# Lacquer Explosion



## Ezee (Dec 24, 2011)

I plan on using sherwin Williams pre cat lacquer to finish wainscoting in a basement. I've read some scary stories of explosions and respiration issues. If I turn off all the pilot lights, set up a fan in the doorway to the outside, wear a respirator from lowes with the filters on it, will I be ok? Or will my house explode while I contact lung cancer?


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## Al B Thayer (Dec 10, 2011)

Those would be the needed steps to take. I have an okay respirator and I change the filters when I start to smell the fumes. 

SW is a great product but $$$$$.

Al


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

You're on the right track there. Just make sure that the filter in the respirator is rated for organic vapors, and double check that you've eliminated ALL possible ignition sources. Wouldn't want to miss one


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

I use the T-77($29 gal) in the garage all the time. In winter I heat up the garage until ready then shut down the heat and spray. As soon as everything is covered I open the doors till fumes are gone, close door and turn the heater back on. In the summer door is open or a good wind I'm outside spraying...


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Ezee said:


> I plan on using sherwin Williams pre cat lacquer to finish wainscoting in a basement. I've read some scary stories of explosions and respiration issues. If I turn off all the pilot lights, set up a fan in the doorway to the outside, wear a respirator from lowes with the filters on it, will I be ok? Or will my house explode while I contact lung cancer?


Ok, any spark has the potential to setting off lacquer. A lot depends on the concentration of lacquer in the air whether it ignites or not. It's too difficult to guess what that would be so the best thing is not take any chances. When I spray lacquer in a customers house I create a draft going outdoors to the nearest exit. As far as a fan I use a spray booth fan which has an explosion proof motor in it. The motor is sealed so the fumes don't pass through the motor like a regular fan does. An electric motor can make a spark. If you have a regular fan it would be better to set it up blowing clean air in than exhausting the fumes. I also turn all the lights on and leave them on. Turning the light on and off can create a spark. You already know to turn off anything with a flame on it so as long as you take simple precautions you shouldn't have a problem. Once upon a time I sprayed lacquer in the same room with a wood stove burning and I'm still here. I would spray a little and wait until it dissipated and then did a little more. It's just not worth it to take that kind of risk so I don't anymore.


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

I'm like you, Steve, used to spray in a 12' x 20' shop that was heated with an open flame space heater. I just figured it was burning off any vapors real time and on the fly - no spark. 

My little shop had a powered roof ventilator that I turned on before spraying, so I just cracked a window and the door for air inlet. For a simple poor-boy setup it worked just fine because it cleared the vapors in no time (or burnt them off - :laughing.


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

Solvent based pre cat lacquer is better from what I hear but I spray in my basement and I don't take a chance. I also don't have an explosion proof fan so I just shoot wb lacquer to be safe. Target coatings em6000 is great...full burn in to previous coats so really easy to work with.

It's a little more prone to runs so choke down on the finish at the gun and do thin coats.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

If it is anything like catalyst urethane, it is some bad stuff and very explosive. We built and finished 212 hospital couches and sprayed with the cat urethane, and even with respirators it was rough.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

BigJim said:


> If it is anything like catalyst urethane, it is some bad stuff and very explosive. We built and finished 212 hospital couches and sprayed with the cat urethane, and even with respirators it was rough.


It's just an acrylic lacquer. It doesn't contain any isocyanate hardeners.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Steve Neul said:


> It's just an acrylic lacquer. It doesn't contain any isocyanate hardeners.


That is a different animal, it isn't too bad but it will still make a person dizzy without a mask and ventilation.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

BigJim said:


> That is a different animal, it isn't too bad but it will still make a person dizzy without a mask and ventilation.


One time I sprayed a gallon of an automotive urethane and just used a conventional respirator. I knew the stuff had the isocyanate hardener so I stayed upwind of the paint and held my breath when I was downwind to minimize the exposure. Afterwards I coughed for six months. I certainly paid for being too cheap to purchase an air supplied respirator. I just couldn't see doing that to spray one gallon.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Steve Neul said:


> One time I sprayed a gallon of an automotive urethane and just used a conventional respirator. I knew the stuff had the isocyanate hardener so I stayed upwind of the paint and held my breath when I was downwind to minimize the exposure. Afterwards I coughed for six months. I certainly paid for being too cheap to purchase an air supplied respirator. I just couldn't see doing that to spray one gallon.


That stuff is some kinda bad, did it make you stagger around? The stuff we used on the couches was so rough it had the whole shop stinking and would really make you drunk and the shop was 5000 sq ft. We sprayed in a paint booth then stored them in the shop. They would dry almost instantly but man the fumes were rough for a long time.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

BigJim said:


> That stuff is some kinda bad, did it make you stagger around? The stuff we used on the couches was so rough it had the whole shop stinking and would really make you drunk and the shop was 5000 sq ft. We sprayed in a paint booth then stored them in the shop. They would dry almost instantly but man the fumes were rough for a long time.


Nothing I've ever sprayed has ever made me stagger and I sprayed nitro lacquer for three or four years before I started using a respirator. The only time the fumes ever got me was one day an employee was filling a five gallon container with lacquer thinner from a 55 gal drum and wasn't paying attention. I walked into the spray room and there was a 8' diameter puddle of lacquer thinner on the floor, the can had gotten full. Seeing dollar signs I rushed to the drum to turn it off and when I hit the puddle it was like hitting a patch of ice and I fell in it. Knowing full well I was in for a chemical burn I rushed to the restroom to come out of my clothing. Before the clothing dried enough I could put them back on the air in the restroom got really strong with lacquer thinner. I had to put the clothes back on and get out of there or die. I quickly found a fan and stood in front of it for a while and didn't get too much of a chemical burn.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

If he is spraying T-77 he really needs a mask. Once hardened cannot be reactivated so you can only imagine how hard this would be on his lungs.


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## Quickstep (Apr 10, 2012)

"Target coatings em6000 is great...full burn in to previous coats"

I've tried a variety of waterbornes with limited success, but I haven't tried em6000 yet. Everything I've read has said that acrylic doesn't _really_ burn in so much as it cross links within a re-coat period. Is em6000 really different? I'd love to find an alternative to nitro.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Steve Neul said:


> Nothing I've ever sprayed has ever made me stagger and I sprayed nitro lacquer for three or four years before I started using a respirator. The only time the fumes ever got me was one day an employee was filling a five gallon container with lacquer thinner from a 55 gal drum and wasn't paying attention. I walked into the spray room and there was a 8' diameter puddle of lacquer thinner on the floor, the can had gotten full. Seeing dollar signs I rushed to the drum to turn it off and when I hit the puddle it was like hitting a patch of ice and I fell in it. Knowing full well I was in for a chemical burn I rushed to the restroom to come out of my clothing. Before the clothing dried enough I could put them back on the air in the restroom got really strong with lacquer thinner. I had to put the clothes back on and get out of there or die. I quickly found a fan and stood in front of it for a while and didn't get too much of a chemical burn.


We did a lot of high pressure laminate and that glue will make you drunk in a hurry, not many times did we do any finish work.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

BigJim said:


> We did a lot of high pressure laminate and that glue will make you drunk in a hurry, not many times did we do any finish work.


Yea, I remember working for a company that had a really small room to do laminate work and we were using weldwood original contact we rolled on. In winter when the place was closed up the fumes would get to you.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Rebelwork said:


> If he is spraying T-77 he really needs a mask. Once hardened cannot be reactivated so you can only imagine how hard this would be on his lungs.


Even if he's spraying latex he should wear a respirator.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Steve Neul said:


> Even if he's spraying latex he should wear a respirator.


I think if its this much concern he needs to use a brush. Spraying isn't for everyone and there are risks. Time to hire a professional:thumbsup:


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

Quickstep said:


> "Target coatings em6000 is great...full burn in to previous coats"
> 
> I've tried a variety of waterbornes with limited success, but I haven't tried em6000 yet. Everything I've read has said that acrylic doesn't _really_ burn in so much as it cross links within a re-coat period. Is em6000 really different? I'd love to find an alternative to nitro.


You will be very happy with it. Google it and you will see all the reviews. I'm spraying a kitchen at the moment and trying ml campbell agualente instead right now only because it's painted and it's a bm colour that was wanted and the bm dealer only carries mlc so for the colour match didn't want to take chance. Nobody around me colour matches tc even though it is bm genelex colour compatible. May topcoat clear with tc.


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## Ezee (Dec 24, 2011)

Thank you everyone for the advice. Was2ndlast, how long does that stuff take to dry? Does it yellow and where do you buy it?


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

It dries for sanding in 30 mins with light coats. I'm in canada so I buy it online at wood essence. You can buy online directly from tc if your in the states.


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

And it keeps pretty clear...minimum yellowing.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

was2ndlast said:


> And it keeps pretty clear...minimum yellowing.


How bad does it raise the grain? Most waterborne finishes raise the grain a lot.


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

It does raise it...if I thin the first coat it also seals it and sands pretty good. What I've started doing is wetting everything and sanding before I go to the booth so I don't have to sand so much where I don't want dust.


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

I need a moment here....Steve asked me a question! Usually the other way around 😃


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

was2ndlast said:


> I need a moment here....Steve asked me a question! Usually the other way around 😃


I haven't had a very nice experience with any waterborne so I haven't tried that finish. In 1989 I had to move out of Dallas because the fire marshal made spraying lacquer too expensive. Waterborne finishes at the time were impossible.


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

I'm very late to finishing so I guess good that I have not become attached to solvent based finishes (although I know they are better). I don't know what I'm missing.


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