paint sprayer

[gene]

I'm finding opportunities to paint furniture and then apply a protective finish.

I'm looking at buying an HVLP sprayer. Does anyone use one for these purposes?

I've got my eye on a $14.00 one from Harbor Freight, and a $129.00 self contained one from Rockler.

Thanks,

Gene

[Mojo]

I would try the Harbor Freight one first to see if this is something you want to add to your services before splurging on a nicer unit.

I have not heard to many good things about the self contained units. I would do more research on those. I have two Harbor freight sprayers but have not had a chance to use either of them.

Have you ever sprayed before using a HVLP gun ?

Chris

[kodydog]

I bought a HVLP sprayer when I was building my house. I thought I would spray all the exterior metal doors with it. The problem with exterior paint (Benjaman Moore) is its so thick I had to thin it down to 1/2 paint and 1/2 water to get any paint to come out. I decided to roll it on.

I used the sprayer on my interior doors, thinned the paint down, the sprayer is supposed to work at or below 50 psi. Had to crank the compressor up to 100 psi. Every time I set it down, paint at the tip would dry and clog. That was an easy fix by simply wiping it with a rag.

If I used the sprayer like the instructions said no paint would come out.

It may be the paint your using for furniture is thinner or an oil based paint would work better. Or could be my $80 Craftsman sprayer is no good.

Be sure to get a paint viscosity meter. Mine looks like a cup with a handle at the top and a hole in the bottom. This will tell you how much the paint needs to be thinned.

I'd be interested to hear what others have to say.

Good luck

[MinUph]

HVLP systems really need a turbine to supply the sir flow needed to work properly. They were never really designed to be used with a standard air compressor. If you see the size of the air inlet on a HVLP gun it is like a garden hose. The one piece buzz units might work but they will not be a HVLP system. Also when I had a HVLP system it was used to spray very thin liquids. I doubt it would have atomized house paint as well. Never tried it but what I sprayed was very thin. These places that sell this type of gun will sell anything ya know.

[Mike8560]

 e got a Wagner house sprayer airless from HD. My dad used to paint houses he'd carry a razor blade so when the tip plugged from somthing getting in the paint even though it was strained he would take the blade and clear the tips slit.  At the last when he was working they came out with tip that were reversable on the gun if it clogged just flip the tip in reverser and blow the debri out with a shot of the gun then recerse back and go to work.  My dad like it he count has his Arm went back and forth 1$ 2$ 3$

[byhammerandhand]

It really depends on what you are spraying.   Thin finishes made to spray will work better in a cheap system than thick finishes not designed to spray will work in an expensive system.


But generally, you get what you pay for.  The better ones will atomize better and put down a nicer coat.


I have a couple of the cheap Harbor Freight ones.   I've used them successfully to spray shellac, spray stains, and some lacquers.

Having said that, paint is a protective finish.   Paint is simply a clear finish that has been loaded with pigment.   Patrick (who now works just up the street from you, Gene) has mixed me a lot of colored lacquers that started out as clear lacquer.

[gene]

Thanks for the comments.

I have never used a HVLP sprayer before.

There seems to be an interest in old furniture that has a lot of wood showing. Take off everything down to the frame, or carcass as they say across the pond, paint the wood with a complimenting color or contrasting color, and upholster the furniture.

I'm going to give the painting a try myself to see how well I do, and to see if it can be something else that I can offer my customers.

I'll let you know how things go.

Thank you,

Gene

[byhammerandhand]

I should say, the one case that I can think of where you want to apply a clear finish over a "paint" is when you are doing glazing.

You paint on a color (typically white), apply a glaze, let the glaze dry, then top coat with a clear finish to lock the glaze in.

A glaze is a type of finish that has a lot of pigment and a little resin (binder), and depending on the formulation, a little or a mid-amount of thinner.

Glazes are often used over stained woods also, where they add character, highlighting, and apply a bit of "instant aging."

[baileyuph]

Code Select Expand

Take off everything down to the frame, or carcass as they say across the pond

Is this going to be done by hand stripping, then bleaching?

Then, is a color and clear coat in laquer?

Doyle

[byhammerandhand]

I stopped by to see Gene today (his shop is about a mile from a regular customer of mine).  I understand now what he wants to do.

I wish the good article on glazing was still online, but it's gone 404.   And my sample boards of glazed white and black finishes are 404 after I downsized my van.   I was going to take a picture of them.


If you are just doing show wood on a couple of chairs, you can probably get by with aerosol lacquers in colors, most of which are various sheens of black and various off-whites.
http://mohawk-finishing.com/catalog_browse.asp?ictNbr=460
or
http://shop.guardsman.com/guardsman/store/productDetail.html?productId=8161

You may be doing a lot or have to match an odd color or need to also finish accessory pieces such as an end table, then you will want a bulk lacquer such as a quart, custom tinted.   You are not going to find this at a Home  Depot, but you will have to find an old-time paint store with a good guy running the tint machine.     I say lacquer because it's fast drying, easy to repair  and will chemically bond with what's underneath, that is probably lacquer and if not, probably shellac, unless Pat Homeowner decided to "antique" the piece in the 1970s.

If you really get into it a lot, you can buy a set of UTCs (what is in the paint mixing machine at the aforementioned paint store.)   Then with a little color theory and practice, custom bland you own lacquers and glazes from clear lacquer and glaze base.   Then if you only need half a pint of chartreuse, you've got it and don't have to run out to the paint store.  UTCs run less than $10 a pint (at least the ones I've bought) and will be nearly a lifetime supply for you.   (Anyone want to buy some raw umber UTC???)

IMO, being able to glaze separates the pros from the DIYers.   A glaze will darken up a finish, shift tones slightly, and accentuate the details.   It's what is done now with the popular "shabby chic"  and almost all white kitchen cabinets.   It's almost always used on reproduction furniture to give it a mellow, aged look.    If you don't have glazes, but want some, I bought a eight -pack kit from woodfinisherssupply.com.   It has all the common colors -- black, white, burnt and raw umber, burnt and raw sienna, cordovan and vandyke brown.    Alternately you can buy a can of glaze base and see if the paint store will see you a few ounces of each of these UTC colors and mix up your own.

[fragged8]

I have a couple of spray guns for doing cars etc

I find that having a small touch up gun as well is very handy.

no idea where you would get one in the US, it does need a decent compressor
to run it though at 4 to 8 cfm
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/tg2-professional-touch-up-gun?da=1&TC=SRC-spray%20gun

[BigJohn]

Mike:
     Don't confuse an airless paint sprayer that pumps paint at pressure thru a line to spray it out a nozzle without the use of air, with HVLP or high volume low pressure paint sprayer that uses a high volume of air compressed at a low pressure to atomize paint out a nozzle. The HVLP most commonly uses a turbine to provide the air for the gun.

                                 Big John