Spraying White Lacquer on Bookshelves and Plantation Shutters

[Nate Secrist]

Hi Everyone,

I built a set of built-in bookcases and am working on Plantation Shutters for a big picture window in our loft. The bookcases are made from poplar and have been sanded down to 220. They are ready for finishing. I left the backs off of them so I won't get too much blowback from the HVLP gun.

The Plantation Shutters - I am using Rockler's 3 1/2-inch shutter templates. The louvers and shutter frames are made from basswood. So far it is going good!

Time to start thinking about the finishing!

When finishing both of these items, I would like to use a White Lacquer - Water-Based. I have sprayed plenty of regular lacquer and polyurethane with my HVLP gun, but I haven't ever sprayed the white lacquer as a paint.

2 QUESTIONS


1 - Which White Lacquer Product to Use?

I am a big fan of the water-based products from General Finishes and Target Coatings, but none of these are available here in Denver at Rockler or Woodcraft without having to ship them to me. With the cold weather, shipping isn't an option until the weather gets warmer......

I am looking at the Sherwin Williams Kem Aqua Plus White WB Lacquer.
Sherwin Williams also has the white primer to lay down under the lacquer....

It sounds like a great product - For those that have used it - any tips or things to consider when using this product?

The Sherwin Williams store here has this White Lacquer product in stock.
Also - the Sherwin Lacquer is quite a bit less expensive than the General Finishes Enduro - $55 per gallon vs about $90 per gallon + shipping for the White Enduro.
Maybe you get what you pay for?

Anyone used the Sherwin WB Lacquer Products?



2 - Spraying the Plantation Shutters?
My conundrum - I have read differing opinions on spraying the shutters.
A - Spray the plantation shutters BEFORE assembly?
or
B - Spray them AFTER assembly.

I think that it would be easier to wait until AFTER assembly. I know you have to be careful to not get too much paint/lacquer down into the shutter pins. Also - since the Primer is water-based, I will have to sand down after the 1st coat to remove the nubbies from the raised-grain. Is this too difficult to do when the shutters are already assembled?

Anyone that has sprayed successfully AFTER shutter assembly, or should I try to spray all the parts individually BEFORE assembly?
There are youtube videos on both options.....

What do you think?
Your opinions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks Alot

Nate

[John TenEyck]

I've never used it, but the Kem Aqua Plus should spray very easily with a gravity feed HVLP gun. I have used GF's Enduro White Poly. It is a very good product but it's viscosity is much higher and would be difficult to spray with a gravity feed gun; I used a pressure feed gun. If you can get it locally and it's cheaper, I'd go with the SW product. I've never been disappointed with any of their products yet.

I would spray the shutter parts prior to assembly if at all possible. Plug the mortises with foam rod and tape off the tenons first.

John

[Jamie Buxton]

As it happens, I was just investigating the Kem Aqua Plus mixing base this afternoon. The Sherwin Williams store I tried -- which says it is a commercial outlet -- said they only get the stuff in five-gallon sizes.

[John TenEyck]

SW's website says it's available in both 1 gal and 5 gal.

John

http://oem.sherwin-williams.com/prod...aqua-plus-whit

[Jamie Buxton]

SW's website says it's available in both 1 gal and 5 gal.

John

http://oem.sherwin-williams.com/prod...aqua-plus-whit

Yes. But the store said they only can get 5 gallon pails. I think this was their way of saying "Go away." I also wanted them to tell me about coloring it to the Sherwin Williams color deck, and they were not interested in that either.