Clear Coat, Varnish Sprayer help

[Ken Maxwell]

Ok here is my question, I do wood plaques made with 1/8 birch plywood and laser cutout words or shapes. I have been using a clear Lacquer spray in an aerosol can and as I do more I would like some help. Is there an inexpensive spray gun that I could buy to spray a Polyeurathane or a clear of some kind on these? It would need to be electric and how much cleaning is involved because I would only use it a few times a day for a few days and then not use it for a few days? I don't want to buy something that I would spend more time cleaning than using or am I better off using a spray can?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

[Frederick Rowe]

I don't want to buy something that I would spend more time cleaning than using or am I better off using a spray can?

Probably. If you are only spraying one or two small items, then yes, you'll spend more time cleaning than spraying. There are a number of inexpensive ($300) turbine HVLP guns like the Earlex line, but all will require disassembly to clean.

A middle ground may the something like the K-Grip Siphon Gun. It can be run from a very small compressor, and will basically give you slightly better application than a spray can. It is easy to clean as you just screw the cap on the jar and rinse out the siphon tube. You'll probably recoup the purchase price at some point as rattle cans are more expensive per fl/oz.

Looks like they sell for $25 - $50. I've not tried this particular model, but I have used smaller siphon guns for small touch ups.

[Conrad Fiore]

How about an inexpensive HVLP turbine as mentioned and using a WB lacquer or some other WB product. Clean up would be much easier and solvent use would be at a minimum.
The siphon guns work, but you would need a compressor and the overspray is horrible.

[Loren Hedahl]

Ok here is my question, I do wood plaques made with 1/8 birch plywood and laser cutout words or shapes. I have been using a clear Lacquer spray in an aerosol can and as I do more I would like some help. Is there an inexpensive spray gun that I could buy to spray a Polyeurathane or a clear of some kind on these? It would need to be electric and how much cleaning is involved because I would only use it a few times a day for a few days and then not use it for a few days? I don't want to buy something that I would spend more time cleaning than using or am I better off using a spray can?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

The problem with what you want to do is that most spray guns require cleaning after each use, especially after shooting polyurethane. Lacquer is not quite so fussy. As already noted, the small and simple Critter sprayer is about the easiest to deal with. My experience with one hasn't been too good, i.e., slow to pick up, poor spray pattern and lots of overspray.

What I like best for small jobs is a small HVLP gun. Mine is a cheapo Harbor Freight that works just great, nice pattern, limited air usage and almost zero overspray with my air compresser dialed down.

[Jim Becker]

Ken, there are a number of reasonably priced HVLP conversion guns, including small ones, that you can use with a appropriate compressor to spray finish. Given the need to clean the gun properly after use, you'll need to consider just how big your batches of plaques need to be to make the extra work worth your while over using the spray bombs you currently use. Note carefully the SCFM requirements for any gun you are considering to insure that your compressor will provide enough air and without running constantly.

BTW, I seriously don't recommend you spray an oil based varnish including polyurethane if you can avoid it. Spraying isn't the best method for applying slow drying finishes like varnish...the over-spray can be a very sticky mess to deal with. Rather, it excels with finished like shellac, lacquer and water borne finishes as they dry quickly. Note also that you must have proper ventilation and protective gear when spraying finishes, especially solvent based products like lacquer. These are dangerous to your person and also pose explosive properties. If you must spray indoors, particularly in your home, stick with water borne finishes.