Repairing damage to lacquer surface

[Arron]

Hi. Imagine you have sprayed a lacquer finish and its looking good, but you damage it. Say you put a small but deep scratch in the finish - actually cutting into the lacquer. What is the best way to repair that ?

Now I have done a Google search on this but it leaves me uncertain that I'm looking at the best answers.


And heres another question. Say you are spraying lacquer, and you get a run. Is there something you can do immediately to fix the problem, or do you just have to wait for it to dry, sand it off and refinish ?

cheers
Arron

[China]

Sand back and refinish - both questions

[soundman]

If we are talking about "laquer" by that we mean a finish that dries predominantly from evaporation of the solvent.

If you stuff up big time with "laquer"..believe me I have.
The most effective option is a rag, solvent resistant gloves and a big stanless bowl of the apprporaite thinner.
Get it wet with solvent and it will wipe straight off.

This means you don't have to go thru the whole sanding preparaton all over again..maybe a very light sand with the final grit.

sometimes with runs, you can quickly wipe off with a solvent damped rag and spray agian straight away.......good luck with that....but it worth a try.

as for a deep scratch...not a gouge...this is the beauty of laquer.

Depenging on the scratch.......

shallow scratches scuffs and the like.....if you wipe over well with white spirit (not metho) it will remove any wax and polish but not disolve the finish (as long as the evil little man(mr sheen) has not been in the house) and you can then spray a light, wet coat of thinners and the finish will reflow and the scratches will disappear.

Or simply flow over a light coat of the same laquer.

deep scratches not into the timber, you can carefully sand them with fine 180 240 paper, feathereing out and touch up with the same laquer, maybe a couple of coats feathering the coatt to match the sanding.

this maybe enough......a misting with thinners over the whole surface may settle it in.....but perhaps a light sand over the whole surface and then a single light coat of laquer over the whole surface.


This is the advantage of laquer over every other finish on the market....that is the ability to repair it.

cheers

[Arron]

thanks, Soundman, very comprehensive.
cheers
Arron