Pigmented lacquer separation

[tomf]

I've found some morels lacquer which I'd like to use unfortunately I've had it for a couple of years and the pigment has clumped together at the bottom of the bottle.
Is there a way to rescue this?

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Stir it thoroughly, then do a test spray on a smallish piece of prepped scrap to test for proper curing.

I'm assuming a stirring stick wide plus neck of your 'bottle' which is an unusual container for lacquer. I've never heard before of a manufacturer selling lacquer in a bottle. I've only ever seen Morrell's lacquers (and other maker's lacquers) sold in tins - I guess there's a first for everything, ha, ha. Slainte.

 

[tomf]

Morrels are sold in plastic tubs. I decant into bottles after I strain it so it's easier to keep and pour out into spray gun.

I can't stir it it needs mashing or grinding. Has anyone made a pigment roller or something similar.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Morrels are sold in plastic tubs. I decant into bottles after I strain it so it's easier to keep and pour out into spray gun.

I can't stir it it needs mashing or grinding. Has anyone made a pigment roller or something similar.

I guessed, incorrectly it seems, you were talking about something like their pigmented pre-cat lacquer, but I suspect now your lacquer is one of their water borne products. Given your description of a hard lump of pigment stuck at the bottom which a stirring stick won't break up, my next form of attack would be my trusty paint paddle mounted in the drill's chuck, which in my case is small enough to get into the neck of most plastic finish containers.

If your lacquer is in a narrow necked glass bottle then the paint paddle approach is not likely to succeed, and even if you could get in there I'd be wary of doing so because of the risk of breakage. However, you might be able to put a short screw or nail through near the end of a piece of wood dowel, mount that in a chuck and stir away.

Otherwise, it seems likely you'll have to resort to buying some new lacquer to do your finishing, which is probably not a bad idea anyway because, in my experience, I've generally found scrimping on wood finishes at the end of a project to be a false economy that one way or another usually costs more in the long run. Slainte.

 

[tomf]

Brill thanks.
I ended up putting some nuts in it and putting it in the paint shaker for 10 mins. Seemed to work well.