Lacquer over oil

Chris Krohn

Member
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7
Location
Sacramento, Ca
Just trying out some finishes on my turnings. On a piece or two I just sprayed rattle can lacquer and was unimpressed with the finish, it seemed like it did not bring out the grain to the fullest. Also I have been turning some natural edge with a lot of voids within the bowls (manzanita root burls) and it seems it is hard to get in the crevices without overspraying and getting a run.
Next question... is spraying lacquer over oils a problem? I found that using the oils first gets good coverage in the cracks and crevices, as well as bringing out the grain. Then it seems like they need more coats of lacquer :dunno:
 
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I use lacquer over Antique Oil and Tung Oil mix, and so far have had no problems. I do make sure I give the oil finish a few days to cure before covering over it with the lacquer.

I believe there are others who disagree with this, and say oil and lacquer don't mix, but I've done dozens of turned pieces this way and had no known failures yet.

Keep in mind that if you're using a wipe-on oil finish like Danish Oil, Antique Oil, or one of the Tung Oil blends, you will get more and more gloss as you apply additional coats. I like using the lacquer to even out the sheen, or to add gloss to pieces that would be difficult or impossible to buff.
 
I have sprayed rattle can laquer over danish oil quite a few times without problem. I did let the oil dry for about 5 days before applying the laquer using the "if you don't smell the oil, its ready for laquer" idea.
 
What kind of oil are we talking. BLO or like Danish oil, etc?
I use Antique oil and don't put anything over the top. If it is BLO I use minwax wipe on ploy over it.

I am fairly new to turning (1 year) What type of finish does the antique oil give, and how many coats, sanding in between? I have seen your work around and am jealous of the finishes. I have used BLO with the CA finish on the pens but not by itself, how does it compare?
 
I put on 100% tung oil on one and mineral oil on the other.

Tung oil will cure, but it takes a long time (possibly several weeks). Like Jeff mentioned, when the smell goes away, you're probably OK to put lacquer over it. Mineral oil, on the other hand, never really "cures". I'm not sure if there's a good way to apply lacquer over mineral oil. You might be able to seal it with a sprayed-on coat of shellac, but I'd test it on a piece of scrap before committing to it on a turned piece.

I am fairly new to turning (1 year) What type of finish does the antique oil give, and how many coats, sanding in between? I have seen your work around and am jealous of the finishes. I have used BLO with the CA finish on the pens but not by itself, how does it compare?

Antique Oil, Danish Oil and the Tung Oil blends like Formby's are essentially a mix of some type of varnish, BLO or tung oil, and thinners. I like using them on turned pieces, since you get the grain-popping qualities of BLO or tung oil, and a protective membrane finish like varnish. They are generally applied heavily with a rag, left to soak on the piece for a few minutes, then the excess is wiped off. As you repeat the process (and perhaps sand very lightly with 400 or so sandpaper between coats) the finish will become more and more glossy. I usually go with two or three coats...I just keep doing it until I like the way things look.

BLO by itself provides an attractive "hand rubbed finish" look to a piece, but is doesn't form the protective membrane finish that the wipe-on varnishes like Antique Oil give.

On my pieces, I give a lot of the credit for the finish to having a three-wheel buffing system like the Beall. (Mine's from Don Pencil, but it's essentially the same thing.) Buffing can turn a a nice finish into a great one.
 
Is the 100% tung oil good on its own, or should I thin it with something? It is my understanding, not to get a whole nother side topic going, but, the 100% makes it food safe, rather than having the extra additives in it.
 
Chris, these days virtually any finish is "food safe" after it has cured. Adding thinners to pure tung oil can help it penetrate the wood better and speed up the curing process, and once they flash off, you're still left with a "food safe" coating.
 
Chris, I used to use the BLO/ CA finish on some pens and have gone to putting some sanding sealer on after the BLO to seal it. It seems to work in that I now get a good build of CA without the blotchy finish I used to get. I found that the pen would look great until it was used for a time and then I realized that the finish had gaps in it. (go figure, glue doesn't stick to oil) I use a sanding sealer that is shellac based. I haven't used any antique oil yet but from Vaughn's description I will give it a go.
 
Barry, I believe you have that backwards. If you put lacquer on top of varnish or poly, the surface will crinkle like chicken skin. Varnish lay on top of lacquer like the skin of a baby's butt. I used to follow a suggestion from Russ Fairfield. After turning and sanding till my hearts content I would apply a quick wash of lacquer cut 50% with thinner and then wipe it dry with a paper towel. After letting that sit for a couple of hours I would sand with 1000 grit or higher and start the process of Danish Oil application. Worked really well and saved 3-4 coats of oil.
 
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I do pretty much the same as Vaughn. I use mostly Antique Oil or General Finishes Seal-A-Cell followed by Arm-R-Seal. I don't like using sanding sealer because I want the oil to soak as deeply as possible. I put 3 coats most of the time with a good shine. I saturate the wood and let it sit for 15 minutes or so then wipe off the excess. I also will top with wipe on poly in satin or gloss depending on what shine I want. If I use lacquer over the top of the AO or GF I will just put one coat on and let that coat dry a week or more before appling lacquer. Never have had a problem doing it that way.
 
Bernie , take this one step further, when you do apply Lacquer over a oil that has dried out it is bet to use a sealer 1st. I have run into many tables top that oil stain was applied 1st the lacquer with out waiting for the dring times and you usually get the finish alligatoring with in the year .
 
In turning bowls i have tried many finishes and i go with the Antique oil or Danish oil almost all the time now. Several coats with 400gr or 0000 steel wool between coats and put several or more on until im happy with the build up. Then i use spray on semi-gloss laquer - several coats sanding between coats....Then as Vaughn mentioned i have the Don Pencil buffing system and use the white diamond and Carnuba wax to finish them off - very nice what the buffing does.
 
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