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If you have done lacquer touch-up can you tell us the steps you used in prep of the area and what products you used? Inquiring minds want to know!

The area should be as close to sporting a mirror finish as possible. Final touches can be done GENTLY with a silver polishing cloth and a clean piece of flannel.
If if the surrounding lacquer has darkened a bit over time, the raw shiny surface can be subtly oxidized by going over it with a torch flame carefully, but without getting it too hot.
Rattle-can Nikolas 2105 clear lacquer looks the best. Rattle-can Rustoleum clear epoxy enamel is slightly more durable, but does not look as good.
If it blushes, you can dance over it with a torch flame while blowing on it to pull the moisture out, and blowing on it prevents the wet lacquer from catching on fire. Your lips should not have any saliva on them, because you don’t want to spit in the finish. You would need to blow from not far away, which requires a bit of courage.

bloke wrote: ↑Fri Jan 01, 2021 1:35 pm The area should be as close to sporting a mirror finish as possible.

The places I have look like the lacquer has peeled. Should I feather those down with sandpaper (800-1500 grit) first, then polish?

Stryk wrote: ↑Fri Jan 01, 2021 5:56 pm

bloke wrote: ↑Fri Jan 01, 2021 1:35 pm The area should be as close to sporting a mirror finish as possible.

The places I have look like the lacquer has peeled. Should I feather those down with sandpaper (800-1500 grit) first, then polish?

Unless you go all the way down to 5000 grit, the lacquer that you are trying to "feather" will still look "scratchy"...and - regardless of what you do - the old lacquer's borders are still going to - very clearly - show.

If I were to want to lacquer a entire tuba would the spray can be enough. Would I be fighting a losing battle trying to lacquer a tuba this way?

I think you need 3 to 4 cans, several light coats. Be patient, go slow, don't put too much on at one time to avoid drips. Easier said than done.


One of the hardest parts is getting the tuba spotless first, and clean all traces of polish residue

Thanks, I think I'll practice on a trashed trumpet, then maybe a baritone, before I work up the courage to try a tuba.

Rattle-can Nikolas 2105 is very thin, dries fairly slowly, and is very prone to blushing.
It also (when dry, for whatever reason) often seems to reflect light with a bit of a rainbow/prism effect.

I would consider attempting to lacquer an entire tuba with those cans as nightmarish, and could just imagine frantically going over endless square feet of tuba exterior surface - with a torch flame - attempting to pull out moisture and defeat blushing (and possibly: runs).

I'm not amazing at lacquering tubas, but I've had some success doing it.

I use my ancient/trusty Binks gun and Devilbiss big compressor. I mix 2105 lacquer, thinner, and anywhere from none-to-a-ton of drying retarder - depending on how much humidity is in the air. Incidentally, I store these items in an approved double-wall metal cabinet. If the air is absurdly humid, I might actually use NO thinner and ONLY lacquer and drying retarder, but I would STRONGLY prefer to wait to lacquer on another day (though I'd be tempted go ahead and proceed with this tack, with a trumpet or trombone). More drying time increases the chances for dust and runs. I have a clean, empty glass quart jar standing by, and (when I have enough lacquer on a tuba - I quickly (while the lacquer is still wet) go back with a fresh mix of mostly thinner and a little bit of lacquer (moving the gun VERY fast) to catch any over-spray. I personally refer to that as "bright-coating". I never "bright-coat" bell interiors, because there's just too much of a chance of causing runs.

When I lacquer tubas (no matter how cold it is) - other than a pair of slick-material swim trunks - I remove my shirt and long trousers, because this short-trousers-only strategy minimizes dust in the lacquer.

I don't "do" epoxy finishes, because I'm not an "overhaul shop", and - well - that adds yet one more step which offers additional possibilities for things to go wrong.