I'm doing the trim work in my new house, and I've been painting the
trim with latex. The guy who made my cabinets also made some built-in
bookshelves that he color matched with my trim paint. However, he
finished them with lacquer rather than paint.

What is the benefit to that? I'm going to make several book cases and a
window seat that I will probably finish in the same color, either with
the paint or with lacquer, depending on what I find out here.

Why should I use lacquer? Why not?

Thanks,
--Michael

wrote:

I'm doing the trim work in my new house, and I've been painting the
trim with latex. The guy who made my cabinets also made some built-in
bookshelves that he color matched with my trim paint. However, he
finished them with lacquer rather than paint.

What is the benefit to that? I'm going to make several book cases and a
window seat that I will probably finish in the same color, either with
the paint or with lacquer, depending on what I find out here.

Why should I use lacquer? Why not?

Thanks,
--Michael

He probably sprayed them. Are you planning on spraying the lacquer if
you decide not to use paint?
Dave

Yes, I have an HVLP sprayer I'm planning to use.

Thanks,
--Michael

wrote:

Yes, I have an HVLP sprayer I'm planning to use.

Thanks,
--Michael

Lacquer will go on more evenly with an HVLP, unless you've got the
correct (read: LARGE) tip and needle combo to handle latex. I've got a
4 stage unit with all the tips so I've got no problem with any type of
finish I want to spray, but many owners of HVLP don't have the roughly
..061 you need for latex.

Besides, lacquer is gonna look nicer! If you are gonna use solvent
based, don't blow yourself up. I try to use waterbornes as much as
possible; not that I don't use shellac a lot, too...

Dave

Thanks for the information.

--Michael

possible; not that I don't use shellac a lot, too...

Dave

Do you spray the shellac also?

Vic

It's been my experience that anything placed on
a latex painted surface will eventually stick to it
and will peel the latex off when you want to remove
said item. Books, paper, wood, plastic, glass, and
metal items all peel the latex off. Felt feet will rip in
half and leave fuzzies in the latex. I now only use
lacquer, polyurethane, and alkyd paint on shelf surfaces.
Others will have different experiences but this has
been true in both AZ and OR for me. And yes, I left
plenty of time for the latex to cure. If it didn't cure
in 3 months it's never going to cure.

Art

wrote in message
ups.com...
I'm doing the trim work in my new house, and I've been painting the
trim with latex. The guy who made my cabinets also made some built-in
bookshelves that he color matched with my trim paint. However, he
finished them with lacquer rather than paint.

What is the benefit to that? I'm going to make several book cases and a
window seat that I will probably finish in the same color, either with
the paint or with lacquer, depending on what I find out here.

Why should I use lacquer? Why not?

Thanks,
--Michael

I do all the time. JG

Vic Baron wrote:

possible; not that I don't use shellac a lot, too...

Dave

Do you spray the shellac also?

Vic

Hmm. I usually pad it but spraying would probably be faster. Any caveats on
spraying shellac with an HVLP gun?

Vic

"JGS" wrote in message
...
I do all the time. JG

Vic Baron wrote:

possible; not that I don't use shellac a lot, too...

Dave

Do you spray the shellac also?

Vic

Vic Baron wrote:
. Any caveats on
spraying shellac with an HVLP gun?



yes, thin it!

dave

"David" wrote in message
...
Vic Baron wrote:
. Any caveats on spraying shellac with an HVLP gun?



yes, thin it!

dave

Thinner than a 1lb cut?

Vic

Vic Baron wrote:

"David" wrote in message
...

Vic Baron wrote:

. Any caveats on spraying shellac with an HVLP gun?


yes, thin it!

dave


Thinner than a 1lb cut?

Vic


that's right in the ballpark. I've had trouble with using a 2# cut when
spraying, but then I'm not one to often spray shellac. I like applying
it with a rag (like cooks, I don't measure--I just thin for consistency
until I know it's where I want it) rather than spraying it. I use my
HVLP mostly for applying WB finishes, although it's useful for just
about any finish, including latex.

Dave

"David" wrote in message
...
Vic Baron wrote:

"David" wrote in message
...

Vic Baron wrote:

. Any caveats on spraying shellac with an HVLP gun?


yes, thin it!

dave


Thinner than a 1lb cut?

Vic
that's right in the ballpark. I've had trouble with using a 2# cut when
spraying, but then I'm not one to often spray shellac. I like applying it
with a rag (like cooks, I don't measure--I just thin for consistency until
I know it's where I want it) rather than spraying it. I use my HVLP
mostly for applying WB finishes, although it's useful for just about any
finish, including latex.

Dave

I think I'll give it a try. Only drawback that I can see initially is the
cleanup between coats. Shellac dries so fast it almost seems that you might
get away with not cleaning until the final coat of the day. When padding
shellac, I generally apply, go in for a cool one, come back and sand and
apply again then back for a cool one, and so forth - until I run out of cool
ones. Then I stop for the day and refill.

Vic

Vic Baron wrote:

"David" wrote in message
...

Vic Baron wrote:


"David" wrote in message
...


Vic Baron wrote:


. Any caveats on spraying shellac with an HVLP gun?

yes, thin it!

dave


Thinner than a 1lb cut?

Vic

that's right in the ballpark. I've had trouble with using a 2# cut when
spraying, but then I'm not one to often spray shellac. I like applying it
with a rag (like cooks, I don't measure--I just thin for consistency until
I know it's where I want it) rather than spraying it. I use my HVLP
mostly for applying WB finishes, although it's useful for just about any
finish, including latex.

Dave


I think I'll give it a try. Only drawback that I can see initially is the
cleanup between coats. Shellac dries so fast it almost seems that you might
get away with not cleaning until the final coat of the day. When padding
shellac, I generally apply, go in for a cool one, come back and sand and
apply again then back for a cool one, and so forth - until I run out of cool
ones. Then I stop for the day and refill.

Vic


I cover a small container of shellac and the rag I apply it with, with a
larger can inverted over the 2. Keeps everything from drying out for a
few days, but I can see the "cut" of the shellac increase over time,
from evaporation. A bit of alcohol (into the shellac--not me)takes care
of that. I drink my beer only after I'm done in the shop for the day.g

Were you talking about cleanup for spraying or for wiping?

Dave

"Vic Baron" wrote in message
Hmm. I usually pad it but spraying would probably be faster. Any caveats
on
spraying shellac with an HVLP gun?

I spray shellac by preference unless the project is small. The more
pertinent points of my experiences doing so:

With purchased shellac, a mix a 3# cut half and half with denatured alcohol
is a good general starting point.

Best results comes from setting the gun to deliver plenty material and
spraying a bit closer than you would normally think. Practice the delivery
for that particular setting on a piece of scrap to get it right, then
maintain that gun setting/spray distance throughout the spraying session.

Humidity and temperature can be factors when spraying, and varying the type
of thinning medium (denatured alcohol/99% isopropyl, etc) can be used to
mitigate same, but if you spray in a "normal" t/RH range, denatured alcohol
works just fine.

DAGS for more information.

And don't us the thinner to cleanup. Equipment clean-up after spraying
shellac is easy with household ammonia/warm water.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 12/13/05

"David" wrote in message
...
Vic Baron wrote:

"David" wrote in message
...

Vic Baron wrote:


"David" wrote in message
...


Vic Baron wrote:


. Any caveats on spraying shellac with an HVLP gun?

yes, thin it!

dave


Thinner than a 1lb cut?

Vic

that's right in the ballpark. I've had trouble with using a 2# cut when
spraying, but then I'm not one to often spray shellac. I like applying
it with a rag (like cooks, I don't measure--I just thin for consistency
until I know it's where I want it) rather than spraying it. I use my
HVLP mostly for applying WB finishes, although it's useful for just about
any finish, including latex.

Dave


I think I'll give it a try. Only drawback that I can see initially is the
cleanup between coats. Shellac dries so fast it almost seems that you
might get away with not cleaning until the final coat of the day. When
padding shellac, I generally apply, go in for a cool one, come back and
sand and apply again then back for a cool one, and so forth - until I run
out of cool ones. Then I stop for the day and refill.

Vic
I cover a small container of shellac and the rag I apply it with, with a
larger can inverted over the 2. Keeps everything from drying out for a
few days, but I can see the "cut" of the shellac increase over time, from
evaporation. A bit of alcohol (into the shellac--not me)takes care of
that. I drink my beer only after I'm done in the shop for the day.g

Were you talking about cleanup for spraying or for wiping?

Dave

For spraying. I fill the cup and spray a coat. With paint, I have at least
several hours to overnight to wait to apply a second coat so I clean the
gun. Next day, refill and go again. With the short time between coats with
shellac, do you clean after the coat or somehow keep the gun clean and just
spray the next coat as needed?

Thanx,

Vic

Vic Baron wrote:

"David" wrote in message
...

Vic Baron wrote:


"David" wrote in message
...


Vic Baron wrote:



"David" wrote in message
...



Vic Baron wrote:



. Any caveats on spraying shellac with an HVLP gun?

yes, thin it!

dave


Thinner than a 1lb cut?

Vic

that's right in the ballpark. I've had trouble with using a 2# cut when
spraying, but then I'm not one to often spray shellac. I like applying
it with a rag (like cooks, I don't measure--I just thin for consistency
until I know it's where I want it) rather than spraying it. I use my
HVLP mostly for applying WB finishes, although it's useful for just about
any finish, including latex.

Dave


I think I'll give it a try. Only drawback that I can see initially is the
cleanup between coats. Shellac dries so fast it almost seems that you
might get away with not cleaning until the final coat of the day. When
padding shellac, I generally apply, go in for a cool one, come back and
sand and apply again then back for a cool one, and so forth - until I run
out of cool ones. Then I stop for the day and refill.

Vic

I cover a small container of shellac and the rag I apply it with, with a
larger can inverted over the 2. Keeps everything from drying out for a
few days, but I can see the "cut" of the shellac increase over time, from
evaporation. A bit of alcohol (into the shellac--not me)takes care of
that. I drink my beer only after I'm done in the shop for the day.g

Were you talking about cleanup for spraying or for wiping?

Dave


For spraying. I fill the cup and spray a coat. With paint, I have at least
several hours to overnight to wait to apply a second coat so I clean the
gun. Next day, refill and go again. With the short time between coats with
shellac, do you clean after the coat or somehow keep the gun clean and just
spray the next coat as needed?

Thanx,

Vic


I leave whatever I'm shooting in the gun until I'm done. I wouldn't do
that with a product that is catalyzed and will set hard in the absence
of air. I've never had any issues with the interior of my gun getting
coated with sprayed materials and I'm REAL fussy, believe me!

Dave