# Chestnut melamine lacquer problem



## Dlow (3 Oct 2012)

Hi. I am new to this forum but have read the posts for some advice in the past. This time i have not managed to find any advice. I have been finishing some stained mahogany table tops using chestnut finish range starting with stain then cellulose sanding sealer and finishing with the melamine lacquer. I have sprayed each coat allowing to dry between coats and sanding back after the sanding sealer. When applying the lacquer i have noticed a slight white smoky look any ideas what i am doing wrong.


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## cornucopia (4 Oct 2012)

when I’ve had that problem in the past its when I’ve been applying the finish (and allowing it to dry) in either a damp or cold environment
for most paints and lacquers the temperature must be above 10c and in the ideal world around 18/20c


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## Sgian Dubh (4 Oct 2012)

It seems likely from your description that moisture is condensing into the finish. Lacquers of this type cool the air immediately above the wet film as the solvents evaporate, and cooling the air can lead to water vapour condensing out and into the film. If this is the case the answer is, as cornucopia says, to warm the air in the finishing area to prevent this happening-- warmer air lowers the atmospheric RH, which is the key here. 

An alternative might be to add 2 to 5 percent of lacquer retarder, sometimes known as anti-bloom thinners. This slows down the rate of solvent evaporation from the wet film thus reducing the chilling effect. A characteristic of lacquer retarder is an overall slowing down of the cure of the applied film which can leave the the finish more likely to suffer from dust, bugs, etc dropping in to the film and becoming embedded, along with blocking and imprint damage being likely for extended periods, sometimes unacceptably long periods if you use a lot of lacquer retarder. Warming the air in the finishing area, and keeping it warm for several hours after should help considerably making it less likely that you'd need to use the retarder. Slainte.


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## Dlow (4 Oct 2012)

Thank you for the advice I will try heating the area where i spray.


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