Am I Missing Something?

["Jacob Robinson"]

I have been doing quite a bit of reading on spray systems and I have read VERY VERY little about anyone who sprays lacquer with an electric airless sprayer.

I worked at a smallish custom cabinet company during college and over that four years I sprayed my fair share of MagnaSand and MagnamMax with an electric airless. I liked it, no thinning and it was FAST. Now I am not saying it was a perfect finish, but even though it was the only way I ever sprayed I thought the finish quality would stack up to any HVLP work I see. Is there a reason why it is not popular?

The main reason I am asking is that I am thinking of getting back into woodworking (I use that term loosely on here, I hope I don't get banished for my love for pocket screws and brad nailers, time is money after all :D) for myself and a few family projects and I need to get a spray system. (To be honest I am so spoiled by having commercial equipment at my disposal that it is hard to think of building casework without a 42" widebelt, 5HP Cabinet Saw, dual shapers, etc..., but I ENJOYED it when I did it it, so I'm diving back in.) I bought a Spraytech Airless sprayer a couple years back on a Black Friday sale (it's still NIB), so I am thinking of upgrading the spray gun and using it to spray like the old days, but should I look into a HVLP system instead?

[Scott Holmes]

Airless sprayers are great for spraying paint. I use an Air-Assisted Airless (AAA) sprayer for finishing large projects ie., kitchens. A regular airless paint sprayer will waste a lot of finish compared to AAA or HVLP. AAA has a very soft spray as does the HVLP; AAA is production speed where as the HVLP is much slower.

A regular airless spray paint rig will have a forceful spray pattern and will be very fast as well. Problem is you don't have the spray pattern control you would have with either of the others.

Then the biggest reason there's not much talk of spraying lacquer (assuming you mean nitrocellulose) is the OTHER reason... SAFETY and the environment spraying it creates...explosion proof fans, spray booths, eye and lung protection, etc.

[Jim Becker]

Scott hit some very good points. Airless is very good for certain materials, particularly heavier consistency finishes such as house paint, but not really great for "finer finishes". That's why you've missed much mention of it in that context.

If you plan on working with water born finishes, shellac and solvent based lacquer (the later really requires safety setups that most home shops don't have), then an HVLP setup (either turbine or a conversion gun....I use the latter) would be more appropriate and provide a lot more flexibility for handling these finishes well.

["Jacob Robinson"]

conversion gun....I use the latter) would be more appropriate and provide a lot more flexibility for handling these finishes well.

What exactly is a conversion gun? Is it gravity fed or siphon? Could you recommend some budget friendly models?

I have sprayed a fair a mount with a HVLP gun and a pressure pot, but it has been a LONG time ago. I do remember appreciating not having the cup on the gun though.