I see on the show and many other shows that they find vintage pieces then have them "sprayed" but is that spray painted? or lacquer? What do I ask for from a painter?I see on the show and many other shows that they find vintage pieces then have them "sprayed" but is that spray painted? or lacquer? What do I ask for from a painter?spray paintlacquer paint

This is tough because of nomenclature. The paint is sprayed on using a compressor, but the term "spray paint" usually refers to acrylic based aerosol paint.Here where I work, our finishing shop uses an oil based paint thinned with a solvent, a "lacquer thinner" to facilitate the drying by evaporation of the solvent.Based on the drying process it would be considered "lacquer" although technically it's not.
Lacquer was originally a technique, not a product,(verb vs. noun) using a clear finish coat with an amber hue made from organic materials like crushed beetles.

Thanks Charles, I always wanted to know the technique used. You have cleared up a lot of questions that I had about the process. I can see how what is done at your shop can produce a durable professional result. My attempts at spraying a good quality enamel were less than stellar.