Sometimes I see paint described as “lacquer”. Not sure what that means.
It is the paint you put on fancy, Asian-style wooden boxes, right?
It is the paint you put on fancy, Asian-style wooden boxes, right?
What IS Lacquer, Anyway?
- Thread starter brockrwood
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rharshberger
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Lacquer is a common name for nitrocellulose lacquer but there are other types as well commonly used for finishes. Simply put its a natural dried tree sap product dissolved in a solvent and when applied to various objects forms a hard shiny finish. There are many variations of lacquer, polymerized and catalyzed are two variations. The advantages to a pure lacquer finish is ease of repair since the finish can be easily dissolved with its solvent or a new layer applied which will meld into the existing finish, though polishing may be required to match the sheen. Lacquers dont layer like enamel paints they actually get thicker but also blend into the earlier layers, an enamel cures each layer on top of the next with only a mechanical bond betweenvthem.
Shellac on the other hand is a a dried secretion of the Lac bug dissolved in alcohol and applied like other finishes by spraying or brush (though other methods work too).
Lacquers are a very large subject to cover.
Wikipedia is occasionally your friend.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lacquer
Shellac on the other hand is a a dried secretion of the Lac bug dissolved in alcohol and applied like other finishes by spraying or brush (though other methods work too).
Lacquers are a very large subject to cover.
Wikipedia is occasionally your friend.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lacquer
advantage= very fast drying, as in 15 minutes, repairs easily.
At first I was unhappy with the gray lacquer primer because it seems to create runs and drips.
But after 5 minutes or so, the solvent seems to evaporate and the runs and drips disappear! It is growing on me.
And yes, after 30 minutes I feel like this primer is ready to sand.
The VOC’s in this stuff are intense. Is it still legal to sell it? This is an old can.
But after 5 minutes or so, the solvent seems to evaporate and the runs and drips disappear! It is growing on me.
And yes, after 30 minutes I feel like this primer is ready to sand.
The VOC’s in this stuff are intense. Is it still legal to sell it? This is an old can.
rharshberger
Well-Known Member
Its still legal, but many areas and the alphabet agencies would like to see it go away....but it does the job so well. The VOC's are mainly Lacquer Thinner (blended solvents iirc) and yes use plenty of ventilation. Put in on in thin layers, wait 5-10 minutes between layers, unlike other paints lacquers don't seal in the layer below they literally melt/meld into it.
mh9162013
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Based on my limited knowledge of paints from my plastic modeling days, lacquer was the stuff that worked really well in terms of ease of use. Except that you had to be careful in what other paint it came into contact with.
My general rule of thumb when it comes to glue and paint: the more toxic it is to the human body, the better it works.
My general rule of thumb when it comes to glue and paint: the more toxic it is to the human body, the better it works.
Nathan
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The paint that I use most often, Restoration Shop lacquer from TCP Global, cannot be sold in California. Another reason not to live in California.
heada
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Most have a solvent combo mix of acetone, toluene and MEK plus propellants.
Not something you should be breathing and can affect some plastics in a very negative way.
Not something you should be breathing and can affect some plastics in a very negative way.
Nathan
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All the paint that you are likely to use on a rocket is either acrylic enamel or acrylic lacquer. The main difference is that lacquer dries quickly, as soon as the solvents evaporate. Enamel has to cure, which is the process of polymerization. Lacquer is fully dry in a few hours while enamel can take days or weeks to fully cure and harden.
Once enamel has fully cured it will provide a finish that is much harder and more durable than lacquer, which is why lacquer is not used to paint cars anymore. But that's not a big deal with rockets since they are going to get beat up no matter what kind of paint you use.
The paint that is used on all new cars is urethane enamel. Don't use urethane enamel unless you have the right equipment and know what you're doing, because it is very toxic and can kill you if it gets in your lungs.
Once enamel has fully cured it will provide a finish that is much harder and more durable than lacquer, which is why lacquer is not used to paint cars anymore. But that's not a big deal with rockets since they are going to get beat up no matter what kind of paint you use.
The paint that is used on all new cars is urethane enamel. Don't use urethane enamel unless you have the right equipment and know what you're doing, because it is very toxic and can kill you if it gets in your lungs.
On the subject of "natural" paints and such, what exactly is Turpentine and how it is made, historically and today? I think it is used more as brush cleaner that a paint solvent or carrier.
Distilled from pine sap. There are remnants of an old turpentine distillery in the woods on a nearby dirt road.
GlenP
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On an tangent here, the nitrocellulose lacquer has traditionally been used for guitar finishes. It is a thinner and porous finish that allows the wood to remain more natural and free to vibrate, or breathe, as compared to a harder polyester or polyurethane finish which would also do a better job of protecting the wood but theoretically restrict the acoustic vibrations also. Over time the nitro finish may develop cracks or checks, which is pretty common on vintage guitars, they are sensitive to dramatic temperature changes.
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