Retarding Lacquer

Here's my thing. I've had good success with lacquer in general. A few projects under my belt, most of it simple flat stuff. Some tables etc... but now I'm looking at two beautiful fixed shelf bookcases with crown moulding. All surfaces are involved, sides tops bottom of shelves out side sides all of it. The backs are not on yet. I'm a little nervous about overspray on previously sprayed areas. Lacquer is so fast. My strategy is to retard the lacquer, keep things "wet" a little longer. I am using an airless set up. What do you think? And the next question How much retarder, How to test? Recipes, charts, guidelines? etc,...

Jim

watching this one

Hello peezlepop,
I have also used lacquer with some success. At a recent woodturners meet the question was asked what to do in the current humid weather with spraying. The advice (from a very experienced finisher) was that the retarder should not be more than 1% of the normal 10% thinners. I would experiment on a scrap piece just in case it needs to be tweaked a little. The main thing is not to increase your ratio of thinners, whatever level you use. I have for some time used a 50:50 mix of lacquer and thinners and rub it in with a tack free cloth. Usually two coats and gives a really good sealer coat before finshing. with the spray. However this is on turned pieces which are of course much smaller. Again you may wish to experiment on a scrap piece with the rubbing option.. Hope this helps. Drillit.

If the bookcases have doors then the shelves and inside shouldn't have any finish on them. Traditionally they're left raw as the timber takes the moisture / dampness from the books stopping them from going mouldy.

:U.

Unless you use a vapour permeable coating/oil.