Carpentry and Woodworking - laquer finishes
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06-26-00, 10:47 AM
My custom kitchen cabinets were delivered with a laquer finish rather than a verethane finish. The laquer finish is uneven, with several flat spots and runs. Sadly, I am left with the task of repairing them. Any advice or resources?
06-27-00, 08:28 AM
betsy34
Have you no recourse with the manufacturer/ supplier? In other words, have you paid them already?
There are a number of different types of "laquer" finishes, so without knowing which you have, I won't be able to give specific advice. In general though, they are pretty easy to work with. To remove a run, I use a new straight-edged razor blade and BACK DRAG it over the run until it scrapes it flat. Don't try to push the blade to cut the run off... it will only dig in and make a mess. The important part is to avoid going all the way through the laquer finish and damaging the layer of stain beneath the clear laquer finish. The only way I know to get the finish to have an even look would be to have panels with "flat spots" resprayed. It is very difficult to try to touch up a partial panel without getting a "halo affect" around the spot repair. The laquer I frequently use in my shop is an air dry type (not catylized or hot laquer) and I can get dull or "flat" spots out by spraying a coat of straight laquer thinner over the finished coat. This "melts" the rough "halo" into the base finish to give a uniform sheen to the piece. This wouldn't work with other types of laquer. Practice any of these methods on hidden pieces so you can find out how it behaves. And remember LAQUER AND ITS THINNERS ARE VERY FLAMABLE so make sure to have good ventillation any time you are working with it!!
Have you no recourse with the manufacturer/ supplier? In other words, have you paid them already?
There are a number of different types of "laquer" finishes, so without knowing which you have, I won't be able to give specific advice. In general though, they are pretty easy to work with. To remove a run, I use a new straight-edged razor blade and BACK DRAG it over the run until it scrapes it flat. Don't try to push the blade to cut the run off... it will only dig in and make a mess. The important part is to avoid going all the way through the laquer finish and damaging the layer of stain beneath the clear laquer finish. The only way I know to get the finish to have an even look would be to have panels with "flat spots" resprayed. It is very difficult to try to touch up a partial panel without getting a "halo affect" around the spot repair. The laquer I frequently use in my shop is an air dry type (not catylized or hot laquer) and I can get dull or "flat" spots out by spraying a coat of straight laquer thinner over the finished coat. This "melts" the rough "halo" into the base finish to give a uniform sheen to the piece. This wouldn't work with other types of laquer. Practice any of these methods on hidden pieces so you can find out how it behaves. And remember LAQUER AND ITS THINNERS ARE VERY FLAMABLE so make sure to have good ventillation any time you are working with it!!