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Thread: Laquer over tru oil ?

  1. #1

    Default Laquer over tru oil ?

    Has any one ever sprayed laquer over tru oil ? Thought I'd read somewhere that was doable . Search didn't show up anything. Thanks for any input.

    Dobe.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Laquer over tru oil ?

    Lacquer will stick to a lot of things.
    Try it on a test board first, though.

    If you're finishing from scratch, I would use either nitrocellulose sealer or thin shellac for sealing coats under lacquer rather than Tru-Oil. Shellac can be rubbed on and is proven as a sealer for nitro, and it is more efficient to apply.

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  4. #3

    Default Re: Laquer over tru oil ?

    Thanks rcc, guess I could give a little more detail. Have a neck that I've already stained and finished in tru oil, but the darkest parts of the bust didn't turn out well. That and a bit of sanding marks in the heel area are what I'm hoping to cover with laquer, rather than re-finish the whole neck. I'm about to spray the final burst coats on another instrument and thought I'd save myself from the complete re-color & finish process.

  5. #4
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    Default Re: Laquer over tru oil ?

    Rub some Tru-Oil into a piece of scrap, let it cure for a couple of days, then overspray it with nitro. In a week it will be dry enough for you to judge the results.

    If the sanding marks are in the wood, you might have to strip the neck anyway. But if you get good results on the test board, you can try the lacquer on the neck and cross your fingers.

    That's all the help I can give-- I've always used either nitro, French polished shellac, or violin maker's oil varnish for my finish work. Hopefully someone who has tried lacquer over Tru-Oil will contribute their experience.

    Good luck, and let us know how it turns out.
    Last edited by rcc56; Jul-17-2019 at 7:23pm.

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  7. #5
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    Default Re: Laquer over tru oil ?

    I don’t think it’s a good idea. There is an oft repeated truism in wood work “Fat over lean”. That is, you can put an oil finish on top of a non-oil finish (solvent or water based) but not visa versa. That said, it’s true that putting a layer of shellac in between might make it possible.
    Don

    2016 Weber Custom Bitterroot F
    2011 Weber Bitterroot A
    1974 Martin Style A

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  9. #6
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    Default Re: Laquer over tru oil ?

    I wouldn't try it. Shellac might work in between but I wouldn't trust it for more than a few weeks. Different finishes attach to themselves and other finishes differently, let alone the bonding to the original surface. They expand and contract differently from each other and the original surface. One flaw in the layering and it's a disaster. Oil and water and alcohol and lacquer thinner with solids along for the ride. Probably not a good idea.

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  11. #7
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    Default Re: Laquer over tru oil ?

    I have been told the “fat over lean” trope by more than one woodworker, but I have been corrected on this by a very well respected maker and frequent contributor here. It turns out the term is actually from the art world, oil painting specifically. It doesn’t apply much if at all to determining what wood finishes will stick to which other finishes. I thank him for setting me straight. That being said, I still don’t think it’s a good idea, and as Dale has stated, it might stick for a while but not stand the test of time.

    I’d go ahead and re-finish. Don’t you want to get rid of the sanding marks anyway?
    Don

    2016 Weber Custom Bitterroot F
    2011 Weber Bitterroot A
    1974 Martin Style A

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  13. #8

    Default Re: Laquer over tru oil ?

    Thanks all, guess I was hoping for a lazy fix. Thinking I'll just re-finish completely at this point. Cheers !

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