Looking for sources of Nitro-Cellulose Lacquer paint

A. Nitro based paints aren't as durable as the types of paints used as automotive finishes these days. Yes, California has restrictive laws concerning emissions of volatile organic compounds, so it is difficult to find a manufacturer of these types of paints in that state.

A. Here in California it's pretty much 2-part paints. Also these paints contain isocyanates which can be deadly. I am not too sure about nitro cellulose, it was replaced with acrylic lacquer in the 50's. Acrylic lacquer is still made by Dupont (under the name Lucite, this is the original acrylic lacquer) and by PPG under the name Duracryl. These are easy to spray and will give you the finish you are looking for. When you see "show" lacquer jobs this is usually what is is. This stuff polishes up like glass. Auto color library in San Diego, CA. makes and ships just about any color.

Hope this helps.

A. Check out Robert Turnquist, his shops name was Hibernia and he is located in NJ. He used to have a large selection of nitro cellulose paints.

Good Luck!

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Ed. note: Nitrocellulose paint for restorations is also reportedly available from Durobond Paints in Australia.

A. Nitrocellulose paints/varnish are used on high end electric guitar finishes - check out Luthiers and Guitar repair shops.

A. William Wolf in Cleveland,Ohio has English nitrocellulose. Also Glasso german lacquer is available from Alplex Automotive in Connecticut. Ditzler Ditz-Lac lacquer will hold up for years if applied properly and given reasonable care.

A. Arcal Chemical makes an 031 Nitrocellulose Lacquer.

A. I use nitro all the time to finish guitars. The only people I know making it are cabinet maker suppliers. That is where I get mine here in Canada. None of the auto paint places have it nor are they allowed to use it in Canada. I believe it is the same in California if not the entire USA. Canada has gone a step further and only waterborne paint will be allowed for autos starting 2009.

You cannot get it shipped from other countries legally without a lot of headaches. You should be able to find at least one place that makes nitro cellulose in your area. The auto places will be no help, look for cabinetmaker suppliers. Deft clear lacquer is nitro so if you find a can of deft in your hardware store read the label and see who actually made it. There is a website for guitar finishers called reranch.com that sells it in spray bomb form US only. Perhaps they can hook you up.

A. ML Campbell makes a 550 VOC, legal in the SF bay area, and a 275 VOC legal in the LA area, Nitrocellulose Lacquer. Louis and Company distributes it locally from their Fremont, CA location for the wood working industry.

Good luck, Jim

A. Nitrocellulose lacquer is available from Bill Hirsch products, just "google" them on the internet. It will also require a special thinner and other additives available from Dan's Distributing in Sonora, Ca. a county that allows lacquer painting.

A. I'm involved with antique aircraft restoration. The paint buildup on fabric used to be nitrate dope which is compatible with lacquers. It may even be the same as what they used on cars in the pre WWII era. Nitrate dope is still available. Butyrate dopes were developed in WWII as they were less flammable.

A. Hello.
I build and repair guitars and if it's Nitrocellulose your looking for, I've been able to find a company out of Ohio called Stewart MacDonald.
They carry everything from the Lawrence-McFadden line used by OEM's such as Fender Guitars, down to spray cans of ColorTone brand for hobbyists.
Keep in mind, it's a Stringed Instrument supply company so they won't be answering any automotive questions. Machine Heads not Gear Heads.
Greg.

A. Nitrocellulose paints are manufactured in India by M/s. Esdee Paints Ltd. and M/s. Hero Paints Ltd.

We have used the water based paints for about 5 years as we cannot use cellulose by law. It surprisingly is hard wearing and the polish we spray over it gives a really nice finish, the only complaint we have is it takes a lot of drying, and cars that should get two or three coats can, according to the weather, take two or three days. Cliff Jones car repairs - Cheshire, England, UK January 3, 2010

A. Hibernia Auto Restorers, in Hibernia, NJ sells nitrocellulose and acrylic lacquers. They have color chips dating back to the 1920's and can match almost any color. For acrylic lacquer, the "Color Library" site.

A. If you want Nitrocellulose lacquer in CA try here:
www.douglasandsturgess.com/product/CC-1022.html

January 23, 2011 When someone asks questions regarding lacquer paint there is typically a response that the paint is not as durable. This has long been the case; almost anything can mess up lacquer paint. That's not the issue. Lacquer paint is a paint for hobbyists or others who want to maintain their paint just like they maintain their engine, tires, etc. Lacquer paint has better color characteristic than most any paint particularly in monotone solid colors. Lacquer can be sanded to a much smoother finish than any other paint. I prefer this immensely to the fabricated method of using clear to enhance depth. Sure lacquer chips, cracks, fades, etc., but it's very simple to spray and sand a spot or even paint the spot with a brush and sand or fill chips with a toothpick and sand. When the paint becomes thin, just add a few new coats. Besides the fine finish on show cars that everyone notices, is isn't often mentioned that the owners spend time maintaining the paint, and damages are easy to repair. It's not the durability, it's the finish and maintenance. Steve Bowen - Dallas Texas July 12, 2011 There is a lot of misinformation about different technology paints. A lacquer is defined as a coating that dries solely by the evaporation of the solvents. There is no further reaction that take place. Enamel paints dry by oxidation of the "drying oils" in them (such as linseed oil). Two pack paints dry by chemical reaction between the resins in the two parts. Nitrocellulose resin is the primary resin in nitrocellulose lacquers. It is an excellent choice for interior wood. It is very easy to apply and it give wood a nice "warm" look. However, it does not stand up outdoors, and as such I do not recommend a nitrocellulose lacquer for any exterior finish. Lacquers are easy to apply, easy to repair and easy to polish to high gloss. So "back in the day" auto manufacturers would use multiple coats of such a lacquer to finish cars, but it didn't hold up. Later, acrylic lacquers were developed for auto use, and they have good durability and are easy to use. The two pack acrylic urethanes have excellent durability. But they are harder to apply and usually cost more. John Davis - San Francisco, California USA

A. Here in South Africa nitro paint is easy to get hold of; it is generally called Duco. Around where I live there are at least seven auto paint shops that stock it along with everything else needed to apply and polish it. The range of colours available are mind numbing and I've even added glitter (the type used in arts and crafts) to some darker colours with fantastic results. I have painted a few cars with it as well as a guitar for my nephew. It does however need substantial thinning to spray otherwise it tends to make 'spider webs or blobs on the project...the latter of which could reveal pit marks when sanded down...so thinning it to a watery consistency is important for spraying.

It can be easily applied by brush if you feel like flatting (sanding) it down to a smooth finish. As far as polishing goes, a smooth surface prepared with a 1500 to 2000 auto paper gives phenomenal shine but be sure to sand in one direction and not in circles as circular motion leaves swirl marks. The same method for polishing and buffing applies -- at least that's what I found to work best when working by hand. Hope you find what you are looking for.

A. We make California legal lacquer paints. Check us out on eBay or google us.

Ed. note: This site is for camaraderie and technical info exchange, and we normally don't print any sourcing info (why?). We made an exception for nitrocellulose lacquer because is is becoming hard to find. But one of the reasons is that one "testimonial" always leads to a louder one from a competitor, precipitating a race to the bottom that ends with shills posting pages of spam while posing as satisfied customers :-)

If you want your product mentioned as another potential source here, we'll do it to be fair. But if you want to claim that it is better, cheaper, more convenient or in any way superior to the other offerings, then order an ad here -- because we won't print such postings. Sorry.

A. John Goudey at 21 Primrose Ave in Toronto will mix lacquers for you in any colour

A. I have almost 400 cans of automobile Dupont lacquer paint from the 50's and 60's still good.

A. Hi Vikram. This site is primarily about metal finishing, and therefore it focuses more on how to choose & apply finishes, and resolve issues in those areas, rather than how to formulate chemicals. But we'll post your inquiry and hope for the best. Good luck.

Regards,

A. Hallo Vikram
Have you solved the problem? I just saw it today.

The NC Binders can be dried faster by using good and quick-drying solvents for making a paint. Keep the layer thin by dissolving it in quick drying solvents and using a ball mill to ensure the cellulose is completely dry.

The binders burn quickly, and drying it faster than reasonable speed will compromise the finish quality. Once the drying is almost done, hot air can do the rest fast.
We dry it in a machine with spinning and drying with hot and dry air. Bangalore can be humid so you have to use dry air.

A. You can but its not advisable, as Nitrocellulose is a thermoplastic and Acrylic is a thermosetting.
Thermoplastics(Tp) are less durable than thermoset(Ts),that's why they were replaced!
If you cover a Tp with a TS, the durability is only as good as the weakest finish (the Tp). Really you need to go with another Nitrocellulose paint or strip it back to the metal for the most hard-wearing coat possible.
Hope this helps and isn't too confusing!