Banjorb3 - Posted - 06/02/2026:  19:19:22

I have always used "musical instrument" lacquer to finish necks, but I am wondering how this differs from lacquer you can buy in a hardware. If you have used the hardware store variety, I'd be interested in what your results were.

What exactly is the difference between the two?

Culloden - Posted - 06/02/2026:  22:07:08

I'm not sure what the difference is but I have used Rust-O-Leum lacquer from Home Depot on several instruments. I have sprayed it over stained wood with no problems. I have not used it on bare wood, but I wouldn't think there would be any problems there, either. I have used it over sanding sealer with equally good results.
The only issue I have is that I sometimes use canned colored nitrocellulose lacquer from Stewart MacDonald. I have never tried to use hardware store lacquer over that, nor do I plan to. Just in case there is a substantial difference, I don't want to take the chance of ruining a finish job.
Just use light coats and let them dry adequately between applications.

steve davis - Posted - 06/02/2026:  22:14:41

I finished my Stew-Mac "Vintage" kit with canned Sherwinn Williams lacquer and liked the results.
I believe lacquer is basically lacquer.I

Bill Rogers - Posted - 06/03/2026:  00:22:44

Spray-can lacquer is fine. Make sure it’s nitrocellulose. It will be on the thin sice because it has to get through the can nozzle. That just means more coats. I know serious luthiers who turned to spray-can lacquer for small jobs when CA air regulations made spray-booth work uneconomical. The regs spawned shops that were fully equipped to meet them and where finish work was all that they did.

lightgauge - Posted - 06/03/2026:  03:40:38

I have a friend that bought spray lacquer from his local Ace hdwe and had a myriad of problems. It would not build to cover and stayed full of pitted areas. It also never hardened and the stickiness was permanent. Anything touching it left an imprint. Quite a mess. I have been pleased with Mohawk spray cans.

pinenut - Posted - 06/03/2026:  09:53:06

I have had issues with aerosol can lacquer: drying to fast, not building, not hardening, etc; not acceptable.  Some of the pre-canned may be good but not the common hardware varieties.

The stuff that comes in gallons works well; the flat and satin have fillers for building coats and the gloss/satin are for finish.  Thin it and spray it = good.  I use a siphon gun, (gravity guns should be fine too) lacquer is forgiving and likes to be well atomized.

I agree with steve davis, "lacquer is basically lacquer".

Edited by - pinenut on 06/03/2026 09:57:28

Old Hickory - Posted - 06/03/2026:  12:17:15

I've used spray can Deft or Minwax nitrocellolose lacquer on the faces of Fender bass and Gibson banjo pegheads and to overspray the banjo's heel after touching up color.

I also brushed Deft lacquer onto a resonator as a temporary refinish over a big worn spot. The purpose was to provide protection until I could get around to having the resonator stripped and refinished.

I honestly don't know what constitutes differences in different brands of nitro lacquer.

Banjorb3 - Posted - 06/05/2026:  20:26:16

All,

Thanks for your replies.

Home Depot sells Watco brand nitrocellulose lacquer (owned by Rust-O-leum) in both a spray can and in qt/gal containers, but the non-spray variety is a brush lacquer. Can a brush lacquer be sprayed successfully?