Replies

1. 
   brucet9 | Dec 02, 2009 06:49am | #1

   The strong solvents in lacquer will bubble the alkyd resin of rustoleum.

   Why not get your satin lacquer tinted black? Any paint store that sells lacquer can do it.

   BruceT
2. 
   HowardAcheson | Dec 02, 2009 06:57am | #2

   No, you don't want to use lacquer over an oil based paint. The strong solvents in the lacquer will damage the paint. It's not a good idea to intermix types of paint finishes.

   Why not just spray a lacquer black and then overcoat it with clear. However, adding the clean will not improve the durability of the paint. Remember, paint is just clear finish with opaque pigments.

   Howie.........
1. 
   oldusty | Dec 02, 2009 07:39am | #3

   Hi  Howie ,

         Not sure if I understand how the durability of the paint will not be improved by properly top coating with clear coats .

       With lacquers it seems if you only painted and did not top coat with clear   the paint would be less durable and have no film over it to protect it from scratches .I respect your knowledge but that seems odd .

              regards          dusty

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Dec 02, 2009 07:53am | #4

   The clear lacquer would scratch just as readily as the black, so you still have a scratched finish.  It's basically just an aesthetic difference to add the clear coats.   

1. 
   oldusty | Dec 02, 2009 08:15am | #5

     Correct me if I am wrong but I have noticed that when paint gets scratched you may see the under color but the clear coats give you several  more layers of protection , also a scratch in clear shows much less then in paint .

   So the clear adds depth , it seems prudent to think only the clear would show a scratch not through the paint type of scratch and it would be more protected especially when post cat finishes are used over paints hands down then just paint .

         Is two or three coats of properly sanded and sprayed lacquer more durable then one  coat ?

   Edited 12/2/2009 9:36 am ET by oldusty

2. 
   HowardAcheson | Dec 02, 2009 05:58pm | #6

   Steve has pretty much said everything I would have said. But, let me say that IMO, a scratch is a scratch. There is little difference whether it is in the color coat or in a clear coat. Yes, the scratch may go all the way through the color coat and be more visible than if it went through the clear coat.If increased protection from scratches is your intent, then using a finish more scratch resistant than lacquer may be for you. Oil based varnish is more scratch resistant and durable than lacquer. While lacquer can't be applied over oil based finish, oil based finish can be applied over lacquer.Howie.........

1. 
   oldusty | Dec 03, 2009 06:06pm | #10

      howie , thanks for your time , I appreciate yours and Steve's experience .

          back when I apprenticed they used to say you can put anything over lacquer but don't put lacquer over anything , back then it was a safe bet

               regards    from paradise 34° and low fog       

                          dusty

3. 
   sapwood | Dec 03, 2009 03:47am | #7

   A refinisher I know once told me that he has successfully top-coated Benjamin Moore "Impervo" enamal (oil based) with nitro lacquer. I haven't done this myself so I can't vouch for it. However the fellow who told me about it has a lot more finishing knowledge than I do. This was probably about ten years ago. BM might have changed the Impervo paint since then.

   I have sprayed latex paint and top-coated with clear water borne lacquer. Believe me, the surface appearance is greatly improved after clear coating.

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Dec 03, 2009 05:14am | #8

   If you absolutely have to--gun at head--put lacquer over oil based enamel then I'd suggest first, let the enamel get well cured, then apply a coat of shellac as a barrier, and then make the first couple of coats of lacquer VERY dry--just misted on.  You can finish with full wet coats to get the flow out you want on the surface.

   of course, water borne lacquer isn't even in the same category of finish as nitrocellulose lacquer.  Lacquer in that sense is related only to the marketing department suggesting uses.  Clear coats over colored do change the appearance.  The circumstance, and the eye of the beholder, will decide whether that is an improvement.  Often it is. 

4. 
   Quickstep | Dec 03, 2009 06:59am | #9

   Seems to me that if you pick the black and the clear from the same family of RustOleum products, they would be compatible. I'd be inclined to sand the last coat of black to get it nice and level before applying the clear. PS, you probably already know that if you want the piano look, you're going to need to fill the pores in the mahogany, but I thought I'd mention it anyway.