Lacquar over latex paint - Woodworking Talk

mellow63 · 07-19-2009, 09:55 AM

I am painting a hope chest with all surface latex paint, I want to put a lacquar over it for the topcoat. Can I put a precat solvent based lacquar over latex paint or will that ruin the paint. Or do I have to use a water based lacquar on it, or something like a polyacrylic from minwax.

**Leo G** · 07-19-2009, 10:38 AM

I have put precat solvent over latex. Just make sure the latex is cured fully, not just dry.

CharlesNeil · 07-25-2009, 10:49 AM

leo is correct...let it dry ( cure) until it scuff sands and dust easily, the finish away, been doing it for many years ,never an issue

rrich · 07-25-2009, 09:39 PM

Lacquer thinner may remove latex paint. I was trying to remove some scuff marks from a latex painted door (Behr paint and cured for years) with lacquer thinner. I was amazed how easily the latex paint was removed.

CharlesNeil · 07-26-2009, 10:13 AM

rich you are correct...lacquer finishes melt into other finishes, this gives them a chemical bond, the same penetration that removes the finish is what bonds it, like shellac, alcohol will remove and dissolve it at any time in its life, its also why it build up forming what appears to be 1 coat, it all just melts together, polyurethanes and water based products are very different, they simply go on as layers, so a good scuff sanding between coats is needed especially on polys, water bases have a little melt in, the key to water bases is to apply sufficent coats before it fully cures so it can melt in easier, polys dont do it much at all once it has dried enough to sand, it needs to be abraded to give it some mechanical bond, its the difference in welding together and sticking together

**Leo G** · 07-26-2009, 10:24 AM

With pre-cat lacquers, like the OP planned on using, alcohol will not melt it once it has cured. Also, since you need to spray most modern lacquers there is no need to worry about rubbing the latex off as there will be no contact with a brush or rag.