Using Nitrocellulose lacquer

Steve Miller

Steve Miller

Member
Anybody have any experience with it? Do you have to use nitrocellulose thinner or will regular lacquer thinner/reducer work? What reducer to paint ratio should one use?
Thanks
 
You would have to use nitrocellulose lacquer thinner. I caught the tail end of the lacquer era in my apprenticeship but its hard work for results that won't last like modern paints. I know.... it lasted for years when applied by the factory but they controlled the conditions it was applied in with ovens etc.

With a cut and polished modern paint can look right and will last.
 
use regular lacquer thinner, get the slow type, the hot type thinner dries to fast and doesnt flow out very well, it takes 4 to 6 coats to get any depth, color sand with 400 wet and dry sand paper, then a few more coats, sand and polish
 
I have sprayed thousands of gallons of it and am familiar with both it's advantages and short points. For dry time (it dried, not cured), ease of use, spot painting, and control to match an existing color it was very good. If you goofed you could even scrape it off and desolve the scrapings into thinner and have paint again but with a gallon costing ten bucks it was done only at 3AM on a rush job. Much of the spraying was done in an open shop since it's just dust by the time it travels ten feet so overspray wasn't a problem. The EPA would die if it could go back in time. It shows sanding scratches terrible so the primer should be sanded with no coarser than 1500 and top coats rubbed with the same until the final coat which needs 2000. For show jobs we compounded the primer before painting until one could see the flourescent light tubes reflected in the primer. You thin (not reduce) it at about two parts thinner to one part paint but play with this. It can't be too thin but if too thick it will gossamer which is how then do spider webbing custom paint. If it's thin it will just take more coats to cover. Use a paint grade thinner, not a clean up, that is appropriate for the ambient temperature. Trying to spray laquer on a humid day can result in blushing. It is not nearly as UV resistant as modern paint and will nearly always "craze", which are tiny cracks in areas where it tends to be thicker. If you spray one panel with the gun a foot away and another with it ten inches away you will have two different color panels. Once the air pressure, materials feed, and fan pattern are set LEAVE IT ALONE because changing any will give different colors. This trait made it great for spot painting since just adjusting the gun or distance could give an exact color match but with a novice it could also give a Zebra paint job. Good luck.
 
Let me preface by saying I am no body man. But I've always heard that lacquer paint is more forgiving for the novice in that mistakes can typically be sanded or rubbed out and shot again. I've also heard that nitro lacquer is more durable than acrylic lacquer, and the UV sensibilty will probably not be an issue since the truck will be inside 99% of the time. We do have a lot of humidity in my area, so I was wondering if I should use a retarder to help prevent the blushing? I appreciate all the advice.
Thanks
 
Hi Steve, All of the above is good advice, but here is my own input based on years of experience with "gun cotton" finishes. 1. Use lacquer thinner which is formulated for the lacquer you are using. Mixing types or brands can cause major problems. 2. Yes, if spraying in humid conditions, use retarder strictly in accordance with the recommended reduction, usually 10%. If you still experience blush, quit until the weather dries out. 3. The scientific way of determining amount of thinner to lacquer is to use a Zahn cup and time the flow, but most of us thin until we get an even flow out without sag or orange peel. The thin rate will also be connected with the gun and air pressure you are using, and how skilled you are with gun technique. 4. Please spray in an adequately ventilated area (preferably explosion-proof exhaust fan) and be sure to use a rated respirator (face mask). 5. Unused lacquer and thinner are hazardous waste. Please store or dispose of properly. Good Luck!
 
In addition to all of the above good advice.......I use a "fish-eye" preventive additive for insurance. Also, you will need to be meticulous about cleaning the surfaces each time you spray primer and finish coat....dust and grease (from hands, etc) with destroy the finished product. Make sure the primer, and thinner, is compatable with the finish paint....your paint dealer should be able to get you the correct stuff.

Nitro-lacquer will "telegraph" every flaw....meticulous surface preparation is absolutely a key step. Often it takes months to completely dry, shrinking all the while. Wait several months before you try to buff it out. I use a minimum of 8 coats.
 
Chris in CT said:
Hi Steve, All of the above is good advice, but here is my own input based on years of experience with "gun cotton" finishes. 1. Use lacquer thinner which is formulated for the lacquer you are using. Mixing types or brands can cause major problems. 2. Yes, if spraying in humid conditions, use retarder strictly in accordance with the recommended reduction, usually 10%. If you still experience blush, quit until the weather dries out. 3. The scientific way of determining amount of thinner to lacquer is to use a Zahn cup and time the flow, but most of us thin until we get an even flow out without sag or orange peel. The thin rate will also be connected with the gun and air pressure you are using, and how skilled you are with gun technique. 4. Please spray in an adequately ventilated area (preferably explosion-proof exhaust fan) and be sure to use a rated respirator (face mask). 5. Unused lacquer and thinner are hazardous waste. Please store or dispose of properly. Good Luck!
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Any idea where to find retarder? If you ask at any of the local shops (NAPA & PPG) they look at you like you're speaking Chinese.
Thanks
 
If you are planning to paint a car in sections (by that I mean the doors, hood, etc. separately), lacquer has the advantage of having an infinite pot life. If you have any left over in your gun when you are finished painting something, you can save it and use it again. With catalyzed paints, any leftover paint usually has to be tossed. Since the paint is so frightfully expensive, you may try to err on the low side when deciding how much to mix up, and then find yourself running out in mid-spray. :(

Doug
 
Mike V. Florida said:
Did Ford use that many coats of paint in the day?
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According to page 4 in the "Model A Ford Paint and Finish Guide 2nd Ed." each car received two double header coats, that's one pass vertically then one pass horizintally (4 total). They were then sanded with 280 grit, followed by 320. They were then shot with a coat that consisted of 70% thinner and 30% paint, followed by a mist coat of pyroxylin lacquer thinner to get everything to flow out, followed by rubbing out the finish.
 
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Steve Miller said:
Any idea where to find retarder? If you ask at any of the local shops (NAPA & PPG) they look at you like you're speaking Chinese.
Thanks
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Steve, Where did you get your nitro? This would be the best place to obtain the retarder. If not, try Sherwin Williams or Mohawk Finishing Products (in Amsterdam, NY). There are others, but they tend to be large industrial concerns with large minimum orders. SW will be the easiest to deal with I think. Be sure to test it in a very small batch before treating large surfaces. Product compatibility is always an issue. Sometimes language is a problem: "blush eliminator", or "no-blush" can be used if they don't understand "retarder".
 
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