# Lacquer WIPING STAIN question.



## MoosegooserDogwood (Mar 14, 2017)

Greetings all…

First let me introduce myself.. My name is Mike Baker…. My real life nickname is Moosegooser… I go by "Gooser" for short….. If you ask me why they call me that,,, if we ever meet in person,, I will be happy to show you! 

My Dad was an Interior self employed trim carpenter when I was growing up.. I worked with him a LOT as a very young man. All my summers,,and weekends ,,were on the job site with him… I eventually took my own path and became a toolmaker by trade.This is how I made my real living. 
I am now retired ,and use my free time doing woodwork in my very small 2 car garage shop..Great way to spend time.

I have surfed here for sometime.. I enjoy this site,,

So,,,, a BIG Hello from Gooser!

Now on to my first question… I hope you all don't get sick of the many to follow…

I am building a project for a friend.. Its a Very larger entertainment cabinet. It is made out of soft Wormy Maple..
I have been given the stain they want used. VERY strict instructions that I use this stain, because its what their new house was finished in.. ITs BLACK!!! And I mean BLACK! Not my choice, but I digress.

The can says Lacquer wiping stain. Sherwin Williams product. It is a STAIN,,that smells like Lacquer! Imagine that…  Color was custom mixed to a color recipe.

My question is..

If I wipe on two coats to get a good dark solid black,, can I top coat this with Minwax Poly?
I do have a spray gun, but don't have much experience with lacquer.. don't want to learn on this project..

I did do a test piece with the stain,, and wiped on 3 coats of thinned poly over it. It seems to have adhered just fine.

Am I askin for trouble,, or should I just dive in and shoot clear lacquer as topcoat?

Thanks in advance..

Gooser


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## TungOil (Jan 16, 2017)

It's a tough call. Changing to a new finishing method on a big job is always risky.

Lacquer is very easy to spray and very forgiving as well. It dries fast so you don't have to deal with dust settling, bugs, etc. as much as other finishes. The Sherwin Williams product is pretty decent, sprays nicely. Of course you should only do this if you have adequate ventilation. You can completely finish a project the size of an entertainment center in a morning with Lacquer (sealer + 2-3 top coats) where a wiping finish will take several days to complete. As with any sprayed finish leave the backs out and finish them separately, assemble later.

You might want to pick up a can of sealer and finish from the SW store and give it a try on some scraps. You can use them as samples for your friend to see before you finish the whole piece as well.

PS- Welcome to LJ!


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## Oakdesk (Jul 9, 2012)

How about a sealing coat of shellac over the stain? Once the color is sealed in, you can topcoat it with poly or lacquer, as you choose.


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## Kirk650 (May 8, 2016)

I'm with oakdesk. Though I haven't done exactly what you are doing, I'd certainly avoid topcoating with something that has the same solvent as the black base coats. I'd do some test panels, but would probably put dewaxed shellac over the black coat. That's what I did last time I was using lacquer, and all went well.


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## MoosegooserDogwood (Mar 14, 2017)

Thank you for the replies…

I am leaning toward the shellac to seal over the Lacquer stain.. then top coat..

Would you spray the Lacquer stain or wet rag and wipe?

Cabinet is a 66 long by 43 tall by 20" deep center section. It sits Under a wall mounted Big screen T.V,
Then, 2 30"wide side cabinets 8 foot tall …1 on each side..Raised panel doors on center section,,open shelves on 30" side cabinets.. a crown molded valance ties the two side cabinets together..

I wished I would have thought about leaving backs off cabinet to make spraying less messy… Will overspray be a problem with a clear lacquer top coat??? If I cover my patio concrete,, can I spray outside on a calm day? HVLP gun,, pressure regulator at gun.. 6.0 SCFM , 15 gallon compressor.. Am I putting a Noose around my neck?

I have sprayed THIN poly before, came out OK… Havent tried Lacquer..

Thanks again for the replies..


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## TungOil (Jan 16, 2017)

> I wished I would have thought about leaving backs off cabinet to make spraying less messy… Will overspray be a problem with a clear lacquer top coat??? If I cover my patio concrete,, can I spray outside on a calm day?


You will have a difficult time getting even coverage in the back corners with the backs in place, and the overspray will come back out at you which is no fun. Remove the backs if you plan to spray.

You can spray lacquer outside on a calm day, I do it all the time. stay out of direct sun- I spray in the morning since my house blocks the sun, or I use an EZ-up for shade. Don't spray lacquer on a humid day or you might get blushing. Preventing blushing requires retarder and is somewhat of an art to mix properly. best to just wait a day and spray when conditions are better.


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## Bumpy (Jan 30, 2017)

Find a ML Campbell dealer, match the stain color to their Pre-catalyzed lacquer. 3 coats and you have the color you want, along with the lacquer finish.

Very easy to use, 38 psi on a HVLP cup gun.


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## OSU55 (Dec 14, 2012)

Get some sheets of cardboard and a 2 ft square or so piece of plywood and practice spraying lacquer. With good ventilation it's very easy to use. Go to Sherwin Williams and talk to them about stain/topcoat or a lacquer paint, or other options. Figure out how to remove the back panels on the piece.


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

Do not mix poly and lacquer finishes.

My experience is that when the lacquer based stain dries, you should be able to spray clear lacquer over it. Making sure it's dry is the key point.

Welcome to Lumberjocks.


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## MoosegooserDogwood (Mar 14, 2017)

seefollowing post


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## MoosegooserDogwood (Mar 14, 2017)

Thank you all for the help… used the lacquer wiping stain… Zinsser Seal coat shellac, then poly..

Not a production shop finish,, but clients were extreamly happy with it… This color was over maple… to say the least,, it was a challenge..


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## TungOil (Jan 16, 2017)

looks good, glad it worked out for you.


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