Darkening an acrylic lacquered desk

[spambin]

Went to IKEA (8.30 pm Monday night - if you have to go, go then) with nearest and dearest, bought desk we both liked. Got it home, checked the parts, disposed of the packaging, stacked it ready for assembly...

Subject of changing colour of said desk arose.

So, deep breath, can anyone recommend a method of darkening (thank God it's darkening) the desk. It's solid pine, stained and finished with a clear acrylic lacquer. I would like to avoid sanding the damn thing. Can I just apply a coat of darker acrylic lacquer to it? Does pigmented acrylic lacquer exist?

Yours with gritted teeth.

David

[david lang]

[e-mail] wrote: Can I just apply a coat of darker acrylic lacquer to it? Does pigmented acrylic lacquer exist?

Coloured varnish exists, but IMO it always looks pants. The colour is un natural and if it chips or scratches the original colour shows through.

Dave

[Stuart Noble]

I think you need something with a strong solvent to attack the lacquer sufficiently to get it to bond. Briwax original comes in various shades and should do just that. Personally I'd sand it down (easy enough before assembly) and use a tinted varnish, but dark colours usually look awful on pine because of the flowery grain pattern.

[spambin]

Thanks for the advice so far. I gave Briwax a ring and he said that this might work, depending on the cunning technologies used by IKEA.

Any other suggestions from the wisest of groups?

[DJC]

Put it somewhere sunny and soon enough the tuit fairy will fix it for you.

[spambin]

Strangely enough, the tuit fairy must have caused a change of heart as the desk is now "OK". So, crisis averted, but at least this is in the archives for the next time. The nice man at Briwax also advised the sunny option, but as we live in deepest darkest Cheshire, this is not really possible. Maybe me the missus and the desk should go on holiday somewhere sunny...

Thanks again

[Owain]

Someone's written a book about travelling with a fridge, I think it was around Ireland, so provided you don't get stung by too many excess luggage charges the enterprise might be quite a profitable one.

Owain

[Stuart Noble]

It'll soon go that dark orange sauna bath colour

[Andy Dingley]

You _sure_ it's acrylic ? If so, then a quick scuff-sand with 00 wire wool and new acrylic glazes (coloured varnishes) will stick to it fine.

Briwax uses toluene as a solvent and is noted for better stickability than other coloured waxes, hence its popularity amongst the orange-skinned barrow-boys. But I still wouldn't expect a mere wax to be a particularly persistent colouring over the top of a perfect new finish.