HVLP for urethane

[James Hansen]

I am getting close to finishing up my kitchen cabinet project (building) We are talking a huge job, 9 cabinets, 2 of which are very large pantries, lots of doors, lots of drawers, drawer faces and so on. Boxes are birch ply and everything on the outside is white hard maple.

In the past i have hand brushed urethane (minwax) with a good quality brush (purdy) and my results have been very good.

I got a quote for having the cabinets finished,... $3500

So, I am thinking about getting a HVLP system, leaning towards the Apollo 1050VR. (A buddy wants to split ownership, so i pay half)

My question is, will the 1050 shoot urethane well? I have heard a bit of negative feedback about shooting urethane with HVLP and want to make sure I am not going the wrong route.

Jim

[John TenEyck]

I have no clue about shooting poly through that set-up, sorry. But you could afford a Sata or comparable gun and still be over $2500 ahead compared to farming it out !

My advise is to forget the Minwax product and use something with a KCMA rating. Also, if you don't want your maple to turn yellow over time it would be best to use something with a good UV stabilizer system in it. The one I really like is General Finishes Enduro Clear Poly: http://generalfinishes.com/professio...t#.UzxoE1cput4 You can buy it from: http://www.homesteadfinishingproduct...m#enduroclears It sprays great through my 1.8 mm tip HVLP conversion gun.

As far as kitchens go, 9 cabinets is not that big a job. Mine has 27. Good luck.

John

[Phil Thien]

I am getting close to finishing up my kitchen cabinet project (building) We are talking a huge job, 9 cabinets, 2 of which are very large pantries, lots of doors, lots of drawers, drawer faces and so on. Boxes are birch ply and everything on the outside is white hard maple.

In the past i have hand brushed urethane (minwax) with a good quality brush (purdy) and my results have been very good.

I got a quote for having the cabinets finished,... $3500

So, I am thinking about getting a HVLP system, leaning towards the Apollo 1050VR. (A buddy wants to split ownership, so i pay half)

My question is, will the 1050 shoot urethane well? I have heard a bit of negative feedback about shooting urethane with HVLP and want to make sure I am not going the wrong route.

Jim

$3500? How did they justify that? Is there staining involved? Can't just be shooting clear coats on the cabinets, can it?

[Jamie Buxton]

Spraying conventional solvent-borne varnish doesn't work very well. The solvent-borne finish takes a long time to dry. The overspray stays wet as it goes everywhere, so you get a sticky mess everywhere. And the wet varnish on the cabinets has plenty of time to attract dust and nits and gnats. If you're going to spray, choose a finish designed for spraying. Spray finishes are drying the instant the droplets leave the gun. They create much smaller messes, and give a higher-quality finish. Lacquer is traditional choice, but conversion varnish has been the go-to for cabinet shops for the last several decades. Conversion varnish does have some issues -- it is hard on the environment, and on the person spraying. In many parts of the country, you essentially can't buy the stuff anymore, unless you're a pro shop with a very pricey spray room. Waterborne spray finishes are getting pretty darn good. They're easy to spray, and clean up. They're also water-clear, and stay that way in service -- no yellowing, which is important on maple.

I spray waterbornes regularly with an HVLP turbine and gun from Accuspray. If I were buying a new system, I'd probably go with Fuji. You can get a good system for less than a grand.

Tip... My HVLP puts out so much air that if I attempt to spray inside stuff -- cabinets, drawers -- the air blows the finish back out into my face. I shoot cabinets without the back, and drawers without the bottom. The backs and bottoms get sprayed separately, and installed afterwards. Your spray might behave differently, but you might check this issue before you get too far.

[Howard Acheson]

>>>> My question is, will the 1050 shoot urethane well?

If you want to spray an oil based clear finish, you will have to thin the finish. There is not hard and fast rule about the thinning or viscosity. You need to experiment to set up your equipment.

Most folks are leery of spraying an oil based finish. Oil based finishes are very slow drying so the overspray is effectively a wet mist that floats in the air and will land on any flat surface in the area. When it then dries, you end up with crust on everything. If you want ot spray an oil based finish, you need to have a dedicated room or a real good spray both. Or, you need to spray outdoors.

Waterborne finishes can be sprayed much more effectively.

One final point. If you are not experienced with spraying, be sure to practice. Cardboard boxes are excellent targets. Start by spraying water to see how to adjust the gun. Then practice with some real finish. Don't attempt spraying anything real until you are satisfied that you know what you are doing. An excellent book is Spray Finishing by Charron. It will tell you about the various equipment, how to set it up and how to use it effectively.

[Art Mann]

I have sprayed Minwax brand polyurethane varnish through a HVLP conversion gun and it works well enough. That is not to say it is my preference. As several have said, you need to thin and you must be prepared for a long sticky drying schedule. I will only spray it outside on a concrete pad in front of my shop in good weather. I much prefer to spray lacquer.

[John TenEyck]

The Enduro Clear Poly I recommended is water based. There's no reason for a hobbiest to spray solvent based products.

John

[David Hawxhurst]

should have no problems with the 1050vr (has adjustable pressure). a good kcma rated product is what you should look for. the best ones are a catalyzed and can be solvent or waterborne. i use a solvent based 2k urethane that is very clear with UV protection. solvent based dries just as fast as waterborne (sometimes faster if you mix it wrong). genreal finishes has a waterborne conversion varnish i would like to try, but for the cost i'm sticking with my delta labs stuff.

[James Hansen]

Thanks everyone. I think you all have talked me out of urethane. I think I will go with one the General finishes products.

Phil, I am not sure how they came up with a quote that high, I was shocked.

[Bill Neely]

Just to put things in perspective - I got a quote for cabinet doors and drawer fronts - bare and finished. The finishing alone cost more than the price of the doors/drawer fronts.