Drum Building Tutorial - Using Pre-cat Lacquer Topcoats

Using ML Campbell Pre-Cat Lacquer Topcoats
DF# MLCGLOSS & MLCSATIN

Before spraying, make sure the surface is clean of all dust or other particles. You may want to use a tack cloth or compressed air. The lacquer topcoat is self sealing, meaning you don't need to use a separate sealer product.

It's a good idea to mount a rack of some sort to a lazy suzan so you can rotate while you spray. When spraying, move the fan of the can up and down the height of the shell, overlapping each line with the next. Make sure the fan spray tip is oriented correctly so the spray pattern is horizontal (test by spraying a piece of cardboard). You'll be putting on up to 12 coats, so don't be greedy. Spray a light "just wet" coat to prevent runs. Each time you spray a shell you will make two passes around the shell. One coat equals two passes around the shell. Each pass is a light coat that will be less likely to run and easier to control.

Because this finish is self sealing, sand lightly after 2-3 coats with 320-400 grit sandpaper and clean the surface again for dust. In total, you will spray 10 coats of top coat on your shell. You must wait another 6 to 10 minutes between coats so the previous coat has time to dry. After 10 coats, you will need to let the finish dry and cure for at least 24 hours. This will make it easier for you to sand without the sandpaper clogging up with gummy finish. Wet sanding will prevent this, but the finish should "powderize" to the consistency of baby powder when sanding. Wet sanding creates a slurry of the powder and water. Make sure you use plenty of water when wet sanding.

When the finish is dry and cured, you are ready do the final sanding before you spray your final two coats. Use at least 600 grit sandpaper. For the final two coats, use the same spraying method as before. Make sure that your surface is clean of debris and grease. If you make a mistake, you can always wait until it is dry, then sand and try again.

Why so many coats?
Aerosols have fewer solids than products sprayed with a spray gun because an aerosol spray can has a smaller spray orifice. Using a spray gun will result in the best finish, but if you follow our directions here you can end up with a pretty nice finish without a significant investment in equipment.

Sanding and Polishing the Final Coat (for gloss finishes)

If you want your finish to look even nicer than it does now, you'll need to once again smooth the surface by sanding. Depending on how smooth or rough the finish is, you can wet sand using either the Matador 800 or Matador 1200 grit sanding discs. Again, it is a learning process to know how much to sand. Don't be surprised if you sand through on your first attempt. Be careful at the edges of the drums, as this is where sand-throughs most often occur.

For polishing, you can use a variety of products found at an auto supply store. You'll want to first use a cleaner/polish that removes fine scratches, then a polish to bring out the shine. Finish it off with a wax like caranuba wax - this will repel dust and dirt.