Daily production notes on projects under construction at Smoky Mountain Woodworks. Slip on a pair of safety glasses and come on in!
Thursday, March 22
Thursday March 22nd
This afternoon I finished the finish sanding, this evening I'm shooting lacquer. But, it's raining, so the lacquer is drying very slowly. It's a;most 10:00 PM, I'm going to have to head home or get locked out for the night!!
Lacquer is an evaporative finish so high temperatures will accelerate drying. High levels of humidity slow the evaporation of the lacquer thinner. If it is hot, atmospheric humidity can get trapped in the finish because the surface flash-dries while the lower layer dries more slowly. Adding a retarder slows the drying and allows the moisture to escape as the finish dries. Trapped moisture results in that white cloudy appearance.
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I thought lacquer dried faster in the humidity therefore needing retarder for a clear finish.
ReplyDeleteLacquer is an evaporative finish so high temperatures will accelerate drying. High levels of humidity slow the evaporation of the lacquer thinner. If it is hot, atmospheric humidity can get trapped in the finish because the surface flash-dries while the lower layer dries more slowly. Adding a retarder slows the drying and allows the moisture to escape as the finish dries. Trapped moisture results in that white cloudy appearance.
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