Smooth, Glossy Finish Using Spray Paint (can)

[Joseph N. Myers]

I’m bidding on a job for around 2,000 widgets, 1” thick, 1-3/4” wide, half 2” long, the other half 5” long. Only the sides get painted, and the sides have a ¼” slot ¼” down from the top.

Problem – the guy wants the paint to be really smooth and glossy (the 5" blocks, black, the 2" block, red). I made some prototypes out of poplar and hard maple. Poplar cheaper, easier on equipment but even with lots of sanding, not that smooth and the paint does not soak in that evenly. Hard maple seems to be the way to go to eliminate these two problems.

Once assembled, people will see the sides but will not have to provide any protection, i.e., nothing to rub against them.

Any suggestion on how to approach this? I have been using the can spray paint products without that much luck. I don’t have a spray gun but maybe
I should start looking for someone with one and/or consider using a brush!

TIA, Joe

[Larry Fox]

Joseph - check your PM.

[Phil Phelps]

I'd rather build the Eiffel tower out of toothpicks. This is the kind of stuff I get stuck with in my business. If I'm reading you correctly, you have a one inch thick block, 1-3/4"x2" and 5" with a quarter inch reveal around the edge? And, glossy black and red paint, the most unforgiving colors in the world, two thousand times. This is why America outsources labor.
You will never do this with aerosol paint. You are working with end grain, which, in it self, is very hard to fill and paint, glossy. Coating the reveal is hard enough, you can forget the top and bottom of the reveal being a super finish. And, I bet time is a factor. Making these out of wood is a nightmare. I am equipped to do things like this, but I would turn it down. Two thousand is the real deal breaker.
Sorry I can't be of more help.

[Joseph N. Myers]

Larry,


Thanks a lot! Will be responding shortly!

Phil,

Great response - sure sounds like you know what your talking about.

To follow up on a couple of points! Yes, I noticed the end grain; that's why I was considering hard maple.

And not all the parts that are painted will show, only the end grains, the 1/4" above the slot and just a small part of the bottom part of the slot. Never gave that a thought as I do not have the unit that these widgets slide into.

So it might not be as bad as it original look like. I have to agree with your statement "You will never do this with aerosol paint". So I'm looking into "borrowing" a spray gun. But really a newbie in that area.

Meanwhile, I found this thread on SMC called "Refinish Black Table with Shellac", http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=49473 which mentions "Black Shellac". Has to do with adding black dye into shellac which really looks promising (in my case)!

Regards, Joe

[Steven Wilson]

How about MDF? Or use poplar and give it a coat of bondo first.