Recommendations for starter LVLP gun

[Yasha Renner]

Hello everyone. So I'm not going to trouble myself with an underpowered air compressor. Instead, I found a like-new Earlex 5500 for a good price. With that determined, now I'm considering my finish options. John, I was able to locally source both the Duralaq and TargetCoatings EM-6500. The SW ProClassic is 35% off right now at my local store, but a gallon costs $77! Wowee. The Duralaq was only $46 by comparison. However, I didn't realize both products were lacquers, which seem intimidating. If I choose to spray a waterborne lacquer, will I need any special setup over and above what I would need to spray acrylic latex? What I mean is, are these products the type of lacquer that require, for safety reasons, etc., a dedicated spray booth with fans and the whole business?

Thanks everyone.

[John TenEyck]

Welcome to the confusing world of product labeling.
Waterborne lacquer is no different than latex paint. Well, yes, they have different properties after drying, but they both are just a synthetic resin water emulsion. You should wear a respirator with organics cartridges, and a fan to ventilate your spray area is always good, but there's no risk of fire or explosion with any of them. Duralaq and EM-6500 will be easier to spray than ProClassic and will be harder, faster. I would choose them first for book shelf type projects. Duralaq is not as chemically resistant as either of the other two, but is a lot cheaper and fine for projects that don't require that performance. If you are just learning to spray, Duralaq is a good product to start with. It's available in both clearcoats and white, and BM can custom tint it to any of their 3000+ colors. Duralaq also has a great primer, called Undercoater, that is amazingly cheap, sprays and sands great, and will give you a dead smooth final surface after spraying your finish coats.

John

[Yasha Renner]

Thanks, John. You've been most helpful.

Any pointers on best practices for a garage hobbyist for working with shellac and how to dispose of denatured alcohol?

See here: https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....lcohol-shellac