Laquer or Polyurethane?

[JBernie]

I am sure that this has been discussed several times in the past. But what the heck!

What do you prefer? Laquer or Polyurethane or Other?

Pro's and con's.

THANKS!

 

[TomN]

This link has a nice chart:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_finishing#Comparison_of_different_clear_finishes


I'm just a dummy as far as wood finishing goes but I think another difference is that lacquer is so quick drying that dust contamination is minimized. Polyurethane, on the other hand, can take a long time to dry/cure, especially if the humidity is not low.

Good luck.

 

[Purdie Shuffle]

Bernie - It really is a matter of personal choice. Both are fine to use on drums. Other than the fact that the polyurethane will provide more surface protection (it's thicker/heavier) they will both do the job. If it's a kit you'll be gigging, I'd go with the urethane.

John

 

[Kevin_S]

Lacquer is a great finish - and highly under-rated. It dries extremely fast and is easily repaired because each coat "burns into" the one below it. Urethanes are tougher but offgas for a month or more. I also use polyester and automotive urethane. They cure very quickly and can be polished in a day.

 

[Concrete Pete]

Hey Jbernie,

I'd suggest Urethane or Polyurethane, as P.S. recommended.

Minwax has some really killer stuff, and it's WELL worth the money. I use the stuff for hardwood flooring, and usually do 3-5 coats, scuffing in between. It's close to bullet-proof, and has an incredible depth and sheen. You can also get it in Satin finish.

Cheers,
C. P.

 

[BFdrums]

I always use lacquer. Super easy to work with. Spray it on and steel wool between coats until you get the perfect shine. Never liked polyurethane for many reasons. It can ship and crack when humidity and heat change as well as when you bump it with something. It also tends to yellow over time which is never good when you want something to look good and shiny. Most polyurethanes leave a "milky" coating that isn't as clear as lacquer.

 

[Bongo Congo]

Shoot, not much consensus reached in all these different replies. I was hoping for some definitive conclusion. I was always under the impression that lacquer was the better choice (easier to apply, to overcoat, sufficiently durable, and thin enough to not dampen the drum), but I'm just as much up in the air as ever....

Drum makers use lacquer, right (As in Gretsch, DW, Yamaha, etc)?

 

[TomN]

This page from the Drum Foundry has good info on various types of finishes:

http://www.drumfoundry.com/t-shell_finish_overview.aspx

 

[Bongo Congo]

This page from the Drum Foundry has good info on various types of finishes:

http://www.drumfoundry.com/t-shell_finish_overview.aspx

THANK YOU, TomN. Now, I finally feel like I have a handle on this question. Very informative reading!


"Polyester" is what the drum makers use..... I was not aware of that.

 

[Kevin_S]

This page from the Drum Foundry has good info on various types of finishes:

http://www.drumfoundry.com/t-shell_finish_overview.aspx

THANK YOU, TomN. Now, I finally feel like I have a handle on this question. Very informative reading!


"Polyester" is what the drum makers use..... I was not aware of that.

Drum mfrs use polyester and lacquer, mainly, because of speed. They cure very fast and can be polished quickly. Polyester is an awesome finish that has a very high build and does not require grain filling on coarse-grain woods. Lacquer is a very good, time-honored, finish and should be sprayed on for best results. There are some "brushing lacquers" out there that have more "open time" but I only spray my finishes so I can't attest to them. As I mentioned, polyurethane is tougher than lacquer, but a lot of times what a builder chooses as finish is a function of the tools and experience he has and with what finish.

 

[TomN]

I refinished a drum set after removing the wrap and old glue with Minwax glossy oil based Wipe On Poly a few years ago.

I had read several articles saying how good and durable the finish was with this stuff. Since I was lacking in workspace, equipment, and experience, this worked well for me. Nine coats of the wipe on poly with light sanding in between coats.

What I got was a decent non-professional finish.

Over time I noticed that the finish went from being a little glossy to mostly satin-like. I'm guessing that this is from less than perfect surface prep and my not doing any type of wet sanding at the end. But overall, I'm happy with how the set turned out.

 

[Bongo Congo]

TomN, I think that came out very well. In fact, it looks identical to a set of gloss maple Ludwigs I owned in the 'eighties. I'm almost positive they were lacquer....

 

[AaronLatos]

I've never shot lacquer... never had the space or equipment to do it. That being said, for brush on application, I absolutely freaking LOVE waterbased poly. I had very good results refinishing some Ludwigs with it a few years ago. I did another tom for that kit earlier this spring, and I really went to town on wet sanding (in between coats) and wound up with GREAT results. If I bought a new kit finished like that, I'd be happy.

I used the Minwax stuff, and an old can of it at that. I DID have some issues, which, from talking to some people over at ghostnote, is precisely a) because I used Minwax, and because it was old. Apparently Target Coatings is the "go to" brand for a lot of people these days: relatively inexpensive and supposed to be greatly superior in quality and properties to Minwax. I'm going to grab some for my next product. Both EM9300 and EM6000 are supposed to be great. http://www.targetcoatings.com

Now that the technology is coming into maturity, waterbased finishes are GREAT. Easy to work with, fantastically quick recoat times, and no fumes to speak of. One day it started raining when I was coating my drum... I had to bring it in after only 10 minutes of curing time. Put it in a back room. No stink, no problem.

 

[tomtomz]

Lacquer is great if you can spray it from a gun. You can leave it in the gun and keep shooting every few hours without cleaning up the gun.

It has a nasty, explosive solvent which needs to be vented properly. Every year or so I hear that some local woodworker burned down his house spraying lacquer and the fumes ignited and that's all she wrote.

Lacquer is fairly sensitive to temperature and humidity, and will also get milky if applied when the humidity is high unless you use an additive to address that issue.

You can't beat poly for simplicity, but lacquer is excellent if you have the gear to do it right - it builds very quickly.

 

[zildjian@consol]

All 3 have their strong and weak points. Polyester is the hardest of the three because of it's solid content.Polyurethane needs to be automotive grade,it's as hard as a cars finish.Any way you go buy high quality products and make sure they will work together, paint or stain with the clear you pick. I use to paint for Robin Guitars when they were in production and have used all three.

 

[Rhett]

Automotive Urethane is a great choice as well. It sands much easier than lacquer or poly, and is much harder and glossier. It is a little more expensive than lacquer or poly, but the final finish is excellent. And if you are set up to spray lacquer, you are set up to spray auto urethane.

www.hdcustomdrums.com

Here is a photo of a kit I did with automotive clear coat.

 

[multijd]

I just tried some spray shellac on a drum. In the past I have brushed on polyurethane but the weather is too cold for that now. I was advised to try shellac and so far am happy with the results. This is a no critical situation.

 

[HoorayGuy]

I sprayed mine with polyester.

 

[JazzDrumGuy]

I hand apply Minwax satin poly when I refinish drums. I dont like lacquer, I don't have a sprayer and I enjoy the process by hand.

 

[esooy]

Be careful not to apply too many layers of lacquer. I've seen more than once where people want that thick, deep gloss, only to have the finish crack down the road sometime. Solvent based lacquer will also off gas and shrink slowly over time. It'll look great in the near term, but it's a risk in the long term.