"forms a polymer when oxidized in moist air, which takes time; applied in multiple thin layers, with up to a week drying time between layers."

I was told that it was more accurate to call this "curing" rather than drying . . . it was memorably discussed in a long-ago graduate seminar in which a poor guy had tried to do a small lacquer sculpture instead of a paper on lacquer for his final grade in the class. He hadn't counted on the curing time between layers, or on how many layers he was going to need to achieve what he wanted . . .

He didn't do very well in the class . . .