Lacquer Finishing and its types - London Spray Finishes

Lacquer Finishing and its types | London Spray Finishes
Lacquer is often recognized as the greatest all-around wood finish. You won't find any finish that
dries as quickly, rubs out as easily, and imparts the same clarity and color no matter how hard
you look. It normally dries in 15 minutes at room temperature. This means you can apply the
initial lacquer coating, sand, then spray up to two more coats in around an hour. Other finishing
products take hours to dry correctly. Oil-based stains dry the slowest, taking up to 72 hours to
dry. Lacquer is easy to use. It is ready to use right out of the container and is light enough to
spray with nearly any form of air equipment. It usually doesn't need to be thinned, and if you
choose to brush it on, it glides down flat with minimal obvious stroke lines and cleans off easily
with lacquer thinner.
Lacquer is a tough substance. It lasts as long as or longer than any of its competitors without
flaking or peeling. Lacquer lasts for years without yellowing like varnish, polyurethane, or
shellac. Lacquer is thinner than other treatments, allowing it to penetrate deeper and give a
long-lasting coating that protects the wood from the inside out.
Lacquer doesn't require more than two coats to achieve a nice gloss. This reduces the amount
of buildup as well as the cost. Lacquer is significantly less expensive to purchase than varnish,
shellac, or polyurethane, and requires far less labor. It's also adaptable, with three finishes to
choose from: dull, medium, and high-gloss.
Urushiol-based Lacquers
The original lacquer was a varnish resin generated from the sap of a Chinese and Japanese
tree whose active component is urushiol. It has a very hard and durable finish and is highly
resistant to water, alkali, acid, and abrasion. They are distinct among lacquers in that they dry
slowly and are water-based. Furthermore, they require warmth and humidity to fully set, as they
require oxidation and polymerization rather than just setting from evaporation, as other lacquers
do.
Nitrocellulose Lacquers
Nitrocellulose lacquer is created by combining fast-drying solvents with cellulose-containing
wood and cotton pulp that has been broken down by nitric and sulfuric acid. They were
developed in the 1920s and were frequently used in vehicles because of their quick-drying
nature and ability to provide for a wide range of brilliant colors. They are also typically found on
wooden goods and musical instruments. Because they dry so quickly, they are best sprayed
using a spray gun and may be difficult for a novice to apply uniformly. Nitrocellulose lacquer is
reasonably priced and dries rapidly. Cure resins give a pretty excellent protective film layer over
the wood. It rubs away easily when the hard film cures, and its somewhat amber tint adds a
warm, appealing patina to both light and dark woods. Furthermore, because it is an evaporative
finish, each fresh layer of lacquer mixes into all prior applications, making it simple to fix.
Acrylic Lacquers

This acrylic synthetic polymer, created in the 1950s for vehicles, is comparable to nitrocellulose
lacquers in many aspects, but has a faster drying time. They were widely employed in autos.
They are now widely utilised on wooden items.
Water-based Lacquers
Because of the health and environmental dangers associated with the use of solvent-based
lacquers, less hazardous water-based lacquers that typically produce acceptable results have
been created. They are commonly utilised on automotive interiors and beneath the hood, as
well as on wooden items.
Catalyzed lacquers
If you wish to buy a catalysed lacquer, you will have to choose between a pre-catalyzed and a
post-catalyzed version. Both have a pot life that is determined by when the catalyst is applied.
The catalyst is added to pre-catalyzed lacquer either at the factory or at the point of purchase in
the store. If you buy a post-catalyzed lacquer, you must buy the catalyst separately in another
container and mix it yourself. There isn't much margin for getting the proportions correct when
making your own; you have to be exact to end up with a finish that will cure properly.
Pre-catalyzed lacquers are used by large, high-volume businesses because their manufacturing
cycles ensure that they will consume a predictable amount over a certain length of time.
Purchasing the pre-catalyzed version saves them effort and time, as well as removing the
chance of operator mistake in not combining the necessary quantities. Small shops typically
choose post-catalyzed finishes because they may mix what they need in smaller amounts,
reducing the waste of having to dispose of unused finish before it goes bad.
London Spray Finishes is one of the leading furniture spraying professionals in London.London
Spray Finishes are a family-owned and operated company with three generations of finishing
experience extending back 55 years.Their London-based workshop is outfitted with cutting-edge
spraying equipment, allowing all environmental factors to be controlled and contracts to be
delivered quickly. To guarantee that all contracts operate well, they provide free delivery and
collection of contracts worth more than 500 euros.
London Spray Finishes have lacquer finishes ranging from 2% dead matt, which offers a natural
un-lacquered appearance, to 97 percent high-gloss, which produces a mirror-like surface. We
work mostly with wood, but we also deal with a variety of other substrates.
The lacquers London Spray Finishes use are determined by factors such as: the environment in
which the product will be exposed, such as excessive moisture in a bathroom, the purpose of
the product, such as adhering to building regulations where wooden substrates are to be
lacquered with a fire-retardant material, and the expected amount of contact with the product,
such as whether this is in a high-footfall or high-contact area, such as a bar countertop.
Because of its non-yellowing and UV-resistant qualities, PU Acrylic is the most commonly used
lacquer for interior applications on timber surfaces.
For discussing your project with them, Get in touch with their experienced team on +44 (0) 20
8871 2911 or mail them on info@londonsprayfinishes.co.uk. Visit their showroom & workshop
at52 Lydden Rd, Earlsfield London, SW18 4LR.