First time spraying a finish

[jeffrey bailey]

I recently got a Tool Force A-C1 2 in 1 Spray Gun and am going to use it to spray Minwax Polycrylic on a box I built. It comes with two nozzles and needles (1.4mm and 2.0mm). Which nozzle should I use for this finish? I have seen quite a few posts on here about polycrylic (some pro, some con). I pretty much have my mind set on using it. I just need to know which nozzle to use and any pointers/advice.

[Jeff Duncan]

For finer finishes you'll probably want to go with the smaller needle, you may need to thin the material quite a bit however. If you can't or don't want to thin as much the bigger needle may be the way to go. It comes down to the viscosity of the finish and how much you want to lay down. Basically your going to have to do some trial and error learning to see how your gun works best for you. Oh and do not use a finished piece to learn on, get yourself a stack of scrap panels and practice with those first

good luck,
JeffD

[Sam Layton]

Jeffery,

Everything Jeff said. Also, I like to use a large piece of cardboard to test my material volume, and spray pattern. On a new gun, make sure you clean it out by spraying thinner through it. Again, on cardboard, you can test volume, and pattern. If the can of polycrylic says it comes ready to spray, I would start with the 1.4mm nozzle right from the can, and see how it sprays. After the cardboard, then I would try some scraps of wood.

Sam

[Jim Neeley]

Everything Sam said. I used denatured alcohol (shellac solvent) for my first spray tests onto cardboard. It gave me a feel for the sensitivity of the guns controls and it evaporated leaving little-to-no residue. I'd spray some solvent for the finish thru the gun before spraying the finish on cardboard and you still need to adjust for viscosity differences but it'll give you a feel for it.

Spraying isn't a chore; it's a pleasure once you get over the initial twitters.