Now open the air on the gun till a fine wet mist is achieved. I use birch due to not having large grain cavities as oak will, so you can see the evenness of the applied finish better at an angle. I like to leave the plywood leaning up also. This will tell me if I'm to thin and will run on my project later. In the actual finishes, there is a general misconception in that, one just goes buy 1 gallon and start shooting.
Any lacquer needs a sealer, and special sealers are made that are soft and easy to sand.
There are two basic sealers. A sanding sealer, and vinyl sealer and both are easy sanding. This makes leveling of grain surfaces easier, as well as a good build needed for that soft and deep finish. The reasons are, that the square pads get into corners better than the round sanders, and the paper is cheaper in sheet form. I generally put on 3 coats of sanding sealer, depending on how I like the results after the third.