Takes longer to paint than to build...HVLP?u

[Travis]

As I am getting into finishing (painting) my projects it seems that is taking longer to paint them than to build them which is frustrating. To add insult to injury I am not getting the results that I would like. There are brush marks, inconsistant sheens, roller marks, nibs, etc. To witt, I am consdering buying an HVLP to solve these problems. I read an article in Wood Magazine that highly recomended the Turbinaire unit but it is +$750.00. I wanted to see if anyone had similiar painting woes and if HVLP was a cure before I went off the deep end for the sprayer.

[NCPete]

Travis, good prep is always a concern when painting, and HVLP won't help with that. Having taken a few classes in automotive body repair many years ago, that is one of the things we focused on, after everything else was done, it didn't matter how good the work was, if you didn't get the final prep right.

some of the things that will help in getting a consistent sheen, and reduced roller and brush marks are:

dust control is of utmost importance, If you can, do your finish work in a separate location from all your dusty/dust-creating tools.

Blow the work piece off with fresh air from your compressor, then use a tack cloth to remove any of the fine dust you couldn't blow off.

roll or brush in one direction, and one direction only.

I like sanding between coats, depending on the finish media.

filter your finish on its way into the (clean) tray.

HVLP is fun, but it is not a cure-all.

[woodguy1975]

You'll need at least a 4 stage turbine and a big needle/nozzle to spray latex. That turbine air for $750 won't do the job. I think the Fuju 4 stage (Q4) runs about $900. That with a different needle nozzle ($70) will let you spray latex.

Good Luck,

John

[WoodWrangler]

Originally Posted by Travis

To witt, I am consdering buying an HVLP to solve these problems. I read an article in Wood Magazine that highly recomended the Turbinaire unit but it is +$750.00. I wanted to see if anyone had similiar painting woes and if HVLP was a cure before I went off the deep end for the sprayer.

Depends on the volume you are doing, but if your only occassionally needing to spray (not every day) I would HIGHLY recomend the $100 Wagner Fine Spray system. I have it and it works like a champ ... especially for the money!

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[edcox]

I have owned an expensive HVLP ($800.00) for years and have sprayed latex on a neighbors interior doors. He asked me to first. Anyhow, thinned with water and using a tip and needle for latex they came out great. I would bet that an inexpensive (maybe a Wagner HVLP) would do just as well assuming the tip and needle were correct. Just my two cents worth.

[Travis]

Thanks for the recomendations. I was able to pick up the Fuji Q4 at the Hickory tool show at a discount plus a $50 rebate and a free whip hose. I must say that once I got it dialed in that I am very satisfied with the finish and although the family CFO is not very happy the family quality control guy is very pleased.

[Travis Porter]

Sorry, no pics, it didn't happen.

As far as the family CFO, you have to reach an agreement as to who is in charge. Personally, We understand who is boss. I use multiple tactics. I sneak it in, pretend I don't know where the charge came from, or in one recent instance, told her I bought something during my daughter's baptism.

Seriously, love to see pics, thoughts, criticisms, etc.

[Monty]

Awesome! So... am I reading right? You're spraying latex paint through your Q4?

[Douglas Robinson]

Congrats of the Q4. One point, the Turbinaire does spray latex fine. You need to mix flowtrol with it (or water). The needle accesosry kit helps too. The right needle selection is key. I learned this from one of the principal of the Turbinaire company about 3-4 years ago.

Glad you like your results. The movement pattern you use also has a big afftect on the out come. Nice even strokes with slight overlap help.

Doug

[Travis]

Yep I will post some pics of the latex finish. I used the "4H" nozzel that came with it and diluted 10 oz of Sherwin Williams Acrylic White Gloss paint with 3 oz of H2O. I picked up Fowtrol but did not find it necessary once I saw the results. The gun settings were at a 100% air flow, 1 1/4 turn from closed on the trigger control and 1 turn from bottom on the nozzel. Used a back and forth pattern holding the gun 6-8 inches from the wood with about a 2" overlap. At first I thought I was messing up becasue the finish looked like an orange peel but over several minutes it layed down flat. That is when I took it from 2oz of H2O to 3oz of H2O to be safe. I really could not have been more pleased with the results.

I will be in John's finish class tomorrow and looking forward to learning more about the finish work. I am sure he will hae some pointers.