BHOFM

Yes, it is a lot of work.

The piece will need to be sanded, sealed and primed.
then sanded with finer and finer paper, then re primed
and repeated, then cover with a contrasting color
primer and re sanded. This is to find any flaws, they
will show up like spot lights in the black lacquer.

You will need 320 to start and then 400 and then
600. After all this you will need to sand with 1200
to 2000 and then polish with compound.

Then worry about what is set on it for the rest of
your life. Lacquer does not like hot things. Or solvents
of any kind.

But is is beautiful when done right.

Rob

It's just that I hate to use that nice lumber on a shed that is just going to get painted and no one will ever see the nice wood.

You must be using an awful lot of trim to be seeing that much price difference. I'm not trying to be smart, but what are we talking here...$10-$20 more for using #1 pine instead of #2? And unless you are filling the knots with epoxy and sanding flush, crappy wood looks like crappy wood no matter what you use to paint it.
Just my opinion...

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