I use the Earlex spraying Endovarnish. On a test piece the finish alligatored. What am I doing wrong?
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I use the Earlex spraying Endovarnish. On a test piece the finish alligatored. What am I doing wrong?
Sounds like you may be laying it down too heavy...try lighter, but even coats and be sure you're getting good atomization.
Alligatored or orange peel? If it alligatored you likely put it over something incompatible, like a heavy layer of shellac. If it was orange peel you probably sprayed too heavy a coat.
I don't know of any solution to resolve an alligatored finish other than removing it and starting over. With orange peel you can sand it flat and then spray lighter coats. Adding 3 - 5% Extender helps it flow out, too.
John
Jim,Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Becker
Exactly what do you mean by atomization?
I'll just add to be sure the workpiece, finish, and ambient air is warm enough; water borne finishes are sensitive to temperature.
Show a picture, can you Ed?
Before you get to messing with extenders or flow or pressure, let's see what you are dealing with.
Aligatoring is usually due to surface issues (contamination on the test surface, or an improperly dried first coat of finish - shellac or even same topcoat.
Orange peeling is usually due to the finish not completing it's flow out or leveling. That's the trickier one to solve because it can be due to cold temperature, product age, or laying down too thick of a coat. With an Earlex (I'm assuming you're using one of the basic or semi pro level models that doesn't allow product flow adjustment - just air) this can sometimes mean you just have to turn UP the air a little. The issue with that is you risk a grainy finish. With Target and General wb topcoats I've used, it's usually easier with the entry level products to focus on ambient and surface conditions (warm air temp, warm wood, fresh product) and lay down a wet coat; the atomization becomes less of an issue if the product has time to level - and these products in general level very well.
Atomization in this context is the breaking up of the finish into fine droplets. Proper atomization of a finish is to get them small enough they don't form runs but large enough they don't dry on the way to the material and are dense enough to coalesce into a film.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed Gibbons
Get your hands on some large pieces of cardboard. Shipping boxes from the appliance store perhaps. Experiment with gun settings, needle/nozzle combo, air cap, working distance (use the 8/8 rule -- about 8" out and 8" fan, you can use your hand with fingers spread in a relaxed way to get a handle on the distances working thumb to pinky) and air until you can lay out a nice even coat without runs on the cardboard as it stands vertically.
If you just want to figure out what the settings do on the gun and turbine, you can just spray water with the smallest needle and nozzle set that you have for your rig.