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Has Anyone Used Matte White Lacquer As A Screen "Paint"?

post #1 of 4
10/15/12 at 6:15pm
Thread Starter 
While digging through my garage today, I found 2 unopened gallons of Matte White Lacquer Base Coat. I used this when I was finishing cabinets as a base for white finishes. When the base coat goes on, it has no sheen. I would then use whatever sheen (flat, semi-gloss, gloss, etc) topcoat the customer wanted. A thought popped into my head - would this work for a screen paint? It's flat white, matte finish and is tintable. I figured I would post here before finding something to spray on and breaking out the "not a no name sprayer" that I use for base coats. For those of you with the Graco - (I have 2), they will spray lacquer quite well. I just use the other out of habit. I keep one Graco for strictly clear coats and the other is being saved for something special (can you say Silver Fire?) But I digress... If anyone has tried the lacquer base, please let me know. If not, I may have to try just to satisfy my curiousity. Thanks
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post #2 of 4
10/25/12 at 7:54pm
I spray lacquer with a capspray 105 hvlp for cabinets regularly also, and was thinking "man this would make a smooth surface for a screen". Now whether a perfectly smooth surface is beneficial or not i have no idea, but i would be inclined to spray a piece of 1/4" MDF to find out.
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post #3 of 4
10/25/12 at 10:38pm
Thread Starter 
I've thought about using mdf as a test surface, but first I have to get rid of some of the other "test subjects" in the garage. I have to build a new vanity for my master bath and as luck would have it, my wife wants white. I'll probably get a piece of mdf while I'm spraying the cabinets. I just built a screen out of Formica 949-58. It is a pretty smooth surface. The picture is surprisingly good. Lacquer on mdf done right should be smoother than the laminate. I'm thinking 4 x 8 sheet divided in to 4 sections. Adjust the gun to spray from smooth to a "sputter" finish (I get those when I don't want them every once in a while!). Then the question becomes topcoat or no top coat? Maybe a matte finish, maybe thin the topcoat to the point of "can't see anything at all"? Oh well, it's DIY right? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. My "use at home gun" is a Wagner HVLP Conversion Gun (runs off my compressor) and my travel gun is a Graco. I try not to spray at all anymore unless it's for friends and family. Too much hassle here in AZ where the state that wants "Big Brother" to leave it alone won't leave us little trades guts alone.
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post #4 of 4
12/30/12 at 11:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jwh92020 View Post

I've thought about using mdf as a test surface, but first I have to get rid of some of the other "test subjects" in the garage. I have to build a new vanity for my master bath and as luck would have it, my wife wants white. I'll probably get a piece of mdf while I'm spraying the cabinets. I just built a screen out of Formica 949-58. It is a pretty smooth surface. The picture is surprisingly good. Lacquer on mdf done right should be smoother than the laminate. I'm thinking 4 x 8 sheet divided in to 4 sections. Adjust the gun to spray from smooth to a "sputter" finish (I get those when I don't want them every once in a while!). Then the question becomes topcoat or no top coat? Maybe a matte finish, maybe thin the topcoat to the point of "can't see anything at all"? Oh well, it's DIY right? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. My "use at home gun" is a Wagner HVLP Conversion Gun (runs off my compressor) and my travel gun is a Graco. I try not to spray at all anymore unless it's for friends and family. Too much hassle here in AZ where the state that wants "Big Brother" to leave it alone won't leave us little trades guts alone.

Sorry I just saw you replied. I like Gemini's Precatalyzed White Lacquer Dull Rubbed for cabinets, but they do make a flat in their low VOC line. I have sprayed it on mdf with no undercoater with great success. If you went this route I wouldn't topcoat it. It is KCMA approved so a top coat is useless IMO. I would use it on your vanity also if it were me. In fact I sprayed some kitchen cabinets with it today. As far as getting the material in AZ, I'm not sure on your VOC restrictions, but I have to assume the 275 VOC compliant version is available in AZ. See if you can order it through Dunn Edwards or Sherwin Williams. The low VOC version is a higher solids lacquer than you may be used to so change your needle size out and/or thin the product to get it to spray the way you are comfortable with. Just know your dry/sand times will be altered slightly by reducing the material. Also if you want an even more flat option Sherwin has a VOC compliant white lacquer undercoater you could use. The only drawback is I believe it comes only in 5 gallon buckets. It would be worth checking out if gallons are available though. It is a nitrocellulose lacquer so don't expect great moisture resistance like you would get from the above mentioned Gemini product.

http://www.geminicoatings.com/p/12103/Default.aspx
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