Lacquer in gallons tips?

[jimlee]

I am looking for information on where you all get your spraying lacquer. The line of least resistance seems to be a gallon of Watco at Home Depot for $51.97. Which sounds reasonable but I am just wondering what others are using. I stopped by my local Sherwin-Williams and the young lady told me that they sold 'white' lacquer at their Charlotte store. She did not know anything about clear lacquer. I don't know what white lacquer is so it was a Mexican standoff of sorts. Is that not kind of strange that a Sherwin-Williams sales person would not be familiar with clear lacquer? What did we do before the internet when we were dependent on retail sales folks?

Thanks very much,
Jim Lee

 

[Raul McCai]

I know a few guys who use Sherwin Williams products and love it, but not the retail stuff.
Williams has a lot of stuff that seems unavailable to the retail purchaser.

 

[Brian McInturff]

I use to use ML Campbell products and would pick them up from a local distributor. Same goes for Mohawk products. Probably not as easy to find the regular ole Nitrocellulose lacquers as a lot of companies have moved to Acrylics, water based, and polyesters. As well as precatalyzed varnishes.
I don't believe you can even get Deft anymore at the box stores.
When I use to buy I'd buy in 5 gallon pails. Much cheaper than by the gallon if you can use it in a year or so.

 

[Richard Coers]

I use to use ML Campbell products and would pick them up from a local distributor. Same goes for Mohawk products. Probably not as easy to find the regular ole Nitrocellulose lacquers as a lot of companies have moved to Acrylics, water based, and polyesters. As well as precatalyzed varnishes.
I don't believe you can even get Deft anymore at the box stores.
When I use to buy I'd buy in 5 gallon pails. Much cheaper than by the gallon if you can use it in a year or so.

WOW, 5 gallons of lacquer on turnings is a TON! Also considering about a 30%+ thinning, a 5 gallon bucket gives you at least 6.5 gallons to spray.
Find a local woodworking shop and ask them where they buy. Give the owner a bowl or something, and he may just let you buy a gallon on his next order. Check on line with Sherwin Williams and find the nearest store that supplies industrial shops. It's also better to buy industrial thinner. Higher grade product, plus you can get different drying rates for cold or high humidity.

 

[Brian McInturff]

I use to refinish furniture on the side so I went through a lot of material back then.

 

[jimlee]

Any thoughts, feeling or opinions on Watco lacquer. I know that Deft lacquer was thought highly of before the big boxes removed it from their shelves. HD and Lowes offer only Miniwax in quarts as far as I can tell.

Thanks,
Jim Lee

 

[Brian McInturff]

I've personally not used the Watco lacquer and never was a fan of Deft. Deft was a "soft" lacquer so really wasn't as durable as I liked. I've used it and spent a lot of time sanding between coats to build a high luster. And then usually follow up with some time of polishing/buffing. I'll look in my cabinet tonight and see if I have any of the acrylic finish I use to buy in gallon cans. It was a good finish and had UV protection.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Deft lacquer, both aerosol and can are available at the local Home Depot and Ace Hardware. The local Lowes stores don't carry it, but they offer several other brands.

Deft is still my favorite for building a fast high gloss finish. With non-catalyzed lacquer there isn't any need to sand between coats unless something unexpected happens such as bugs or dust. As far as I can tell, Deft is as hard as any other non-catalyzed nitrocellulose spray lacquer once all of the VOCs have evaporated.

I have a HVLP spray gun, but my compressor can't keep up with the air requirement and it is too much trouble cleaning it for the small amount of spraying that I do.

 

[Jamie Straw]

I am looking for information on where you all get your spraying lacquer. The line of least resistance seems to be a gallon of Watco at Home Depot for $51.97. Which sounds reasonable but I am just wondering what others are using. I stopped by my local Sherwin-Williams and the young lady told me that they sold 'white' lacquer at their Charlotte store. She did not know anything about clear lacquer. I don't know what white lacquer is so it was a Mexican standoff of sorts. Is that not kind of strange that a Sherwin-Williams sales person would not be familiar with clear lacquer? What did we do before the internet when we were dependent on retail sales folks?

Thanks very much,
Jim Lee

Jim, I travelled to pick up a pellet stove today, and the husband (another Jim 🙂 ) is a production woodworker (small stuff). While he was showing me his shop, I noticed a big (7 gallons perhaps) bucket of lacquer, and asked him about it. It is an AcromaPro product, he gets 2 big buckets/year from another local pro who is a cabinetmaker and orders a couple times/year. Jim sprays his small items with a small Earlex Spray Station, and loves it, and it costs a fraction of buying lacquer by the gallon. I assume the cabinetmaker might have a more elaborate system, but dunno. I don't know specifically which of the AcromaPro Products it is, but I could find out. Anyway, sounds like a cabinet maker might be able to help you out!

 

[john lucas]

I switched from Watco to a local brand years ago. I believe it's called Gemco but will have to go look. I've been without a shop for 6 months so my mind is a little cloudy on it. I don't know if they ship but it's far superior to Watco in that it's much harder when dry and dries much faster. I can get their address if you want it but don't have any idea if they ship or how much it would run. I buy a gallon as cheap as I can buy a quart of Watco.