Eric Baird
01-11-2016, 2:00 PM
Hey guys this is my first post and I’ve got a situation.
I am attempting to start a woodworking business including building ornamental redwood planters in geometric shapes and have streamlined my processes but the finishing has got me scratching my head.
I have gotten set up to spray and am running a small 8 gallon compressor with a cheap gravity fed gun that works pretty good in my opinion -will work better with practice of course. After researching the fastest way to apply a good finish without sanding between coats, I decided to start with spraying Deft brushing lacquer since spraying lacquer is either really hard to find in the Bay Area or really expensive. I found 1 source -Kelly Moore, and wasn’t willing to pay ~60$ a gallon to experiment. Even Deft is only available at some big box stores and not others although that is due to it’s parent company being a competitor. It should be noted that these are decorative indoor pieces that hold plants that don’t require soil so the moisture/ UV protection shouldn’t be a big deal.
Anyway I tried spraying redwood sanded to 150 grit with Deft thinned with acetone around 50/50. I’ve read the fast drying active solvent will kind of offset the slower ones added to make it brushable and it would dry faster. Plus I’ve also read multiple thinner coats give a better end finish. Later I read (lota research) thinned lacquer can be it’s own sealer. So this seemed a good idea to me.
The lacquer built up on the denser rings and totally soaked into the spongy soft wood between. It looks like shiny tiger stripes. Which is kinda cool looking, but not what I am after. I want to build a uniform gloss base and then do my topcoat in satin or semi-gloss. I applied many coats, probably 5 or 6, and the big contrast in sheen was still there.
Then yesterday I realized I may have just applied a sealcoat and that subsequent coats would build more evenly. So I lightly scuff sanded and sprayed straight unthinned Deft on thicker than the thinned coats. Only got one coat on before it started raining.. The stripes were still there when it dried, although the softwood areas were a little bit more shiny. Going to spray unthinned again today.
SO my questions are: Is this just going to take a bunch of thick coats and having to sand down the areas that have built up more? Is there a thicker finish I have overlooked that drys fast and can be applied in fewer coats and more evenly soak into different densities of grain? Since I plan to switch to water based acrylic lacquer (fumes/ being able to spray inside/ almost same working qualities) does this problem occur with most or all finish types?
It’s pretty frustrating cause I can’t make what I make look like what I want. Any help would be appreciated. I am going for quality and speed of finish.
I am attempting to start a woodworking business including building ornamental redwood planters in geometric shapes and have streamlined my processes but the finishing has got me scratching my head.
I have gotten set up to spray and am running a small 8 gallon compressor with a cheap gravity fed gun that works pretty good in my opinion -will work better with practice of course. After researching the fastest way to apply a good finish without sanding between coats, I decided to start with spraying Deft brushing lacquer since spraying lacquer is either really hard to find in the Bay Area or really expensive. I found 1 source -Kelly Moore, and wasn’t willing to pay ~60$ a gallon to experiment. Even Deft is only available at some big box stores and not others although that is due to it’s parent company being a competitor. It should be noted that these are decorative indoor pieces that hold plants that don’t require soil so the moisture/ UV protection shouldn’t be a big deal.
Anyway I tried spraying redwood sanded to 150 grit with Deft thinned with acetone around 50/50. I’ve read the fast drying active solvent will kind of offset the slower ones added to make it brushable and it would dry faster. Plus I’ve also read multiple thinner coats give a better end finish. Later I read (lota research) thinned lacquer can be it’s own sealer. So this seemed a good idea to me.
The lacquer built up on the denser rings and totally soaked into the spongy soft wood between. It looks like shiny tiger stripes. Which is kinda cool looking, but not what I am after. I want to build a uniform gloss base and then do my topcoat in satin or semi-gloss. I applied many coats, probably 5 or 6, and the big contrast in sheen was still there.
Then yesterday I realized I may have just applied a sealcoat and that subsequent coats would build more evenly. So I lightly scuff sanded and sprayed straight unthinned Deft on thicker than the thinned coats. Only got one coat on before it started raining.. The stripes were still there when it dried, although the softwood areas were a little bit more shiny. Going to spray unthinned again today.
SO my questions are: Is this just going to take a bunch of thick coats and having to sand down the areas that have built up more? Is there a thicker finish I have overlooked that drys fast and can be applied in fewer coats and more evenly soak into different densities of grain? Since I plan to switch to water based acrylic lacquer (fumes/ being able to spray inside/ almost same working qualities) does this problem occur with most or all finish types?
It’s pretty frustrating cause I can’t make what I make look like what I want. Any help would be appreciated. I am going for quality and speed of finish.