Latex Paint Spray Finishing (Off Topic)

[Matt MIller (Unregistered Guest)]

Hello,

Just wondering what type of spray finishing set-ups any of you may be using for spraying latex paints. Most systems I have seen are for thinner oils and laquers. We like latex cause we don't want to deal with the fumes. All of our finishes are solid colors on MDF. We are currently using a cheap Critter spray gun ($40 on amazon). Beleive it or not it actually works okay but it is not quite a furniture grade finish.

Thanks,
Matt

[Brady Watson]

Matt,
I use water-based materials almost exclusively, aside from shellac based finishes and other oil-based products like primer on metal. I shoot everything through an Ingersol HVLP gun that attaches to my compressor. I have not tried thick latex paint...but everything else shoots fine.

Depending on the volume of parts when you are spraying, it may not be a bad idea to shoot through an airless sprayer like the ones meant for spraying houses with. I would use mine for finishing...but I don't want to put 1/4 gal of fluid through the machine just to spray a small item.

-Brady

[andrewm]

We use an HVLP Turbinair system and spray Fuhr water based acrylic products. Thier high solids primer does wonders on MDF. The big difference over the store bought latex paints is drying time. Thier products dry to the touch in about 8 minutes and can be sanded win about 30. They also produce a harder surface. Latex doesn't really get hard for weeks.

Invest in a good sprayer, its worth every penny.

http://www.fuhrinternational.com/

Andrew

[artisan]

I agree with Andrew here.....HVLP is the way to go. You can thin acrylics a little with water or condition it with a product called floetrol to make it easier to spray. Always use high solids paints. This is the main difference between the low priced house paints and the higher priced lifetime paints. Benjamin Moore makes an excellent high quality product that is widely available in many formulations....D

[joe]

I must Agree with Darrell,

We also spray latex on our finished sign with no problem. A little flowtrol and water in our cheap HVLP, we bought for $65.00, does a great job.

You can use wet and dry auto sandpaper with a little water and get a glass smooooth finish.

Good Luck
J
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