Pre-Cat Lacquer

Bentely would be the one to chime in here, he uses it in his shop.

we used to knock the shine down with a piece of notebook paper not sure if thats what your asking 🙄

That's good to know, thanks, Bently! My big thing is that the lacquer and shellac smell for (seemingly) years after application, though I do like the way lacquer applies and looks (including the yellowing, which I consider a feature).

on small projects i use miwax rattle can laq. i can add a coat every 30 minutes and be done,and it looks great. i hate finishing !

I refinished some MCM chairs last summer with Mohawk nitrocellulose lacquer and I was very surprised that the smell was completely gone within 24 hours.  A local hardware store carries pretty much the entire line of Mohawk finishes either by the gallon or in rattle cans.  Great stuff.  

Bently is the pre cat King. No one knows it better than him

I used MinWax Golden Oak stain, and I'm waiting for that to dry. Just the insides, so that I can glue the thing up. There's a SW store near our rental house, which is in escrow. I drive over almost every day to make sure squatters haven't gotten in. I'll go by the SW store and check that rattle can finish out.

oops, wrong entry... thought you were talking about liquour.

Do the chemical coating stores carry oil based products? Last time I was in a regular SW they were phasing out all oil based products. 

I'm seeing it advertised on the internet, but it may not be available in California. I'll be finding out this morning. If all else fails, I have a spray can of satin shellac.

I use the Mohawk pre-cat exclusively, I buy it by the gallon cans (and the vinyl sealer) for air spraying.
Used to be stupid cheap ($35/gallon) but even now at about $50, still a bargain.

The "pre mix" is good for 1 year typically, but I have used it 6 months after the "best by" date without issues.
Instructions are to let flash for 40 minutes then 220 scuff the surface for any additional coats. I used to scuff down the final with #0000 wool but now unless there are defects, I leave the final alone. When I used the "Gloss" for a table top, I went all out with a final sanding to 4000 to make a glass flat surface. 

Not 100% sure if the spray cans are the same stuff (and expire) , but overall the pre-cat is sooo much better than the straight  "Deft" for hardness. Never tried it without the sealer (provides a flexible layer between wood and lacquer). Favorite is "satin" which is glossy, but not plastic shiny, "Matte" is very flat.

Also impressed that I can spray it at 50F without issues, just different amounts of thinner depending on temp. Does have a strong odor but that dissipates over a week.

I use this more than any other finish.

1 or 2 coats looks like plain wood with no finish. Dries quickly.

I don't know what's up with the price here. I get it locally for less than $10, I think 7 or 8 last year. I get 5 or 6 cans at a time. Only 1 vendor here.

Linkhttps://www.amazon.com/Mohawk-Pre-Catalyzed-Clear-Lacquer-Dead/dp/B00IO38GYW/ref=sr_1_2?crid=319MTPACIB7UD&keywords=mohawk+dead+flat&qid=1676910762&s=hi&sprefix=mohawk+dead+flat%2Ctools%2C123&sr=1-2

Ouch! Must be some crazy haz-mat fee or just greedy!

I buy from here and try to get the 9.99 flat rate shipping since otherwise that would wipe out any savings.
$9.50 at Klingspor's 

Went to a SW store on the way to the rental house. They don't carry it but have Deft and shellac. I then remembered that I have gloss clear and matte clear automotive top coat lacquer left from a paint job I did on a car. I wonder if that is as tough as pre-cat, given that it lasts for so many years?

Over the years I've found that there are no quick finishes. Most of us like the making but then want the project 'finished' in 5 minutes. I don't think it can't be done! So many projects end up looking like they are covered with glossy treacle,  or gooey olive oil.  Take your time.  60% making time and 40% finishing time.  Hmmmm!... my hobby horse....

My concern is mainly for wear, secondary is not smelling it for months. As for finishing, it's sanded to 220 grit with one round of raising the grain via wiping with a damp cloth. I've plenty of patience for making it nice.

I said to heck with pre-cat lacquer and shot it with MinWax oil based fast-drying polyurethane.

Can't beat the spray nozzle on those MinWhacks cans, like a fog!