# baking laquer



## bikeshooter (Nov 5, 2010)

Has anyone heard of baking on a lacquer finish in a low temp oven - 175 degrees or so? Any info or opinions appreciated..


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## mdntrdr (Dec 22, 2009)

Heat can be used, to cure laquer. (if you need to ship imeadiatlly)

I have never needed to rush the very quick setting of laquer.

Whats your hurry? :smile:


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

mdntrdr said:


> Heat can be used, to cure laquer. (if you need to ship imeadiatlly)
> 
> I have never needed to rush the very quick setting of laquer.
> 
> Whats your hurry? :smile:


+1. 












 







.


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## wmodavis (Dec 26, 2010)

I tried it with several test pieces which had a newly applied but non-tacky to the touch lacquer finish. 
Temperature was about 170-195 deg F. 
The result was the formation of many small bubbles on the surface. Didn't try it with fully cured finish. 
The conclusion: If I want a bubbly surface it's the way to go.


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## bikeshooter (Nov 5, 2010)

I posted this for a friend that is even newer to woodworking than I. We both have a lot to learn so asking expert is a good idea :yes:. I'll pass the comments on to him.


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## H. A. S. (Sep 23, 2010)

As a teenager, I spraypainted an old steel alarm clock, and tuning keys for my bass guitar. 2 or3 coats of black lacquer. Stuck them in a cake pan, roasted them for 1.5 hrs. on 300*. Very cool, crinkly finish that was rock hard. a couple of the guys made fun of my tuners for a while...then later asked me to do their tuners.

If I had thought about it at the time, I would have tried it on some hardwood pieces.


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## mike27406 (Feb 22, 2011)

I know all about this finishing technique as I am a Casket maker and the Idea of finishing a piece and putting it through an oven is not to get the finish to dry faster. In our operation, we use water based aniline dye for staining then seal our stain to the wood with 24% solids vinyl sanding sealer that is reduced 40% with lacquer thinner applied by conventional spray. (Dont like the effect of HVLP sprayers) Then we use 4 coats of precat lacquer reduced 35% with thinner and a retarder and fish eye eliminator. The lacquer is dry to the touch after about 30 minutes and each coat is added just as it begins to tack. This allows an additional coat to be sprayed with out sanding between coats and the pre catalist allows any overspray to melt back into the new lacquer coat. After the final spray coat we wait for about an hour and then place the casket in a oven at 125 degrees for 10 minutes. The only reason to bake this way has nothing to do with durability or allowing the finish to dry faster but our products go from the finish room to the funeral home and into service in about 48 hours. Lacquer dries to the touch in 30 minutes but it takes about 21 days for it to fully cure. Baking speeds up the cure time so our product doesn't have a solvent smell and is resistant to spears and smudges that a less durable would be prone to. If you are in a jam and need to cure a finish rapidly but dont have an oven that will fit the sie of your product, you can accomplish the same thing with a hair dryer. Avoid using a heat gun as too much heat too quickly will cure the out side coats prior to the undercoats and result in a cracked finish. Of course the best and most durable finish is to let nature take its course and let the finish cure on its own, which is only about 3 weeks.


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## mdntrdr (Dec 22, 2009)

mike27406 said:


> Of course the best and most durable finish is to let nature take its course and let the finish cure on its own, which is only about 3 weeks.


 
The product sheet for the Sherwin Williams pre cat laq. I use, says fully cured in 10 days. 

Interesting operation you have tho. 

Got any pics?


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

*Baking Lacquer*

I remember reading some specs somewhere - cant remember for the life of me where - but I remember the temp was lower than I thought it would be. Somewhere around 120 to 130*. I can definitely see where 170* will bubble and blister an uncured surface. 
Keep in mind, this is from memory and not actual experience.


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## The Colonel (Aug 6, 2018)

What about rattle-can paint? What about glue joints? Any one with info on that?
Jon


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I haven't read the entire thread but 170 degrees is way too high. The finish would need to dry to touch before heating it and I wouldn't heat it more than 120 degrees. Still it would be a lot safer to allow the finish to dry on it's own. You would have to have a pretty good system to get away with it. If the finish was applied too thick or you heated it too soon you could easily cause bubbles or blisters in the finish.


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