I am making a shelving insert unit to go inside an antique Japanese lacquer cabinet. In keeping with the shiny traditional lacquer, I want the shelving unit to be similar in appearance, even though I am using paint. When shopping for gloss black spray paint, I saw one that is actually labeled as high-gloss lacquer-look.

Shelves are pre-sanded knot free plywood. I carefully sanded the cut edges to 220, and applied a couple of layers of black gesso to the edges to even them out more and make it so (hopefully) they don’t look like plywood. (I had to use plywood because the shelves are narrow, as are the slot-like spaces between them).

I have never actually painted raw wood before. Just stained and varnished. I saw something like a fuzzy texture in some parts on the better sanded sides. I tried sanding that too, and the fuzzies still did not go away. That reminded me of when I stained and varnished some craft store woods, which I think are basswood. Also some Ikea wood storage drawers. I could not get the fuzzy parts to go away, and ended up with something that felt a bit prickly even after varnishing. I have another Ikea drawer unit I need to do soon.

I am ready to spray paint the shelves for this lacquer cabinet. Having never used a gloss spray paint, I think it will show every flaw. Do I sand it between coats? Or, because each layer of paint is thinner, do 3 or so coats, then sand?

And, what is the solution for a smooth stained and varnished finish on a craft store wood like the Ikea drawers? Thanks for your help.