Sealing the old finish, is required for proper application of lacquer. It also takes many, thin coats, and even though it dries quickly, it is necessary to let it dry a couple hours between coats. It is necessary to do a light sanding between coats and wipe down with tack cloth. Each coat will make it a bit glossier. You can use shellac for the sealer, or buy a special sealer especially for lacquer. Dont forget that you really need good ventilation. Those fumes are toxic. Good Luck and have fun with it.

thanks cat! i did seal it using Zinsser BIN shellac based primer/sealer. it's supposed to seal and prime knots, but the knots really bled after i sealed it. i'm not sure exactly the species but it's a soft wood with knots, so i'm guessing pine. i wonder if i should have done another round of zinsser due to the bleed through of the knots. though the lacquer seems to have done a decent job covering the knots, so maybe it's ok. it's the lack of luster that surprised me.

i lightly sanded with fine grit after the primer/sealer.

i have another whole can and a little of the first can so once it dries i'll lightly sand and go at it again.

and no worries - i'm set up in the garage with both doors open and it's a LOVELY day. :)

Maggie, if the Rustoleum doesn't turn out glossy enough, I bought a quart of Ben Moore Advance paint yesterday in the High Gloss finish, and it's like glass, it's so shiny.

It's water based, which I like and I also got their recommended primer 'Fresh Start'. I'm re-doing a free Craigslist piece and will be sanding it down to bare wood, so wanted to get a good primer.

ok - i love a good backup option!

do you plan to seal the BM Advance? or is it intended to stand alone? i imagine if it's that glossy you don't seal it?

i was actually thinking about getting some PPG Speed Hide in high gloss because they just used that product in a semi-gloss finish on our trim and i feel like i could have put makeup on in the reflection of my cabinets. :) so high gloss must be glossy if semi-gloss was that shiny.

No, I won't put anything on top of the Advance. I feel like it would slide right off! It's used for cabinets, etc, which I had read about, so buying a quart at I think $18.99 was a relatively inexpensive way to try it, since I got the chest I'm using it on free. I know there will be lots of paint left when I'm done, too. I got the darkest navy blue I could get, Old Navy, and I also feel like it's like a mirror in just the sample I've dried.

Did my powder room in BM Advance High gloss. All the walls, ceiling, woodwork, door. So glossy it looks wet and levels out very nicely. My dh actually thought the woodwork was still wet. Also painted a piece of furniture with it in a white. Very nice.

Another option is to use the Minwax poly in gloss on top of the paint. Here is the dresser I did with that.

PS--that is the oil based poly that gave that shine, the water based one didn't do it for me, this went on top of that! Just wanted to make sure to be clear.

beekeeperswife - i would TOTALLY just copy what you did on those blue pieces, but i'm doing white paint so the oil based poly isn't an option. :(

how would you rate the glossiness of BM Advance in gloss v. the poly over latex paint?

just a little update - immediately after applying the second coat i was still discouraged and planning to buy some high gloss BM Advance. (PPG doesn't sell the speedhide in a quart)

but after drying overnight it's looking MUCH shinier! so i'm going to do one or two more coats to thicken up this gloss and i think it'll be perfect. the process isn't what i expected, but it's starting to look more like lacquer should. :)

thanks for the tips! i'll post pics of the nightstands when they're done.

I would say that the minwax gloss might be a bit "wetter" looking than the BM Advance. But I'm comparing a white BM Advance dresser to the blue one. The purple door in my powder room done in the BM Advance high gloss is very reflective though.