Leveling a sagging topcoat
Techniques for flattening sags in lacquer. July 26, 2000
Q.
I was using Campbell's pre-cat lacquer today with an HVLP system. I got a bit too heavy in some places and ended up with some heavy sags, but no runs. Can this be repaired? If so, how? Or should I strip it all off and start again?
Just let it dry overnight at this point, then block sand out your sags. If you want, you can wet sand with spirits, this way you can see what you're doing while you sand. Then shoot it over again.
Bob Niemeyer, forum moderator
For repairing runs and sags, I have had better success leveling them with a cabinet scraper or razor blade, then final sanding with a sanding block.
Whenever I only block sand, I go right trough the finish near the sags and end up with a slight distorion in the overall level of the surface. The cabinet scraper or razor blade allows me to perform my leveling in more precise areas and in a more controlled fashion.
From the original questioner:
I used a combination of scraper and sandpaper and that took care of it. Thanks, guys.
