# Spray Lacquer from Deft



## Cornductor (Feb 5, 2011)

Here's the scenario its been raining all day temp is about 58-60 degrees with mild dry spells. I shake my can of spry lacquer and spray a even light coat on the product. Waiting for the proper time frame of about 1hr or less. Upon inspection the lacquer is now a foggy flat look instead of semi-gloss.

Does any body have tips on how to prevent this?


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

It's called blush ,if you spray another coat on or even just some lacquer thinner it should go away assuming it's not to cold where your spraying. It is moisture that's been trapped under the finish,so it could be to humid where your spraying. .


----------



## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

I recommend using an HVLP gun with your compressor. It will spray an even coat, and you will see consistent results. Woodcraft sells their Woodriver gun for $40, which is a good product. 
With either method, try to spray a wet, even coat. Sand with a fine sanding sponge between coats.


----------



## MedicKen (Dec 2, 2008)

I have been using Deft for years. Either sprayed or brushed I always use 0000 steel wool between coats and after the final coat.


----------



## tomd (Jan 29, 2008)

A whiteness in lacquer is usually moisture caught in the finish.


----------



## Cornductor (Feb 5, 2011)

Ahhh its all the moisture in the air. Guess I'll have to wait it out a bit then try again. @pintodeluxe I have never really put any thought into a HLVP gun but that's a good idea.


----------



## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

Too cold , too humid. 
What do the directions on the label say about temperature and / or humidity during application ?


----------



## shampeon (Jun 3, 2012)

HVLP sprays nicer than rattle cans, but does nothing for blush with nitro lacquer, which is what you're dealing with. You can add blush reducer, or wait it out.

If you need to keep spraying in the cold and wet, add some warm water to a pot, then put in the rattle cans for 5 or 10 minutes or so to heat them up (not too hot!). It might help, but no guarantees.


----------



## Purrmaster (Sep 1, 2012)

I just got a can of this stuff and have yet to use it. I've used the Deft brushing lacquer on colder and wetter days and it didn't blush. Then again it evaporates more slowly.

Would heating the workpiece first with a portable heater help? Or having the heater blow on the piece after spraying the lacquer?


----------



## Planeman40 (Nov 3, 2010)

"Blushing" is caused by the rapid evaporation of the lacquer solvent chilling the surface of the drying applied lacquer. This causes condensation of the moisture in the air that covers the surface of the drying lacquer. Its a common problem with lacquer applied on moist days. The solutions are those mentioned above. Also, you can also buy a "retarder" to add to the lacquer that slows the solvent evaporation and usually eliminates the problem.

Planeman


----------



## DanKrager (Apr 13, 2012)

Purrmaster, the moisture is getting condensed on the particles as they travel from the gun (can) to the surface. Their travel evaporates the solvent rapidly, causing a sharp drop in temp in the droplet which condenses moisture from the surrounding air. These microscopic water particles get trapped in the finish causing the blush. The solutions mentioned for removing the blush work well.

Several solutions for preventing the blush may work for you. It is a good idea to warm the finish before spraying. Warming the sprayed surface doesn't seem to help me much with blush prevention. Using a solvent that is not so "hot", as in it doesn't evaporate so quickly, will help. Lacquer thinner is available with a retarder in it. Acetone tends to aggravate blushing. If you use warmed (90 degree) Deft brushing lacquer (not aerosol) to spray, you may not have to thin it at all and it probably won't blush. Air temp is not your critical factor here, humidity is. Cooler air can hold less moisture, but cool is not a friend to curing finish. So perhaps if you can spray a warm object in a cool (less than 60 degrees) place and move the object back to a warm area (70 degrees) to cure you might gain some ground. 
DanK


----------



## huff (May 28, 2009)

Brandon,

Like most have said; moisture trapped in the finish that caused the blush. You can't really add anything to a rattle can, so you can do like a1Jim said and spray a light coat over the top to see if that dissolves the other coat enough to allow it to dry without the blush.

Running heat before spraying might help with the humidity problem, but be very care about your heat source during and just after spraying. Lacquer will "gas off" while drying and the fumes and over spray can be explosive.

If you don't have a way to deal with the humidity, just wait and try again. Once it's good and dry, you can steel wool with #0000 steel wool and that will get rid of some of the blush and like I said earlier, spray another coat over it and see if that doesn't eliminate your problem. Nitrocellulose Lacquer is notorious for this but not hard to correct.

Good luck.


----------

