HVLP question

On Wed, 18 Feb 2004 07:10:49 -0800, Bill Schoenbeck
<[email protected]> wrote:


I suspect that that gun is a clone of a binks gun. take it in to a
good supply house and see if they have a cross reference

Bridger,
Thanks, I'll give a look see for a local place dealing in
Binks here in San Diego. Even though HF claims to have no other size
tips it looks to me as though tips from some of their other guns might
also work. Of course I don't need to spray latex for now as the
addition is done. I think the smaller tip will work fine for lighter
finishes when I get an opportunity to try it.

Bill

On Wed, 18 Feb 2004 09:41:37 -0700, Bridger <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Wed, 18 Feb 2004 07:10:49 -0800, Bill Schoenbeck
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>I suspect that that gun is a clone of a binks gun. take it in to a
>good supply house and see if they have a cross reference

On Thu, 19 Feb 2004 03:41:00 GMT, "FDawg" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Thanks so much for taking the time to repy; this group is awesome!
>
>i'll do more research on my end usinh the info gathered here...it doesn't
>look like my $59 CH gun is going to do the trick after all...
>
>Thanks again!
>Fred

Fred,

Take 'nospambobs' advice and look at the Target Coatings products.
Jeff Jewitt sells them through his Homestead Finishing site, and you
can buy them direct from the manufacturer. I'm currently in the
process of refinishing an old built-in kitchen piece with the PSL
(premium spray lacquer) product. Initial trials went very, very well.
It is water based, sprays through just about any gun you want to try
it with, and unlike latex, it does not block.

What is blocking you say? Latex, no matter how long it has dried,
always remains slightly tacky, and this situation only gets worse with
increased humidity/moisture. Take something smooth, like a book with a
nice slip jacket, set it down on a latex surface on a humid day, let
sit a few hours, then try to pick it up. You will likely tear the slip
cover. Blocking is even worse if you let two latex painted surfaces
come in contact with each other.

Don't get me wrong, modern latex coating make great house paints, but
are lousy bookshelf, kitchen cabinet, wear surface paints. Use either
oil based, a solvent based lacquer, or one of the modern water based
lacquers, like the Target stuff.

The Target PSL stuff can even be wet sanded and buffed, which would
look primo on a high visibility piece like a mantle. Do a little wet
sanding with 400 and then 600 silicon carbide paper, being very
careful to stay away from the edges, then do a final buff to
semi-gloss sheen with a worn gray scotchbrite lubed with a bit of
baby/mineral oil. Will be as smooth as the proverbial babies bottom.

Best of luck,
David Glos

Below you will find a summary of my results spraying latex with the
Harbor Freight HVLP conversion gun. I originally posted questions
about HVLP and latex in the rec.crafts.metalworking news group and
then updated my post with results I got in use. There are caveats but
I think for what you are doing it will work fine. I look forward to
trying lighter finishes with my HVLP gun on future woodworking
projects. Hope this helps.

Bill

An update to my Harbor Freight HVLP experience.

I thought I'd post an update to my OT post a few weeks back looking
for input re HVLP systems and latex house paint. As is usual for this
group I got several varied responses mostly warning me off HVLP for
latex as being slow to use. Well, as with anything your milage may
vary. I post my results to add further information to the collective
;-)

If you are painting large flat areas it's better to go airless. This
is what most respondents said and I have to agree. My first use of the
HF 7902 gun was to spray Kilz II latex primer on the ceiling of the
new addition (around 450 square feet of floor space with slightly
vaulted ceilings). I thinned the Kilz about 12% with water and added
12% Floetrol per gallon of primer (a pint of water and a pint of
Floetrol per gallon approximately). Kilz is the consistancy of yogurt
as it came out of the bucket and this dilution got me a thicker than
heavy cream mix. Mixed well with a paddle and hand drill. I also ran
the mix through a filter sock from the Ace hardware store and funnel
into the cup to be sure I put no stray particles into the the 2 qt
cup. I set my compressor (Devilbiss 25 gal. alledged 5HP and 8.8 CFM @
40 PSI) to 40 PSI and set the pressure gauge at the cup to 10 PSI. I
was unable to get a very big fan pattern with the adjustments (fluid
and air) on the gun. Say about a 4 inch dia. circular pattern from 6
to 8 inches away. This is THE main drawback for large areas. It takes
a long time and you have to be careful to overlap your swaths as you
paint to avoid missing areas. It takes a long time to cover. It might
help if a larger orofice tip were used but only a 1mm tip is available
according to HF. On the up side even at 6 to 8 inches away I got no
runs or orangepeel as long as I kept the gun moving. Also, at the low
gun pressure, bounce back and overspray are minimal. A BIG improvement
over my standard (no-name) spray gun. The compressor cycled normally,
not excessively as had been my concern and was well able to keep up
with the gun.

The second job for the gun was to spray the eaves and fascia with the
final color. I had sprayed them before the first stucco coats on the
exterior walls with my old freebie gun. I'm glad the roof wasn't on
yet because I got primer everywhere with the standard high pressure
gun. The top of my extension ladder was completely covered (as were my
glasses) with overspray and bounce back. For the finish coat I used
exterior latex tinted to match the existing (they need re-painting
too) eaves. Behr brand thinned the same way as mentioned above. I
would guess there are 50 to 60 linear feet of eaves and fascia on the
addition. The remote (about 4 feet of hose) cup made all the
difference in doing the underside of the eaves and back (hidden) side
of the fascia. In this case the small pattern is a plus as it is very
easy to control exactly where the paint goes into all the nooks and
crannies. It is, IMHO 'da bomb' for detail work such as this. Again
minimal bouceback or overspray. The top of the extension ladder is
still white from the primer as there was no mess from the brown I was
doing with HVLP. Also since the HVLP is much more efficient at getting
paint on the job and not eslewhere and combined with the larger cup I
filled the cup only once after the initial fill and did all the new
eaves and fascia as well as about 30 feet of fascia on the front of
the house that needed paint. It's still not fast and I did two coats
so it took most of the day including lunch break and coming down to
consult with the guy installing cabinets inside. I am very pleased
with this gun from HF. Was a little leery about buying it due to some
of the bad reports about general HF quality but after using it I have
to say it's well worth the money ($120 in the store, $99 on the web).
Appearance of the gun is excellent with nice fit and finish. Too bad
different size tips are not available but there might be tips from
similar guns that would fit.

So in summary this Harbor Freight 7902 HVLP spray gun is excellent
IMHO for doing detail work. It works well with thick latex paint
thinned slightly with water and with Floetrol added even with a small
1mm tip. It is NOT reccommended for large flat areas due to the small
fan I was able to get. I think it will also be excellent for lighter
woodworking finishes such as polyurethane and shellac (I do a little
wood work too) and will probably do a nice job with the oil base
paints for metal (obligatory metal content) work as well although I
haven't tried it for that yet. Hopefully my experience will help
someone else who has similar paint jobs to do. By the way, I highly
reccommend Floetrol as an additive to latex for rolling and brushing
as well as spray. It seems to make the paint go on smoother and flow
from the roller and brush better. No association with either HF or
Floetrol except as a satisfied customer.

Bill
On Wed, 18 Feb 2004 04:28:51 GMT, "FDawg" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Anyone here use a HVLA (high volume llw pressure) spray system to apply latex-primer/paint on thier painted projects?
>
>i'm building a fireplace mantel w/ MDF and pine and was hoping to build it all up, then spray it with primer and eventually white paint (latex).
>
>advice/suggestions appreciated...
>
>Thanks!
>Fred

On Tuesday, February 17, 2004 at 11:28:52 PM UTC-5, FDawg wrote:
> Anyone here use a HVLA (high volume llw pressure)=20
> spray system to apply latex-primer/paint on thier painted projects?=A0=20
>=20
>=20
> =A0
>=20
> i'm building a fireplace mantel w/ MDF and pine and=20
> was hoping to build it all up, then spray it with primer and eventually w=
hite=20
> paint (latex).
>=20
> =A0
>=20
> advice/suggestions appreciated...
>=20
> =A0
>=20
> Thanks!
>=20
> Fred

I am looking for a #7902 hvlp Central Pneumatic paint gun. Dont need the cu=
p. New or used. Please send picture to [email protected]

Are you set on using latex? My preference for MDF is lacquer systems. One or
two coats of a high solids primer/surfacer, then two top coats, all can be
done in a day.

Advantages over latex are:
quick dry
easy sanding of primer
great coverage and filling of raw edges
much harder, smoother finish - avoids the sticking problem that latex has
initially
easy to spray (less power and thinning required), more so for the top coat
than primer
not necessary to sand between topcoats - solvent based only

Disadvantages:
odours/health - much more so with solvent based, spraying anything requires
a good respirator IMO
flammability - only solvent based
need for spray booth - again more so for solvent based

that's all I can think of off the top of my head. ML Campbell and probably
others make waterbased finishes that don't require a spray booth. For
solvent based, try Sherwin Williams as well, that I know of.

Also, I like to prime some of the components as I go. Especially stuff like
raised panels, columns and pilasters. This is because the smaller pieces are
easier to handle, easier to sand, and fewer corners for the finish to sink
into - keeps the details crisper. Consider that the top can be made separate
from the mantel and set on during installation. Again smaller pieces are
easier to handle, finish, transport. Fitting and installation are also
simplified that way - fit the front, attach to wall, fit the top, attach.
It's handy to be able to reach behind the mantle during installation and
level the top separate from the front.

That would be a mantel in a nutshell. I kinda glossed over it, don't want to
tell you stuff that you already know.

HTH,
Jeffo



"FDawg" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:5SBYb.287$P11.27442@attbi_s54...
Anyone here use a HVLA (high volume llw pressure) spray system to apply
latex-primer/paint on thier painted projects?

i'm building a fireplace mantel w/ MDF and pine and was hoping to build it
all up, then spray it with primer and eventually white paint (latex).

advice/suggestions appreciated...

Thanks!
Fred

There isn't much to make in the way of suggestions. Use the right
nozzle/needle combination and viscosity and spray away.If it is a turbine
system the ideal would be a four stage but a three stage will work. I
wouldn't want to try it with anything less.

--
Mike G.
[email protected]
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"FDawg" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:5SBYb.287$P11.27442@attbi_s54...
Anyone here use a HVLA (high volume llw pressure) spray system to apply
latex-primer/paint on thier painted projects?

i'm building a fireplace mantel w/ MDF and pine and was hoping to build it
all up, then spray it with primer and eventually white paint (latex).

advice/suggestions appreciated...

Thanks!
Fred

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sorry for the typs -broke my hand sunday morning and typng is becomming =
a chore=20
"FDawg" <[email protected]> wrote in message =
news:5SBYb.287$P11.27442@attbi_s54...
Anyone here use a HVLA (high volume llw pressure) spray system to =
apply latex-primer/paint on thier painted projects? =20

i'm building a fireplace mantel w/ MDF and pine and was hoping to =
build it all up, then spray it with primer and eventually white paint =
(latex).

advice/suggestions appreciated...

Thanks!
Fred
------=_NextPart_000_0054_01C3F595.38D80800
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<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>sorry for the typs -broke my hand =
sunday morning=20
and typng is becomming a chore </FONT></DIV>
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style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
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<DIV>"FDawg" &lt;<A=20
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</A>&gt; wrote =
in message=20
<A=20
=
href=3D"news:5SBYb.287$P11.27442@attbi_s54">news:5SBYb.287$P11.27442@attb=
i_s54</A>...</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Anyone here use a HVLA (high volume =
llw pressure)=20
spray system to apply latex-primer/paint on thier painted =
projects?&nbsp;=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>i'm building a fireplace mantel w/ =
MDF and pine=20
and was hoping to build it all up, then spray it with primer and =
eventually=20
white paint (latex).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>advice/suggestions =
appreciated...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Thanks!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2>Fred</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_0054_01C3F595.38D80800--

Thanks so much for taking the time to repy; this group is awesome!

i'll do more research on my end usinh the info gathered here...it doesn't
look like my $59 CH gun is going to do the trick after all...

Thanks again!
Fred


"Preston Andreas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Here is a post I did sometime back for someone wanting to know about
> spraying latex. It should have some pertinent information for you.
>
> I just finished spraying a bunch of passage doors this weekend. A very
long
> weekend.
>
> I have a Graco, 4-stage turbine HVLP with a 2 quart remote pot. Since
latex
> is thick, I figured I needed a big tip to get the necessary flow, so I
> dropped $90 for a #6 (2.5 mm) set which calls for 26+ seconds on a Ford #4
> viscosity cup. That is the biggest tip made for this equipment. I
already
> have the #2 - #5 tips.
>
> In hindsight, I then called Graco after buying the tip and talked to tech.
> Boy, did I get a lesson in spraying latex. I told him I had a #6 tip and
> would he please give me some guidelines on spraying latex. The first
thing
> he said, was that he didn't think the #6 tip would work. Although with
the
> remote pot, I could turn up the pressure and get a good flow, the turbine
> wouldn't be able to push enough air to atomize it. He was right and there
> went $90 down the tube. He suggested thinning the latex 10% and adding
> Floetrol. More thinning can change the sheen and bonding characteristics.
> Then start with a smaller tip. If I can atomize before I reach full air
> flow, then go to the next larger tip. When I get to a tip that won't
> atomize at full air flow, go back to the smaller tip. He said I would
just
> have to live with the smaller output and subsequent slower coverage (it
> equated to a lot of time). I thinned the latex about 12% and added 8
ounces
> of Floetrol per quart of latex. That is the maximum Floetrol that
> supposedly won't change the sheen of semi-gloss or satin (I used satin),
or
> change the color. Too much starts adding a yellow tint to the paint. I
> ended up with a #4 tip with a #3 air cap. The #4 tip is 1.8 mm. I went
> down to the #3 air cap because it is a higher velocity air flow for
> atomizing and does atomize a little better than the #4 air cap (this is a
> hint in the manual). It doesn't make sense because the viscosity
suggested
> for the #4 is 20 to 26 seconds with the #4 Ford cup and the latex is so
> thick it would take minutes to empty the viscosity cup. I had already
asked
> him about that earlier. He said that although the #6 calls for around 26
> seconds, it could actually spray paints with viscosities up to 160
seconds.
> Also, all the tips can spray at much thicker viscosities that are listed
in
> the manual. Although it will spray at higher viscosities, you must use a
> slower fluid flow so there is enough pressure to the air cap to atomize
it.
> The viscosities suggested for each tip size is the optimal viscosity range
> for that tip; but it isn't the limit of viscosities that can be sprayed
for
> each tip. Again, he was right. I could get good atomization, but I could
> only move the spray gun about 1 foot every 4 seconds or so. It took about
> 8-9 minutes for each door side. The material did have some orange peel
and
> it splattered some as it went down, but with the Floetrol, it leveled out
as
> it dried and I got a really smooth surface. I put it on pretty thick, so
I
> could have easily gotten by with one topcoat, but I opted for two.
>
> I do find that I can spray oil base paints to a really smooth finish much
> easier than latex with about 15% mineral spirits and 15% Penetrol. The
> sheen and adhesion don't seem to be affected. I use a #4 tip for that,
too.
>
> From the finishing newsgroup at Woodweb
> (http://www.woodweb.com/cgi-bin/forums/finishing.pl you might pose your
> question there), I get the idea that a conversion HVLP spray gun will
handle
> heavier viscosities better than a turbine HVLP. I guess that is because
you
> can get more atomizing pressure. For the conversion guns, it seems the
> consensus is Asturo or Kremlin. But be prepared to drop $400-$500 for the
> gun alone. However, with the conversion gun, your "spray rig" isn't very
> portable with a big compressor.
>
> Obviously, for latex, the airless is still the way to go, but it is not
very
> good in the shop for finishing cabinets and furniture.
>
> BTW, I wouldn't even try to spray latex with less than a 4-stage turbine.
> It would take too much thinning or a way bunch of time.
>
> Hope this helps,
> "FDawg" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:5SBYb.287$P11.27442@attbi_s54...
> Anyone here use a HVLA (high volume llw pressure) spray system to apply
> latex-primer/paint on thier painted projects?
>
> i'm building a fireplace mantel w/ MDF and pine and was hoping to build it
> all up, then spray it with primer and eventually white paint (latex).
>
> advice/suggestions appreciated...
>
> Thanks!
> Fred
>
>

Here is a post I did sometime back for someone wanting to know about
spraying latex. It should have some pertinent information for you.

I just finished spraying a bunch of passage doors this weekend. A very long
weekend.

I have a Graco, 4-stage turbine HVLP with a 2 quart remote pot. Since latex
is thick, I figured I needed a big tip to get the necessary flow, so I
dropped $90 for a #6 (2.5 mm) set which calls for 26+ seconds on a Ford #4
viscosity cup. That is the biggest tip made for this equipment. I already
have the #2 - #5 tips.

In hindsight, I then called Graco after buying the tip and talked to tech.
Boy, did I get a lesson in spraying latex. I told him I had a #6 tip and
would he please give me some guidelines on spraying latex. The first thing
he said, was that he didn't think the #6 tip would work. Although with the
remote pot, I could turn up the pressure and get a good flow, the turbine
wouldn't be able to push enough air to atomize it. He was right and there
went $90 down the tube. He suggested thinning the latex 10% and adding
Floetrol. More thinning can change the sheen and bonding characteristics.
Then start with a smaller tip. If I can atomize before I reach full air
flow, then go to the next larger tip. When I get to a tip that won't
atomize at full air flow, go back to the smaller tip. He said I would just
have to live with the smaller output and subsequent slower coverage (it
equated to a lot of time). I thinned the latex about 12% and added 8 ounces
of Floetrol per quart of latex. That is the maximum Floetrol that
supposedly won't change the sheen of semi-gloss or satin (I used satin), or
change the color. Too much starts adding a yellow tint to the paint. I
ended up with a #4 tip with a #3 air cap. The #4 tip is 1.8 mm. I went
down to the #3 air cap because it is a higher velocity air flow for
atomizing and does atomize a little better than the #4 air cap (this is a
hint in the manual). It doesn't make sense because the viscosity suggested
for the #4 is 20 to 26 seconds with the #4 Ford cup and the latex is so
thick it would take minutes to empty the viscosity cup. I had already asked
him about that earlier. He said that although the #6 calls for around 26
seconds, it could actually spray paints with viscosities up to 160 seconds.
Also, all the tips can spray at much thicker viscosities that are listed in
the manual. Although it will spray at higher viscosities, you must use a
slower fluid flow so there is enough pressure to the air cap to atomize it.
The viscosities suggested for each tip size is the optimal viscosity range
for that tip; but it isn't the limit of viscosities that can be sprayed for
each tip. Again, he was right. I could get good atomization, but I could
only move the spray gun about 1 foot every 4 seconds or so. It took about
8-9 minutes for each door side. The material did have some orange peel and
it splattered some as it went down, but with the Floetrol, it leveled out as
it dried and I got a really smooth surface. I put it on pretty thick, so I
could have easily gotten by with one topcoat, but I opted for two.

I do find that I can spray oil base paints to a really smooth finish much
easier than latex with about 15% mineral spirits and 15% Penetrol. The
sheen and adhesion don't seem to be affected. I use a #4 tip for that, too.

From the finishing newsgroup at Woodweb
(http://www.woodweb.com/cgi-bin/forums/finishing.pl you might pose your
question there), I get the idea that a conversion HVLP spray gun will handle
heavier viscosities better than a turbine HVLP. I guess that is because you
can get more atomizing pressure. For the conversion guns, it seems the
consensus is Asturo or Kremlin. But be prepared to drop $400-$500 for the
gun alone. However, with the conversion gun, your "spray rig" isn't very
portable with a big compressor.

Obviously, for latex, the airless is still the way to go, but it is not very
good in the shop for finishing cabinets and furniture.

BTW, I wouldn't even try to spray latex with less than a 4-stage turbine.
It would take too much thinning or a way bunch of time.

Hope this helps,
"FDawg" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:5SBYb.287$P11.27442@attbi_s54...
Anyone here use a HVLA (high volume llw pressure) spray system to apply
latex-primer/paint on thier painted projects?

i'm building a fireplace mantel w/ MDF and pine and was hoping to build it
all up, then spray it with primer and eventually white paint (latex).

advice/suggestions appreciated...

Thanks!
Fred

Good post Bill. Hope you don't mind if I add a note for those not acquainted
with HVLP.

What Bill is using is a conversion HVLP gun rather then a turbine based HVLP
system.

A Turbine system supplies a high volume of air at low pressure to the gun, a
conversion gun takes the high pressure, low volume air from a standard
compressor and "converts" it to HVLP.

To the best of my knowledge, with the proper compressor, there is no reason
to expect a better or worse job from either method or, for that matter, a
conventional system..

However, the conversion from high pressure low volume to HVLP can, depending
on the gun and fluid feed system, put some high demands on a compressor so
care should be taken to match the output of the compressor (CFM at specific
PSI) to the needs of the gun. An under powered compressor may spray but the
results will be far from optimal and could lead to frustration.

--
Mike G.
[email protected]
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"Bill Schoenbeck" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Below you will find a summary of my results spraying latex with the
> Harbor Freight HVLP conversion gun. I originally posted questions
> about HVLP and latex in the rec.crafts.metalworking news group and
> then updated my post with results I got in use. There are caveats but
> I think for what you are doing it will work fine. I look forward to
> trying lighter finishes with my HVLP gun on future woodworking
> projects. Hope this helps.
>
> Bill
>
> An update to my Harbor Freight HVLP experience.
>
> I thought I'd post an update to my OT post a few weeks back looking
> for input re HVLP systems and latex house paint. As is usual for this
> group I got several varied responses mostly warning me off HVLP for
> latex as being slow to use. Well, as with anything your milage may
> vary. I post my results to add further information to the collective
> ;-)
>
> If you are painting large flat areas it's better to go airless. This
> is what most respondents said and I have to agree. My first use of the
> HF 7902 gun was to spray Kilz II latex primer on the ceiling of the
> new addition (around 450 square feet of floor space with slightly
> vaulted ceilings). I thinned the Kilz about 12% with water and added
> 12% Floetrol per gallon of primer (a pint of water and a pint of
> Floetrol per gallon approximately). Kilz is the consistancy of yogurt
> as it came out of the bucket and this dilution got me a thicker than
> heavy cream mix. Mixed well with a paddle and hand drill. I also ran
> the mix through a filter sock from the Ace hardware store and funnel
> into the cup to be sure I put no stray particles into the the 2 qt
> cup. I set my compressor (Devilbiss 25 gal. alledged 5HP and 8.8 CFM @
> 40 PSI) to 40 PSI and set the pressure gauge at the cup to 10 PSI. I
> was unable to get a very big fan pattern with the adjustments (fluid
> and air) on the gun. Say about a 4 inch dia. circular pattern from 6
> to 8 inches away. This is THE main drawback for large areas. It takes
> a long time and you have to be careful to overlap your swaths as you
> paint to avoid missing areas. It takes a long time to cover. It might
> help if a larger orofice tip were used but only a 1mm tip is available
> according to HF. On the up side even at 6 to 8 inches away I got no
> runs or orangepeel as long as I kept the gun moving. Also, at the low
> gun pressure, bounce back and overspray are minimal. A BIG improvement
> over my standard (no-name) spray gun. The compressor cycled normally,
> not excessively as had been my concern and was well able to keep up
> with the gun.
>
> The second job for the gun was to spray the eaves and fascia with the
> final color. I had sprayed them before the first stucco coats on the
> exterior walls with my old freebie gun. I'm glad the roof wasn't on
> yet because I got primer everywhere with the standard high pressure
> gun. The top of my extension ladder was completely covered (as were my
> glasses) with overspray and bounce back. For the finish coat I used
> exterior latex tinted to match the existing (they need re-painting
> too) eaves. Behr brand thinned the same way as mentioned above. I
> would guess there are 50 to 60 linear feet of eaves and fascia on the
> addition. The remote (about 4 feet of hose) cup made all the
> difference in doing the underside of the eaves and back (hidden) side
> of the fascia. In this case the small pattern is a plus as it is very
> easy to control exactly where the paint goes into all the nooks and
> crannies. It is, IMHO 'da bomb' for detail work such as this. Again
> minimal bouceback or overspray. The top of the extension ladder is
> still white from the primer as there was no mess from the brown I was
> doing with HVLP. Also since the HVLP is much more efficient at getting
> paint on the job and not eslewhere and combined with the larger cup I
> filled the cup only once after the initial fill and did all the new
> eaves and fascia as well as about 30 feet of fascia on the front of
> the house that needed paint. It's still not fast and I did two coats
> so it took most of the day including lunch break and coming down to
> consult with the guy installing cabinets inside. I am very pleased
> with this gun from HF. Was a little leery about buying it due to some
> of the bad reports about general HF quality but after using it I have
> to say it's well worth the money ($120 in the store, $99 on the web).
> Appearance of the gun is excellent with nice fit and finish. Too bad
> different size tips are not available but there might be tips from
> similar guns that would fit.
>
> So in summary this Harbor Freight 7902 HVLP spray gun is excellent
> IMHO for doing detail work. It works well with thick latex paint
> thinned slightly with water and with Floetrol added even with a small
> 1mm tip. It is NOT reccommended for large flat areas due to the small
> fan I was able to get. I think it will also be excellent for lighter
> woodworking finishes such as polyurethane and shellac (I do a little
> wood work too) and will probably do a nice job with the oil base
> paints for metal (obligatory metal content) work as well although I
> haven't tried it for that yet. Hopefully my experience will help
> someone else who has similar paint jobs to do. By the way, I highly
> reccommend Floetrol as an additive to latex for rolling and brushing
> as well as spray. It seems to make the paint go on smoother and flow
> from the roller and brush better. No association with either HF or
> Floetrol except as a satisfied customer.
>
> Bill
> On Wed, 18 Feb 2004 04:28:51 GMT, "FDawg" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Anyone here use a HVLA (high volume llw pressure) spray system to apply
latex-primer/paint on thier painted projects?
> >
> >i'm building a fireplace mantel w/ MDF and pine and was hoping to build
it all up, then spray it with primer and eventually white paint (latex).
> >
> >advice/suggestions appreciated...
> >
> >Thanks!
> >Fred
>

On Thu, 19 Feb 2004 03:41:00 GMT, "FDawg" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Thanks so much for taking the time to repy; this group is awesome!
>
>i'll do more research on my end usinh the info gathered here...it doesn't
>look like my $59 CH gun is going to do the trick after all...
>
>Thanks again!
>Fred
Fred,

Take 'nospambobs' advice and look at the Target Coatings products.
Jeff Jewitt sells them through his Homestead Finishing site, and you
can buy them direct from the manufacturer. I'm currently in the
process of refinishing an old built-in kitchen piece with the PSL
(premium spray lacquer) product. Initial trials went very, very well.
It is water based, sprays through just about any gun you want to try
it with, and unlike latex, it does not block.

What is blocking you say? Latex, no matter how long it has dried,
always remains slightly tacky, and this situation only gets worse with
increased humidity/moisture. Take something smooth, like a book with a
nice slip jacket, set it down on a latex surface on a humid day, let
sit a few hours, then try to pick it up. You will likely tear the slip
cover. Blocking is even worse if you let two latex painted surfaces
come in contact with each other.

Don't get me wrong, modern latex coating make great house paints, but
are lousy bookshelf, kitchen cabinet, wear surface paints. Use either
oil based, a solvent based lacquer, or one of the modern water based
lacquers, like the Target stuff.

The Target PSL stuff can even be wet sanded and buffed, which would
look primo on a high visibility piece like a mantle. Do a little wet
sanding with 400 and then 600 silicon carbide paper, being very
careful to stay away from the edges, then do a final buff to
semi-gloss sheen with a worn gray scotchbrite lubed with a bit of
baby/mineral oil. Will be as smooth as the proverbial babies bottom.

Best of luck,
David Glos

www.targetcoatings.com makes a white WB lacquer named PSL.

On Wed, 18 Feb 2004 01:11:42 -0500, "Jeffo"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>that's all I can think of off the top of my head. ML Campbell and probably
>others make waterbased finishes that don't require a spray booth. For
>solvent based, try Sherwin Williams as well, that I know of.