Jnats - Sealing with Cashew Lacquer

Hey Kent - this one's for you!

(He probably doesn't remember - but Kent gave me the idea to make this clip)

Some people seal their stones, others do not.
Some people do it one way, others do it another way.
Whatever....to each their own. YMMV. Something along those lines applies here.

I seal my Jnats, and this is how I usually do it.

Cool video thanks for posting it. I had no idea the cashew lacquer was that thick...it's like honey.
Please have your penguins spayed and neutered....they seem to be multiplying.

YW
It's ricidulously thick. Hon Urushi can be thicker though.

Yeah - the penguins are having way too much fun....

Great details and really enjoy the text within the content to understand your intention.
Thanks
-> Myron

Does cashew Lacquer smell like cashews? Sorry to be so random, but inquiring minds want to know.

Fascinating! I was wondering about the purpose of the lacquer finish. Thanks for the info!
Well done video but the background music made me want to hurry up and hit something with a hammer!

Is the solution stable enough you can make enough for several layers in one go, keep the jar lidded and not typically have to thin it for each layer?

If I let it sit overnight, I usually have to thin it a bit before I get back into it. Otherwise, I usually don't have to add more turps though.
The jar is lidded between each coat, but open while working.
I only mix enough for each job, this stuff can't sit too long, it gets weird pretty quickly.

Brianskeet said:

Does cashew Lacquer smell like cashews? Sorry to be so random, but inquiring minds want to know.

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No, it smells terrible. Just awful.

I'm sure you've covered this in the video, but how long does it typically take for a layer to dry before you can do another layer, on your normal <50% humidity 70 degree day?

When I'm sealing Nagura, I usually let each coat sit until it's tacky, where it'll take a fingerprint but won't readily leave residue on my finger - that would be an hour or two. Sometimes I do 1 coat a day though.
When I seal a stone, I let the first 2 coats cure overnight, then finish the next day - the 3rd coat will set for a couple/few hours before I judge whether or not I'll do another. I may let each coat sit 24hr or a full week though. Depends on what I'm sealing and how much time/space/etc I can invest.

In theory, each coat will take a full week to polymerize completely; and each additional coat would be best applied after the previous one is fully set.

Hey Keith, how hard was it for you to track down the cashew lacquer? I've heard stories about it being difficult to get shipped.

Gamma said:

No, it smells terrible. Just awful.

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Thank you. I have wondered that ever since the first time I ever heard of it.

I'll say one thing for the cashew lacquer...it's durable. I recently had to remove some from my botan. I was very surprised how hard it was to sand off. It's good stuff.

Awesome video Gamma! I had been using Urushi for years but now use Cashew Lacquer after my source went out of business. Urushi can be dangerous stuff, very few available sources in Japan will to ship it.

Cashew sealed stones/nagura look awesome and are very durable. Clear Cashew is not really clear, black and red add a lot of character to any stone. While it is a long process it is well worth it.

Sejanus said:

Hey Keith, how hard was it for you to track down the cashew lacquer? I've heard stories about it being difficult to get shipped.

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Not too difficult really.
I text my friend at Misawa AB and he ships it to me when he sends me stones.

Hmm.. interesting. I'll have to look at maybe getting some Cashew Lacquer at some point. Most if not all of my stones are unsealed and I have only given the stamps a once over with some clear nail polish.. probably wouldn't be a terrible idea to seal them all at some point.

Nice video. I like the way the cashew lacquer looks on a stone, kinda classy.

Saw this vid on your Youtube channel.. awesome.

I love the color it leaves on the stone. I haven't had good luck with clear nail polish. Especially on harder stones. I suspect it needs some level of porosity in order for it to adhere to the stone. I recently did a Zulu with the poured nail polish and though it looked good initially, covering the stone and label with no issues and no bubbles, it just peeled right off in one large sheet.

I'll look for the lacquer

Try thinning the nail polish with acetone - aka, nail polish remover. Use a very thin mix to start. The solvent will help carry the lacquer into the stone's surface and once you have a foothold the rest goes easy.
It helps to clean the stone off first, be sure to dry it well before sealing.