Painted Bookcases Delivered

[Todd Burch]

Hopefully, this will be my last painted commission. (I guess I'm the one that will determine that!) The oil finish took AT LEAST twice as long as making the bookcases. I ended up using my airless rig with a "311" tip. Worked great.

http://www.burchwoodusa.com/miscpix/Remodel/bookcases2_after.jpg

There are 5 adjustable shelves per case.
http://www.burchwoodusa.com/miscpix/Remodel/bookcases2_open.jpg

There are 2 cases and they face each other on a balcony.
http://www.burchwoodusa.com/miscpix/Remodel/bookcases2_both.jpg

With this picture, you can get a feel for the sheen.
http://www.burchwoodusa.com/miscpix/Remodel/bookcases2_raking.jpg

http://www.burchwoodusa.com/miscpix/Remodel/bookcases2_trimmed.jpg

The cases and door panels are MDF, backs are 1/4" birch ply. Face frames and door frames are poplar. Simple inset doors with butt hinges and magnetic push catches - no other hardware. Pine and preprimed MDF mouldings - I think on this project I used all home center materials. 94" tall (96" with crown), 10" deep and 26" wide. Customer said they were
"better than expected"! Thanks for looking.

Todd.

[Dave Avery]

Todd,

Beautiful work...... the design is simple, yet elegant as well. It doesn't get any better than exceeding customer expectations (and making money). Dave.

[Ted Shrader]

Todd -

Very well executed. Superb design, blends exceptionally well with the home. Very elegant.

I suspect, however, you may get some referral business from the neighbors. :)

Congratulations on another job well done!
Ted

[Kevin Gerstenecker]

Nice stuff Todd. They tie in beautifully and they just look like they belong there. A very nice use of otherwise "wasted" space. Although you mentioned the finish was a pain, the cases turned out great. I like the clean lines and I think the lack of hardware on the doors is what makes them so "Flowing". Thanks for sharing you work, as always, a very good job! ;)

[Charles McKinley]

Hi Todd,

Those are great book shelves! Thanks for the information on the tip size that you used.

How much hose do you have on your sprayer?
How much thinner did it take to clean up?

I have only ran water base paint in mine.

Great work!

[Jim Becker]

Absolutely beautiful job, Todd.

[Phil Phelps]

You are posting what I've been building for years. Painted cabinets. And, I'm glad you said it takes twice as long to finish than it does to build. Much easier to build, for sure. The colors used in the home are very eye pleasing. The walls set off the trim very well. Folks should take notes. I doubt that'll be your last paint job :D

[Jerry Todd]

Hey Todd, One Word "Fantastic" You are the "CASE MAN".

[Todd Burch]

Charles, to answer your questions:

"How much hose do you have on your sprayer? "

I have 50', with another 25'er on the side. I called Titan a couple weeks ago to ask them about just running the 25' hose instead of running a 50' hose (my thinking was to lessen cleanup). The sprayer manual says to run no less than 50'. Tech Support said I needed to run at least 50' or else I would get pulsations from the pump. The 50' of hose acts as a reservoir. I used the 50'er. (However, using such a small tip, I would bet that the 25'er would work). Phil Phelps uses a 310 - that's a not-normally stocked sized by my supplier, or I would have bought that instead of the 311.

"How much thinner did it take to clean up?"

Too much. Here's what I do. I get an empty 5 gallon bucket and put about 4-5 inches of thinner in it. When done spraying, I remove the siphon pickup from the paint can (to do all this this takes 3 hands mind you...) and hover it above the paint can so paint can drip back into the can. I remove the spray tip and drop it into the clean (or little used) thinner. I run the pump and point the triggered tipless gun back into the fresh paint can. I run it for a minute or so, or until I hear the pump lose its prime. I turn the pump off and put the siphon pickup tube into the cleaning thinner. I keep the gun pointing into the good paint can and run the pump again. There is now an air pocket between the paint still in the line and the thinner. I direct the still good paint back into the paint can until the air pocket comes out. Then, I'll redirect the gun and recirculate the thinner coming out of the gun into the same bucket that the thinner is in. When I think its run enough, I'll again lift the siphon tube once more. I'll finally run brand new thinner through (I use enough thinner to just submerge the siphon screen in a tilted smaller pail). So, the short answer, between 1 and 2 gallons of thinner. I buy 2½ gallon containers of thinner and for the last 2 painting projects, I exhausted one of these. ($18 for 2.5 gallons of thinner, or $1200 for a new sprayer...)

This was the first time (these last 2 jobs - these bookcases and the 4-drawer dresser) that I've used oil based instead of water. The process would be the same for water, it just wouldn't cost as much in "solvent"!

The biggest use-tip that I learned on this job was not to crowd the work with the gun. When spraying lacquer or toner, getting the gun too close to the work is not as big as deal, results-wise, as is paint. You really have to let the distance of the gun (with an airless unit) let the atomization do its thing. Anything closer than 10" with the airless left tiger stripes and lines. @ 12" or more, it laid down perfect.

Todd.

[Phil Phelps]

Charles, to answer your questions:
.

"How much thinner did it take to clean up?"

Too much. Here's what I do. containers of thinner and for the last 2 painting projects, I exhausted one of these. ($18 for 2.5 gallons of thinner, or $1200 for a new sprayer...)

Todd.
Todd, if I may. I have more success when I run the paint out of the line and shut the machine off. Then I purge the line and it's pressure. I take out the gun filter and the filter in the body of the sprayer. I clean and soak them in paint thinner. I clean the siphon tube and the sprayer tip. I then put the siphon tube back on but not the gun tip. You'll create quite a blast of thinner without the tip, but cleaning is very quick. You'll have to wait for the motor to catch up with all the pressure you've dispensed. You can release the pressure gradually, though. This should cut down the amount of thinner you use to clean, not to mention the time saved. When done, shut down the machine and drain the pressure. Replace the filters and run enough clean thinner to keep in the line until next time. You must run paint thinner through the line after water base products, too. That's a must. And I hope you find that fine finish tip. I think you'll like it.

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

Nah...those won't be the last painted ones. Those people have friends...and they're gonna like 'em. :D

KC

[Tom Sweeney]

While most of us probably prefer to let the wood show through the project - your recent painted items have all looked very classy. I guess it's the workmanship showing through that does it.

You should soon have more business than you know what to do with - putting out this caliber of work. don't forget to ask for the referalls -the best time is when the clients have the big smile on their faces right after your finished.

great job as usual Todd!+

[Brad Schafer]

top shelf work, todd. really classy. better invest in a solvent company,


b

[Bob Lasley]

Todd,

I agree with the others........Great work!..........Keep the paint gun handy, you're gonna need it some more.

Bob

[Alan Turner]

Todd.
What a great looking job. Nice piece of work. I was wondering if you gave any thought to sending the cabinets out to a finishing shop. I spray shellac, but don't think I would attempt paint myself. Would this cut into your end so far that you couldn't make money on it?
Alan