Spray gun setup for finishing wood ceiling

I'm not new to finishing, but definitely not an expert either. I've gotten pretty good at finishing furniture and cabinets with varnish, CV, and pigmented CVs. I've used cheap HF guns to lay out some really smooth finishes, and have mastered my Fuji Mini-mite 3 stage turbine gun. However, I've run into a situation where I just can't see how the bottom can spray gun will work well.

When I finished my porches, I used Sikkens Door and Window varnish on the beaded boards before I put them up. The varnish has done very well in the last 5 years, but I'd like to put on another coat as it is starting to allow water to penetrate when I clean it. I was trying to find the best solution for spraying straight up, and I guess that is going to be some kind of pot or pump with a hose/gun setup. I wouldn't mind a cheap rig just for this purpose or maybe painting ceilings inside, but I would also not mind spending some money on a better rig that I can spray any decent catalyzed finish like MLC Stealth, Clawlock II, etc. without any issues. My turbine is just not that easy to get right with heavier bodied finishes that dry fast. I don't think I can justify spending thousands on an AAA gun, as I feel those are more suited to production finishing. It would be nice to paint a set of cabinets really fast and not worry about dry spray that I sometimes see with the turbine.

Any suggestions as to what direction I should be looking to?

Thanks, Dan

Paint pump, roller, paint pad. In the order of my most preferred to least for ceiling work. Paint pad and brush as a last resort. I would not consider any kind of air sprayer for ceilings. Even a pressure pot would be un desirable.

I have a pressurized paint pot that does a nice job of delivering the paint to the gun no matter which position the gun is in. I have also used the paint pot to pump the paint into a power roller wand which works very well. I even used the paint pot + roller for the outside of a friends house once with nothing but a bicycle pump to pressurize the pot. A paint pot is all about pressure and it consumes almost no air volume, just the volume of the paint being displaced.

My gun with the 3M PPS pressurized bottom cup can spray in any orientation...and I do mean in any orientation. And airless system (with hoses, not self-contained) would be another option for direct, overhead spraying.

I'd use airless with whatever tip extension is the right length so you can stand on the floor, and not have to use a ladder. Fine Finish Low Pressure tips, and guns that can use them have about made AAA obsolete now for any kind of site work.

I looked into the PPS system and think it would work fine but it sure is pricey for what amounts to plastic bags and cups. I suppose when factored into several jobs its not too bad. What filter mesh would be recommended for a variety of finishes fine enough to run through the gun? I've been using medium mesh paint strainers so far with everything and have had no issues. Any suggestion on the best place to source them?

Thanks again, Dan

Dan, yes, there is an initial cost to the PPS system, but despite the real fact that it looks "insubstantial", the performance it adds to a decent spray gun is phenomenal, IMHO. If you recall the old Playtex baby bottles that have the liner that collapses to help keep air out of the kiddo feeding, the PPS has a remarkable resemblance. The finish goes in the flexible liner (which you can clean out and reuse for a long time, especially with waterborne finishes...I'm on my third in over three years) and the 5 PSI or so of pressure being put into the bottom of the hard cup collapses the liner which in turn pushes the finish up into the gun as you pull the trigger. You can, therefore, spray at any angle because gravity has been taken out of the finish flow pathway and you have a lot of control to regulate the finish. In fact, you can spray pretty viscous stuff that normally would require an airless spray system.

As to the filters, I use the medium mesh for pretty much everything. It's just to insure there's no debris in the system. The cup cap in the PPS system has a relatively fine mesh in it also which provides additional filtration before the material flows up into the gun.

I would (and have) rent an high end airless unit and get an extension like Tom said.