some advice please spraying advice

[Eric John]

Good morning,
So im learning so please dont laugh too much
im spraying with a fuji 4, 1.8 tip
sherwin williams emerald acrylic enamel

i think i figured out a balance between spraying too dry and getting it wet enough.
i get my fan width where i want it, then open the fluid control till its almost orange peel,
then close up the fluid till it goes away. (seems about right)
i did have to thin it down 20%.

only thing i think im seeing is:
1 i need a little better prep work
2 im getting these tiny, and i mean tiny, "pinholes?
where are they coming from?

any help is appreciatd
regards
eric

PS
would floetrol be better than water for thinning?

[John TenEyck]

Are you sure about what paint you are using? The Emerald Enamel I've used is Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel and sprays great. The other Emerald is Emerald Interior Acrylic Latex and looks more like wall paint.

If you are using Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel you should get good results thinning at about 10% with water. I use a 1.5 mm N/N with 5 psi on the cup. You have higher cup pressure so you may want to try something smaller than the 1.8 mm N. That could be the source of your struggles.

I don't think Floetrol would help. I find two lighter passes at 90 deg gives a better finish than one heavy coat. EUTE has a long open time because it's an oil modified product so it flows out really well, at least for me. But if you are spraying where the temp is high and the RH is low, then adding a few percent of Benjamin Moore's Extender will let it flow out for a longer time.

John

[Ken Krawford]

John, you mentioned that "EUTE has a long open time because it's an oil modified product" but the SW web site shows Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel as a water based product - https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/products/emerald-urethane-trim-enamel. Are there 2 versions of this product with the same or similar names?

[Jim Becker]

John, you mentioned that "EUTE has a long open time because it's an oil modified product" but the SW web site shows Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel as a water based product - https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/products/emerald-urethane-trim-enamel. Are there 2 versions of this product with the same or similar names?

It's a waterborne product. ("water based" implies that water is the solvent, which it is not. It's the carrier) Oil-modified products are not new....other examples are Benjamin Moore Advance and Minwax Oil Modified waterborne floor finish. Emulsification of the finish into a water carrier is how these are created. The acrylic products are actually similar...they have their own solvents and water just allows them to flow out with whatever application method you choose. This is also why adding water to thin is limited to very small percentages because adding water is just spreading out the actual finish molecules, meaning less of them hit in a given spot to provide the coating. At some point, they are so far apart that it's hard for the finish to cure into a good film. Extreme example....builder's paint in developments where they cheap out and water down the paint.

[John TenEyck]

John, you mentioned that "EUTE has a long open time because it's an oil modified product" but the SW web site shows Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel as a water based product - https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/products/emerald-urethane-trim-enamel. Are there 2 versions of this product with the same or similar names?

There are several Emerald products, that's why I asked which one you are using. All of them are waterborne products. Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel is an oil modified version, as Jim detailed. Emerald Interior Acrylic Latex is not. They behave differently and have different properties. So, which one are you using?

John

[Eric John]

Thank you all for your help.
i did check the can, it is the emerald urethane trim enamel.
a 1.5 tip? ok, i will order one and give it a try.
I have never seen EUTE, i will try to locate it also.
I am using full air pressure on the rig as that is what fuji recomended.
work is going too keep me busy but , hopefully Sunday. i can get out there again.

[Eric John]

Lol,
I guess I really need some sleep,
Just realized EUTE is the acronym.

[John TenEyck]

If you haven't already ordered the 1.5 mm N, I'd hold off until you prove you need it. You should be able to get good results with the 1.8 mm if you thin the paint around 10% and turn down the flow. Once you are ready to try it again, I would start by shooting a short burst on a piece of paper or cardboard. Turn the fan for its widest pattern and hold the gun around 10" from the surface. Shoot a short burst, 1 second or less. You are looking for a uniform, narrow oval shape, heavier in the middle and less near the ends. Adjust the fluid flow to give the best pattern. Tweak the fan setting, too, if needed, to see if that helps. When you spray, overlap the passes by 50%. Make a pass across the grain, and then another with. With two passes you are looking for a wet film thickness of around 3 mils. If you don't have a wet mil gage you should order and use one until you get a feel for what that looks like. Good luck.

John