I got lots of emails asking me about the kind of finish I use in my projects, and in the case of small projects such as this one, I usually use matt nitro lacquer. To show you the process I’m going to varnish my new jigsaw holder with a spray shaker.
In the first photo you can see the nitro varnish spray set sent to me by the folks at Nitorlack so that I could try it out. It’s made up of two primer cans, it’s the sealer for nitro lacquers. One is for transparent finishes and the white one is for colored finishes. Two nitrocellulose lacquer cans—one glossy and one matt. Finally, they also sent me two opaque nitro colors from the wide range of colors available on their website.
In the second photo you can see the nitro color catalogue you’ll find in their store. First we can see the translucent colors, with the most usual hues. They also have many opaque metallic color, with some very interesting shades. Lastly, there are opaque colors, also known as solid.
They also sent me a set of sandpaper with velcro of several grits, from P240 to P3000. I think it will be very useful for sanding uneven surfaces. As well as a spray gun adapter for use with the spray cans, which I’m also looking forward to trying out.
I’ve never used these solid spray colors before and I’m curious to see how black gloss will lock. I’ll use the white primer as a base. I’m going to try to lacquer a piece of MDF. First I’ll use P240 sandpaper.
I’ll shake the can in the station and then attach it to the gun. I apply a fine coat of sealer and it seems the gun works wonderfully. These kinds of sealers are meant to be used on porous wood, and MDF tends to soak in a lot of lacquer. I’d like for the sealer to cover enough so that I only need one coat of the black color.
After 30 minutes, I can sand down the base, this time with P400 grit. Now, in the same way, I apply another coat of the opaque black gloss. After another 30 minutes, it’s dry to the touch.
The result is amazing and I only had to apply one coat of coloring. Now, if I wanted a deeper and glossier finish, I could apply a couple of coatings of transparent nitro lacquer gloss, and then I could even polish the nitrocellulose with a buffing wheel to achieve the glossy finish you find on electric guitars.
Nitrocellulose lacquers aren’t as hard as polyurethane or polyester-based ones, but the advantage is that they’re much easier to apply, even as a spray. They’re much easier to sand down, and unlike those other lacquers, the various coats applied with nitro lacquer merge into a single layer.
The other major difference is that we don’t need two components, unlike with polyurethane. Nitro lacquer dries through the evaporation of its solvents, not due to the reaction of two components. Besides, they dry really quickly, reducing the endless waiting periods between coatings.
Now I’m going to show you how to use these sprays to varnish birch plywood and black-tinted MDF. I had already sanded the interior of the station before putting it together, and now I only have to sand the exterior with P120 grit.
The solvents of nitro lacquer are dangerous. Remember to use a good face mask when varnishing and sanding with these products. First I have to detach as many parts as possible. We must be careful not to warp the edges with the sandpaper. This requires a little practice. It’s not necessary to set the sander at full power. A medium speed is advisable.
As you can see in the second photo, I usually leave the screws embedded by a few tenths of a millimeter so that I don’t touch them with the sandpaper. In the third photo you can see that the joints between the side and the base, I make it so that the side sticks out a few tenths of a millimeter so that I can make it level with the base later with the sander itself. On the edges of the station tht was already assembled, we must be careful not to warp the wood. To soften the edges, I use a block of wood and P120 grit.
I’m giong to start with the MDF doors. First I apply a fine coat. The edges of the MDF are going to be the most difficult part to cover, so I’ll apply twice as much product, applying lacquer again also after turning the piece. In the video you can see how fast this Nitorlack nitrocellulose lacquer dries when used on MDF. Birch plywood is not very porous so it’s going to be easier to cover, even on the edges.
As expected, MDF needs a second coat. Birch could be left as is with one coat, but I’m going to apply a second coat after sanding it down with P320 grit. I use a block of wood and sandpaper to avoid sanding off too much of the applied product from the edges and small parts. I only use the sander on larger parts.
When we’re done, it’s important to turn the spray and hold down the nozzle for a few seconds to drain its inner tube and prevent the lacquer from obstructing it when drying. This way you can continue using it in perfect condition when you need it.
After the second coat, both materials look perfect. With this lacquer you can achieve a very silky and professional finish with little effort, both on porous and non-porous woods. To varnish this project I used a can of nitro lacquer.
