Touching Up Spray Acrylic Pigmented Lacquer
Advice on touch-up methods for an acrylic lacquer spray job on built-in cabinetry. May 21, 2009
Question
I am going to spray some built-ins with acrylic pigmented lacquer for the first time instead of using paint. After installation of the cabinets, moldings, etc, how difficult is it to do touch-ups with this finish?
Forum Responses
(Finishing Forum)
From contributor A:
I'm in same situation. I'm thinking of Sherwin Williams brand, they will tint paint to customer BM color. One advantage I see to regular paint is when you put crown to ceiling. Paint it in shop, install it, caulk to ceiling, putty holes and put on another coat of paint. I don't think you can do this with the lacquer, but maybe get a quart of paint to match lacquer. I also wonder what happens when people want to change color five years from now. Will paint stick to waterborne lacquer? I think you have asked a great question. Also, does anyone know if you can use Bins primer under waterborne lacquers?
From contributor D:
To answer the original question first touch up of acrylic lacquer is very easy and will work fine. Remember that you are now using a spray applied finish and to touch up this finish you will need to spray the repaired area. You will also need to mask off areas you do not want to spray.
Contributor A, you can most certainly apply more lacquer once the pieces have been installed (read and apply above information here). I would absolutely not recommend touching up lacquer with paint, it will never look right. As for five years down the road, if your client wished to paint their lacquered piece all that would be required would be a good sanding of the existing finish. This is the same step you would need to follow if the piece was painted and you wanted to repaint it five years later.
From contributor A:
I reread what I typed, not really what I meant. Paint crown with matching paint to lacquer not over lacquer. I just found out my local SW dealer does not carry pigmented lacquer so above idea doesn't work for me anyhow. I'm trying to buy local, I'm tired of paying UPS charges. I like the fact that they could rough it up and paint over down the road
From the original questioner:
So I guess if I'm using the lacquer, I would just have to spray the touch-ups after the install.
From contributor D:
Very few SW stores carry their chemical coatings (lacquers and such) -they have a separate division set up to handle this. There should be a chemical coatings store in your SW district. Your local SW store would contact them and place your order and it would be delivered to that store foe you to pick up. No shipping. Check with the manager at your store or ask for the regional sales rep #'s and check with them.
From contributor A:
I have to buy four gallons minimum, oddly enough they carry solvent base conversion varnish.
From contributor D:
Four gallon min? Where are you located? I'm in northeastern NJ, just outside of NYC and I haven't heard of this minimum. Maybe it’s something new.
From contributor A:
I'm in north NJ and I have no doubt why companies in this country are struggling. If I go into that store for a gallon of pigmented lacquer I may also walk out with two paint brushes, rollers, stain, etc. Also I might see deck stain and house paint for around my home, it’s endless what I might buy.
From contributor D:
In northern NJ the chemical coatings division is in Wallington. There's no fear of impulse buying, because they are not a true retail store. They are more of a warehouse with a counter, and the products are all out of view. Is this where you were told about the Min. purchase?
From contributor A:
No a regular SW retail store. I was on SW website they make it sound like they want you to purchase industrial coatings at a local SW branch near you. Wallington is a least an hour for me.
From contributor S:
The reason for the four gallon minimum purchase at a paint and wallpaper outlet is that the outlet has to purchase a carton of your coating. There are four one-gallon cans in that carton. So, if they sell you one gallon then that outlet now has three gallons of unsold inventory that will forever collect dust on their shelves and an unhappy line item on their balance sheet.
