has tight covers and store it in there.
- Use water or NGR stains. If you find it necessary to use a pigmented wiping stain, give it at least
forty-eight hours to dry. Otherwise, the lacquer thinners may act in the manner of paint and varnish
removers. - Give any standard paste filler forty-eight hours to set up hard, for the same reason.
- A safeguard is the use of thinned shellac as a sealer after stains or filler or both.
- Use a lacquer type sander sealer filler unless the wood is of such open grain that paste fillers are
required. - Let everything dry thoroughly, before lacquering, especially any oil resin or petroleum derivative
materials. - When you plan to use lacquer over rosewood or dark mahogany, use a thin shellac wash coat as a
sealer and do not sand it. The shellac will seal the pigment, keeping it from bleeding, and you might cut
through it if you sand, thus breaking the seal.
Lacquer rubs and buffs to a higher polish than you can get with varnish, which is one reason it is so often
used for small, elegant projects that look best with a high finish.
The good rubbing quality also accounts for speedy drying for the popularity of lacquer on most
commercial furniture.
Whenever you want to keep the maximum natural wood color that is, without any of the darkening oil
finishes produce don't forget that lacquer itself is the whitest and the least darkening of all. On top of that
is the magical effect of lacquer lighteners, which leave the wood almost identical in color to its raw hue.
If the wood has an open grain, apply wood filler especially made for stocks and to go under lacquer. It is
important that the correct type of filler be used. One made for varnish will be dissolved by lacquer. After
filler is applied, repolish stock with very fine grit sandpaper.
In applying filler, rub it in both with and across the grain. Let it dry partially and continue rubbing until it
takes on a light sheen. Apply more filler if necessary, to be certain all wood pores and cracks are filled.
Wipe off excess only across the grain. If you wipe with the grain, you will remove the filler. Let dry
thoroughly.
Apply a thin coating of lacquer especially made for gun stocks. A spray can or a paintbrush may be
used. After drying, polish with #400 fine grit paper. Apply another coat of lacquer.
Some workers prefer three or more coats, sanding in between.