Target USL question

[Rob Diz]

I am working toward getting my kitched cabinet project back on board. The frameless cabinet parts are all cut and ready to be finished. Because I want to have the cabinets and doors completely done before I start tearing into my exisiting kitchen, and because I know these boards will likely be stacked up for a while after they are finished, I have a few questions.

I am planning on spraying Target USL - a semi-gloss clear on the interior, and a tinted color on the edge banding and the exterior faces.

So here are my questions.

1) I assume I will have to spray a finish on both sides of each board, even those that will never be seen to avoid cupping the board. Is this correct?
2) I'm using the Target USL because it has a "burn in" between coats and will theoretically create a uniform seal between the interior clear, and the edge banding (and some exterior surfaces) that will have tinted product. Are there any tricks to spraying a clear and a tinted Target USL product on the same board?
3) I have the PSH1 and the detail gun as well. I was thinking that I would use the PSH1 for the clear, and the detail gun for the tint, and simply swap between guns as I go through the project and move the air hose from gun to gun depending on the side of the board etc. Does this make sense?

I really appreciate the help on this. I'm new to HVLP and waterborne products, but I have to say that my expereince with this so far has been very positive.

[jeremy levine]

For the best answers to Target USL questions try the the forum on thier site
http://www.targetcoatings.com/finishers_forum.html

I'm sure people here can give the correct answer but the target forum is the
ultimate source.

[Jim Becker]

I do not spray the un-seen sides. I also pre-finish the components before assembly...spraying flat is easier than spraying into boxes... ;) Yes, there is a little time involved in masking areas that need to take glue, but it's worth it to me to have greater ease in the spraying.

[Larry Fox]

I am working toward getting my kitched cabinet project back on board. The frameless cabinet parts are all cut and ready to be finished. Because I want to have the cabinets and doors completely done before I start tearing into my exisiting kitchen, and because I know these boards will likely be stacked up for a while after they are finished, I have a few questions.

This is a very good idea




1) I assume I will have to spray a finish on both sides of each board, even those that will never be seen to avoid cupping the board. Is this correct?

When you say boards are you talking about the carcass sides and such - in other words - plywood. If yes then there is no reason that I can think of to finish unexposed parts. If solid wood, and I hate to disagree with Jim, but I typically do as recommended by Jeff Jewitt when the question was asked in a class. That said, Jim has built a lot more pieces than I have so maybe it is not necessary - can't say for sure.



2) I'm using the Target USL because it has a "burn in" between coats and will theoretically create a uniform seal between the interior clear, and the edge banding (and some exterior surfaces) that will have tinted product. Are there any tricks to spraying a clear and a tinted Target USL product on the same board?

There are a lot of additional characteristics of the product that make it a good choice. However, for a kitchen environment you might also want to look at their conversion varnish product as it is a bit more durable. USL will certainly do the trick though.

I have sprayed clear and tinted material on top of clear material (as a toner) but never side-by-side. Just thinking about it, it seems that you would have to mask if you wanted a crisp like and the result will be only as good as your masking job (which might be tough). Any "waver" in your tape like is likely to be very apparent if there is alot of contrast. Is there an opportunity to finish the pieces seperately?



3) I have the PSH1 and the detail gun as well. I was thinking that I would use the PSH1 for the clear, and the detail gun for the tint, and simply swap between guns as I go through the project and move the air hose from gun to gun depending on the side of the board etc. Does this make sense?

Seems reasonable.


I really appreciate the help on this. I'm new to HVLP and waterborne products, but I have to say that my expereince with this so far has been very positive.

Do yourself a favor and spend some time with test boards to get the feel of both the gun(s) and the finish. You also might want to invest in a wet-film thickness guage. Target makes some specific recomendations regarding the thickness of the wet coat.

As another poster points out, the Target forum is very informative and questions tend to get answered quickly and thouroughly.