Lacquer needs to go on in very thin coats. Getting yourself a good spraying setup is a bit expensive but worth it if you do a lot of projects. You can find it in paint spray cans as well. They work very well for small projects.
Just be sure to apply it outside. The fumes from it has a real kick. I generally apply it with all the doors open in the garage plus a spray shield setup around it with some old shower curtains.