Spraying Target 2000 ??//

[Ed Gibbons]

Going to be spraying finish for first time. Will be going over water dye.

A few questions:


I do not plan on using shellac. Could that be a problem?
How important is it to strain the finish out of the can?
Will I have to add water to finish?
How many coats should I expect to apply?
Thanks.

[Rob Cunningham]

Not using shellac could allow some of the dye to bleed up into the first coat. If you spray the first coat pretty light, 1-2 mils, you should be ok.
I always strain anything I'm spraying just to eliminate any clumps of dried finish from the lip of the can or any other junk. You should not have to add water unless your using it as a sealer coat or your needle/nozzle is too small.
The number of coats depends on the look you are after, but I would say 2 is the minimum.

[Al Navas]

What are you spraying? If you don't use shellac, you could develop a real problem if spraying either red or white oak; those must be sealed with a wax-free shellac, to prevent pin-holing and bridging. Waterborne coatings, pH 10 or higher, react badly with acidic oak (high tannin content).
Two wash coats of shellac should be enough, if you sand with 600 grit sandpaper. More coats if you use rougher grits.
Typically, the Target coatings should not be diluted with more than about 5% water to the Target coatings, or the coating will not behave properly (it won't coalesce like it should). however, I believe that EM2000wvx can be infinitely diluted - make sure to double-check this...
When using the Target coatings I have made it a practice to use the SA-5 additive ===>>> the coating levels beautifully! However, it is not essential, if your air stream is not too hot.
It is good practice to strain the coating through medium mesh.
Are you using a turbine, or a compressor HVLP? I use a Fuji 3-stage turbine system, with great results.
Make sure to have make-up air going into the shop, to compensate for the air blowing out of the shop. You don't want to create a vacuum in the shop!


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[Jim Becker]

Al, I don't believe you can dilute the EM2000 any more than you can other water borne finishes. The water is still a carrier for the alkyd varnish, so if you add water, you're spreading out the actual finish molecules.

OP, you should always strain any finish that is going to be sprayed to eliminate any particulate contamination. It doesn't take much to clog a gun.