Recommendation for HVLP sprayer for Latex Paint

[Paulh Tremblay]

May I respectfully suggest you don't use latex paint for this? It's not the right stuff for cabinets...

And these products spray beautifully with economical HPLV conversion guns like the Wagner I use and some others on the market that others use. Do note that to use an HVLP conversion gun, your compressor must be capable of providing the SCFM indicated by the gun's manufacturer at a minimum. Very small compressors do not necessarily have that capacity and even if they minimally do, they will run constantly. It's the tradeoff...

Right. Agree on not using latex paint, as I stated above. I did not even know about lacquer, but I think I will use it. Specifically, target coatings seem exactly what I need.

(I am really glad I asked my question on this forum. I think I just saved myself from putting on a completely inferior finish on my cabinets.)

Several members suggest conversion guns with a compressor. Can anyone point to a system that fits in my budget? When I have looked at compressors, they were too small for spraying. My previous searches have proved fruitless, which is why I decided on the hvlp, non compressor options.

I really can't spend more than about $400, unless someone can make a really good case. I don't mind renting the air compressor, but I will could be needing to rent over 20 times--in which case it probably pays to buy.

Also, should I try brushing it? I have read that you can get a darn good finish brushing on lacquer, including target coatings.

Thanks everyone for their help.

[Lloyd McKinlay]

I have successfully brushed white pigmented lacquer but wouldn't try it on a large area such as a cabinet. The low solids content of the product makes streak free brushing difficult and requires multiple coats. For example it works okay for narrow baseboard but a large flat surface at eye level is another story. If you can protect surrounding areas from the overspray an airless with a .09 or .11 tip works. I have a roughly 15 year old Fuji 4 HVLP that is worth every penny I paid for it.

[Bill Neely]

Paulh, You could get a Graco X5 airless, it's a pretty good home owner's pump. The SG2 gun that comes with it takes RAC IV tips but Gleem Paint sells Titan fine finish tips that will fit this gun. Lots of cabinets are painted with airless sprayers and you'd be coming in under your budget. It also gives you the option of using a water borne paint like Pro Classic or a water borne lacquer like Kem Aqua or Target.

The spec sheets from Sherwin Williams give recommended airless pressures and tip sizes (Kem Aqua and Proclassic)

Just practice and be sure to cover everything as the airless systems have more overspray than HVLP.

[Paulh Tremblay]

Can anyone tell me their experience with tinting the targetcoatings lacquer? Tinting could be tricky. If I do it myself, I will have to develop a formula for my colors, and if I don't plan right and run out, I will be stuck with the impossible task of matching colors.

[Edit: found this buried on targetcoatings' website.] "Call us to discuss our Custom Color Matching Services."


I think I will buy this compressor, or something similar:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HZI6F4/...S0ZIBK80&psc=1

It is rated at 5.0 SCFM at 90 PSI. I don't know what the SCFM at 40 psi.

I will probably buy a cheap HVLP gun. The more expensive ones seem to require a larger compressor.

[John TenEyck]

Craigslist is your friend. I bought a used 60 gallon Campbell Hausfeld for $300 that will run anything I want. But if you pick your guns wisely you don't need such a large unit. I've run the HF guns on less than 6 cfm @ 40 psi and most any 20 or 30 gal compressor will output that much. As far as guns go, price and cfm requirements are not related. You can buy cheap or expensive guns that have low or high cfm requirements.

Jeff Jewitt and Homestead Finishing should be able to get you off on the right foot. http://homesteadfinishingproducts.co...ray-equipment/ He offers several lines of spray equipment and is very knowledgeable. He also carries the full line of General Finishes products.

If you are planning to do this 20+ times you really should be able to justify the cost of the equipment required to do a good job. Pick your finish first, and then match the equipment to that. I'm pretty sure that's what Jeff will tell you.

John

[Paulh Tremblay]

Craigslist is your friend. I bought a used 60 gallon Campbell Hausfeld for $300 that will run anything I want. But if you pick your guns wisely you don't need such a large unit. I've run the HF guns on less than 6 cfm @ 40 psi and most any 20 or 30 gal compressor will output that much. As far as guns go, price and cfm requirements are not related. You can buy cheap or expensive guns that have low or high cfm requirements.

John

The 60 gallon compressors are not that much more, but they are much heavier and require that I put in a 220V line. (Even if I find a model that only requires 120V, I would still need a line with 20 or 30 Amps.) A compressor that size would run almost anything.

I will check out your link.

[Art Mann]

Just as a single data point, I will give you my setup. I have a 1.5 hp, Coleman Powermate compressor that delivers 6 cfm @ 40 psi. Similar compressors in great shape can be bought any day on Craigslist where I live for less than $200. I use it with a Wagner pressure type conversion gun that I paid $100 for but they are now close to $150. This setup does a great job spraying varnish and lacquer and the compressor does not run excessively. I have actually used the gun with a little 3 gallon Porter cable compressor and it works well for small jobs.

[John TenEyck]

Yes, my 60 gal compressor takes a 20 or 25 amp line at 220V. But that's why it can supply enough air to run almost anything I want.

John

[Paulh Tremblay]

Do you mean this gun:

http://www.amazon.com/Wagner-Power-P...vlp++spray+gun

Wagner Power Products 276124B HVLP Conversion Gun

It goes for $180, yet many of the comments call it a cheap product. Would you recommend this gun?

[Art Mann]

As far as I can tell, that is the same gun I am using. I bought mine directly from Gleem Paint rather than going through Amazon. The direct price is apparently cheaper. See here:

http://www.gleempaint.com/hvcongun.html

[Jim Becker]

I've been using the Wagner gun for years. I have two, actually...one with the on-gun cup and one with a remote pot. And the former was about $130 from Gleem Paint. It's a nice gun for the money, IMHO. Is it the best? No. But it works well. I do suggest buying the maintenance kit which also includes alternate tip sizes for more versatility as well as various 'disposable' items that you will need to service over time.

[Curt Harms]

May I respectfully suggest you don't use latex paint for this? It's not the right stuff for cabinets...and most latex paints exhibit undesirable characteristics like blocking (stuff sticks to it) and easy susceptibility to scratching.
<snip>

Jim is right of course but if you must consider 'latex', then think about top coating with one or more coats of water based poly. I built a cabinet for a friend and one of the main criteria was 'cheap'. I used paint quality borg plywood and sprayed it. Shellac, 15 year old white latex cut about 5-10% with distilled water & floetrol then two coats of hardware store branded water based poly. It came out better than I expected (of course my expectations were pretty low).

[John TenEyck]

Time for me to remind everyone that latex means polymer emulsion, nothing more, although nearly everyone thinks it means wall paint. What many now refer to as waterborne or water based paint is latex; they are interchangeable terms. Often the polymer used in the "new" paints being marketed as waterborne are harder than those used in wall paint, but that doesn't change the fact that they are still polymer emulsions and, therefore, a latex.

Confusion can be greatly diminished if you identify which product, or at least which product group, you are using - latex wall paint, or latex enamel trim paint, or water based cabinet paint, for example.

John

[Jim Becker]

John, you make a very good point about terminology! So I'll modify my earlier response and suggest that a finish intended to be used as "house paint"...with a few exceptions...is generally not the best solution for woodworking projects like cabinetry and furniture. (I would and have used SW Proclassic 100% Acrylic for small brushed on-projects) The reason I state this is that these finishes are designed for different wear conditions, are often thicker than ideal for spraying with a conventional or HPLV gun (and can't really be thinned more than about 10% due to their nature) and often exhibit "blocking" where things will stick to them. Water borne products formulated for cabinetry and furniture (and spraying) are a better choice, despite sometimes being more costly up front than stuff from the local big-box store. Just as we all should try and choose the best raw material for our projects to attain the most pleasing result, the same holds true for finishes. And using the right solution is quite often easier, too.

[John TenEyck]

Hi Jim. I'm in complete agreement; using a product designed for the job is always the smart choice.

As a complete aside, SW Pro Classic 100% Acrylic is often used for cabinetwork and it works quite well for that application when applied with an airless or air assisted airless sprayer.

John