Spraying Clear finishes

[phil harold]

This has most likely been asked before...
What kind of sprayer is best for each finish?

Lacquer?
varnish?
shellac?
Waterborne?

pressure pot?
HVLP?
airless?
air assisted

I am looking for a low budget decent quality spray system
trying to see which way is the best way to go
more bang for the buck
I do have an explosion proof exhaust fan for the spray booth

Thanks

[Art Mann]

I use a moderately sized compressor and a HVLP conversion gun made by Wagner for lacquer, polyurethane and other varnish like materials. I don't currently use water borne lacquer. The combination works well enough that I haven't found it necessary to purchase a dedicated HVLP turbine and sprayer.

[Mark W Pugh]

What's best is what works best for you, what equipment you may already have, and what you really intend to do with it. I'm a complete amateur, but the Earlex 5500 does everything I need. Just something to look at. http://www.amazon.com/Earlex-HV5500-Spray-Station/dp/B004RGOKR2

[Curt Harms]

First question is do you own a compressor? If so, how much capacity? Benefit to compressor/conversion HVLP/LVLP gun is that a compressor is good for other things and compressor driven guns seem to put out less air so doesn't stir up dust or blow drop cloths/paper. If you want portability a turbine is the only practical game in town IMO. I have the Earlex like Mark and it seems like a nice hobby/small shop option. The Earlex is not a great choice for viscous materials IMO but it comes with a viscosity cup. I've used it with stains, shellac and such. I even did some not-too-fussy stuff with the dreaded "latex" thinned with distilled water & floetrol. It worked pretty well but certainly wasn't "museum quality". I'm sure any spraying works better with materials formulated for spraying compared to materials intended for application with brush/pad/roller.

[phil harold]

I have a 30 gallon compressor
would have to look at cfm
At the moment i am not looking at portability
I am more looking for something I can walk into a room
spray a piece a couple days later spray another piece
no cleaning of setup each day
want good and simple (wish for Cheap)

[Art Mann]

I don't think there is a paint gun that doesn't need cleaning if it is going to sit overnight. I certainly wouldn't leave mine it that condition.

[Jack Clark]

...no cleaning of setup each day...


When it comes to sprayguns, indeed, "cleanliness is next to Godliness..."

:)

[Mike Henderson]

I spray mostly waterborne lacquer. Just recently, I bought a DeVilbiss FLG4 HVLP gun (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007N8O2NI?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00) to replace a well-used Porter Cable PSH-1 that started leaking. So far, I'm very pleased with the DeVilbiss.

I've been known to leave product in the gun overnight, but I agree with the others who point out that it's a bad habit. You'll get gunk build up on the nozzle and the gun won't spray properly. Then, you have a bigger cleaning job than if you had cleaned it earlier.

Waterborne is very easy to clean up.

Mike

[I have a separate gun for spraying shellac and I find shellac much harder to clean up.]

[Curt Harms]

<snip>

[I have a separate gun for spraying shellac and I find shellac much harder to clean up.]

Michael Dresdner mentioned sudsy ammonia for cleaning shellac guns. I haven't used it but if the odor were not an issue it supposedly works better and is cheaper than alcohol.

[Mike Henderson]

Michael Dresdner mentioned sudsy ammonia for cleaning shellac guns. I haven't used it but if the odor were not an issue it supposedly works better and is cheaper than alcohol.
I'll give that a try. Right now, I disassemble the gun and leave the small parts soaking in alcohol (in a jar) until the next use. When I take them out, I brush them with a toothbrush because there's still a residue on the parts.

Mike

[John TenEyck]

As said, every gun needs cleaning, pretty much every day, if you want it to spray well. If you're not willing to do that, don't get a spray gun. I use WB and shellac products only and find clean up to be fast and easy, never more than 10 minutes.

A 30 gallon compressor is probably going to dictate a LVLP (low volume low pressure) gun. But if it can output at least 6 or 7 CFM at 40 psi you can get very good (excellent) results with the cheap HF purple spray gun. I bought one on sale for $10 just to try it and it sprays shellac and other low viscosity products great. If you want one gun that will do it all, Grizzly makes one with SS internals and separate needles and caps for around $60 IIRC; you can spray anything from lacquer to paint with it and get very good results.

The best approach is to call up Jeff Jewitt at Homestead Finishing and discuss your needs with him. He will recommend a gun that fits your equipment or tell you what you need if your compressor is inadequate. You aren't obligated to buy from him but if you do you won't be disappointed.

John

[phil harold]

thanks John!
I used to see one of our painters have a lacquer gun pump sprayer always in a 5 gallon bucket and he would keep the tip of the gun in lacquer thinner between days of spraying,

Funny you just mentioned Jeff, I handed my daughter a book by him on hand finishes, today!

[John TenEyck]

Yeah, lacquer is pretty forgiving as far as cleaning goes. I don't use it, however, because it's too dangerous to use in a basement shop and because the waterborne products are so good these days.

Talking with someone like Jeff Jewitt just shortens the process. You can certainly sort through it all on your own and buy a good setup, but it takes longer and there's always that nagging thought that maybe you haven't picked compatible equipment. I got to where I am (not a pro by any means) by reading a lot, talking to a couple of real pros, and finally just diving in. In the end, what I found was that it isn't as hard as it seems, and low cost guns work just fine for my needs.

John