DIYbanter - brass door handles

JohnDW wrote:
, in article ,
says...
On Fri, 5 Jan 2007 10:54:33 -0000, JohnDW
wrote:

I
find the fix is to quickly wipe a mark in the lacquer with a
solvent and leave to dry. The object being to smooth the
lacquer, not remove it.
Thanks. What lacquer and lacquer removers do you recommend if I went
down the route of removing and reapplying or just smoothing as you
suggest? Is there a special metal lacquer? What's the difference
between a lacquer and a varnish?

I've just looked for the tins but can't find them. I think it
was a clear cellulose lacquer I had left over from car
building. The solvent I had for thinning also worked to
soften the coating of the brass fitting. Try acetone, but be
warned that some solvents may leave a ridged surface, since
they evaporate too rapidly.

Putting it simply, a lacquer is a usually type of coating that
dries by rapid solvent evaporation, and yes, there are types
for metal. Varnish is primarily designed for wood, using an
oil that dries, usually slowly. You normally spray a lacquer
and brush a varnish.

I think originally a varnish was translucent and a lacquer was not.

I generally these days think of lacquer to mean a paint that is thick
enough and glossy enough to totally obliterate whats underneath and hard
enough to take a lot of wear. Of course what YOu want is a ''clear lacquer.

Frankly, I'd dip it repeatedly in finishing epoxy meself, and then
polish up afterwards..solvent paints and varnishes are seldom tough enough.