I sprayed a dough bowl with lacquer, but it doesn't look smooth enough. I have sanded it down twice and resprayed it. It looks like really small round spots as it dries. I want it to look smooth as glass. Will they mix or do I need to take it all off down to the wood? Thanks!!

Woodie - GREAT QUESTION, sir

Thinking of the depth of the finish, where does it look like the "spots" occur ?  Do they look like they are "under" the finish or "part of, in, above" the finish?

It is part of the finish. It looks like extremely small fish eyes, but it is same all over the surface. It is not runny, blotchy. It is almost as if there is not enough lacquer to make it a really smooth finish. I am wondering if I need to remove the lacquer and put poly on it to get a super smooth finish.

I'm reminded of a saying: you can varnish lacquer, but you can't lacquer varnish. that said, I'm not sure it's the solution you need (or want) but really have no idea of the solution.

Fish eye is exactly what you have. It comes from silicone contamination. Lacquer and poly are two completely different products. You could probably get by with putting poly on top but I wouldn't. Lacquer will lift most any finish it's sprayed over except shellac or lacquer itself.

 

Steve

I gave it a couple of coats of shellac prior to the lacquer. I really believe I covered any old finish that might be left in the wood. It's not separating like fish eye, but it just doesn't level out like I want it to. Should I brush lacquer on it. I really don't believe that it is fish eye because it would be random fish eyes instead. Could it be that I just did not spray enough lacquer on it when I was putting a coat on? Thanks!

I would keep going with the lacquer.

 

When I'm faced with repairing a large area with lots of scratch defects (like a chair seat that lost against jean rivets or boot buckles), I spray on many coats of lacquer,  force drying and light sanding in between.  Now touch up aerosol lacquers are lower solids, I still might be putting on 40 or 50 coats over an hour.

 

Subsequent layers will re-amalgamate with lower layers, so many applications = one coat.

I think you said what I think it is . You said it looks like there is not enough lacquer. So wait a half hour or so and give it more coats. I think guys when doing lacquer don't want any runs so they skimp on the amount....

Here's a couple of jobs I did today.   First was just a few coats, second was many