whether I have to spray more coats, I want an even finish. I do not plan to rub out the finish, however.

Thanks,

Blaine