HELP

[email protected] wrote:
> I am working on a new cabinet that is round I built the curve with 7
> layers of 1/8" bending birch, formaldahyde resin glue, final veneer is
> macasser ebony.
> my problem is that all my lacquer has cracked after finishing it there
<snip>

How long did you wait to start finishing after it came out of the
clamps? I'm wondering if the wood "sprang back" a bit after you had the
lacquer on it. Imagine taking an ice tray out of the freezer and
bending it - the cubes pop out. I think that the same type of thing has
happened to your lacquer.

> I've got about 20 coats on it and it looked so
<snip>

20 coats?!?! Sounds like overkill to me. I think that going with fewer
coats would make the finished less likely to crack.

Mike

Thank you for your response I don't think it was spring back It was in
a vacuum press and it had over a week before I started to finish, the
reason it had so many coats was it had a lot of hills and valleys I was
trying to fill it is supposed to have a high gloss finish and they all
showed up I was sanding in between coats I was trying to copy an art
deco finish and they look so thick
Mike wrote:
> [email protected] wrote:
> > I am working on a new cabinet that is round I built the curve with 7
> > layers of 1/8" bending birch, formaldahyde resin glue, final veneer is
> > macasser ebony.
> > my problem is that all my lacquer has cracked after finishing it there
> <snip>
>
> How long did you wait to start finishing after it came out of the
> clamps? I'm wondering if the wood "sprang back" a bit after you had the
> lacquer on it. Imagine taking an ice tray out of the freezer and
> bending it - the cubes pop out. I think that the same type of thing has
> happened to your lacquer.
>
> > I've got about 20 coats on it and it looked so
> <snip>
>
> 20 coats?!?! Sounds like overkill to me. I think that going with fewer
> coats would make the finished less likely to crack.
>
> Mike

[email protected] wrote:
> Thank you for your response I don't think it was spring back It was in
> a vacuum press and it had over a week before I started to finish, the
> reason it had so many coats was it had a lot of hills and valleys I was
> trying to fill it is supposed to have a high gloss finish and they all
> showed up I was sanding in between coats I was trying to copy an art
> deco finish and they look so thick


You're welcome.

BTW, I recently read about these new characters that one can use when
typing that help in making sentences more legible. They're funny
looking things like this: . , ; ' Apparently, you can even
combine them to make little jestures: ;-)

just couldn't help yourself could you?
Mike wrote:
> [email protected] wrote:
> > Thank you for your response I don't think it was spring back It was in
> > a vacuum press and it had over a week before I started to finish, the
> > reason it had so many coats was it had a lot of hills and valleys I was
> > trying to fill it is supposed to have a high gloss finish and they all
> > showed up I was sanding in between coats I was trying to copy an art
> > deco finish and they look so thick
>
>
> You're welcome.
>
> BTW, I recently read about these new characters that one can use when
> typing that help in making sentences more legible. They're funny
> looking things like this: . , ; ' Apparently, you can even
> combine them to make little jestures: ;-)

Lacquer and paint thinner do not mix. This is probably not a problem
really but paint thinner won't add anything to process.

Lacquer will always disolve with lacquer thinner so you should be able
to soak the finish with a wet rag of thinner and wipe away the lacquer
( a section at a time) rather than sanding which will likely hose right
through the veneer eventually.

Although I would probably start over a bit, rough sand down right
through the veneer. Then use some filler to build up and sand down to a
smooth finish. Then re-veneer.

Spray a tinned coat of lacquer. Lightly sand with 400. then use a clear
paste filler like this
http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/CPF-2530/Quart-CrystaLac-Wood-Grain-Filler
to flatten the surface. You fill and sand. Then seal coat with 2 or
maybe 3 thin coats with proper drying time between each and steel wool
or synthetic scrub pads. Let the final coat be real wet (thinned) and
try to let it flatten itself to a high gloss.

I think you had too many layers.


[email protected] wrote:
> I am working on a new cabinet that is round I built the curve with 7
> layers of 1/8" bending birch, formaldahyde resin glue, final veneer is
> macasser ebony.
> my problem is that all my lacquer has cracked after finishing it there
> seems to be so many reasons for this I could have put it on too thick,
> the temperature dropped significantly, from my understanding i thought
> you could pack lacquer till the cow's came home. Am I wrong? does any
> one know if it's o.k. to wet sand in between coats with paint thinner?
> and what if you cut through the finish and some of the veneer absorbs
> some paint thinner? I've got about 20 coats on it and it looked so
> beautiful before it cracked I don't want to use stripper I'm afraid of
> damaging the veneer. so I'm trying to sand it all off so that maybey I
> could keep these coats as grain filler does anybody have any suggestions

You've never bought any macassar ebony veneer (or sawn your own
). A 4x8 paperbacked macassar ebony veneer cost about $575.00. You
won't be wanting to re-veneer that to many times.
Robert

SonomaProducts.com wrote:
> Lacquer and paint thinner do not mix. This is probably not a problem
> really but paint thinner won't add anything to process.
>
> Lacquer will always disolve with lacquer thinner so you should be able
> to soak the finish with a wet rag of thinner and wipe away the lacquer
> ( a section at a time) rather than sanding which will likely hose right
> through the veneer eventually.
>
> Although I would probably start over a bit, rough sand down right
> through the veneer. Then use some filler to build up and sand down to a
> smooth finish. Then re-veneer.
>
> Spray a tinned coat of lacquer. Lightly sand with 400. then use a clear
> paste filler like this
> http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/CPF-2530/Quart-CrystaLac-Wood-Grain-Filler
> to flatten the surface. You fill and sand. Then seal coat with 2 or
> maybe 3 thin coats with proper drying time between each and steel wool
> or synthetic scrub pads. Let the final coat be real wet (thinned) and
> try to let it flatten itself to a high gloss.
>
> I think you had too many layers.
>
>
> [email protected] wrote:
> > I am working on a new cabinet that is round I built the curve with 7
> > layers of 1/8" bending birch, formaldahyde resin glue, final veneer is
> > macasser ebony.
> > my problem is that all my lacquer has cracked after finishing it there
> > seems to be so many reasons for this I could have put it on too thick,
> > the temperature dropped significantly, from my understanding i thought
> > you could pack lacquer till the cow's came home. Am I wrong? does any
> > one know if it's o.k. to wet sand in between coats with paint thinner?
> > and what if you cut through the finish and some of the veneer absorbs
> > some paint thinner? I've got about 20 coats on it and it looked so
> > beautiful before it cracked I don't want to use stripper I'm afraid of
> > damaging the veneer. so I'm trying to sand it all off so that maybey I
> > could keep these coats as grain filler does anybody have any suggestions