I’ve been reading the long thread on shellac with fascination. I’ve acquired amber and blond shellac flakes and some DNA and will soon be experimenting with this type of finish. My other experiences with finishing wood is Tung oil which I love, and poly, which I’ve had good experiences/results with brushing. My question is, I’d like to get into spraying finishes and am thinking of getting a HVLP spray gun, but I don’t know much about it and don’t know what to buy. Is HVLP a good choice for spraying wood finish coatings or should I get something else. I’ve recently upgraded my compressor and have a good one now. What the best way to get into spraying finishes?
Thanks, Jeff
Replies
Hey, Jeff. if you use the search feature, you'll find hundreds of posts re HVLP, and can find lots of info on the web as well. I have HVLP with a turbine, and have been happy with the results when I use it. You would probably want a "conversion gun" since you have an updated compressor, but still need to ensure that the compressor and gun that you choose are matched--i.e. the compressor can keep up.
Take a look at http://www.homesteadfinishing.com/htdocs/hvlp_spray.htm
HTH to get you started. You are about to choose a new religion.
Bob
Jeff,
Call the guys at spraygunworld.com and the guys will hook you up with exactly what you need. The service dept. is great and they will take the time to advise you on models to fit you needs and price range. You might ask them about RP (reduced pressure) guns and see what they say. I've used conventional guns for 30 years and they steered me toward RP because my learning curve is nonexistent, but you would have a learning curve with anything so you might want to start on HVLP.
I see that you are in Seattle. If you want a resource that's a little closer to home I would recommend Industrial Finishes. They don't have a store in Seattle, but if you don't mind doing business down here in Portland they are a great resource. I buy all my guns through them.
Specifically I would call Pat Owens through the McLoughlin Blvd location. Although he is a salesman these days (I helped him get the job there, btw) prior to that he was one of the best Top Guns in the region, with very extensive experience across a very wide spectrum from painting hot rods and muscle cars for major car shows to finishing exotic woods in custom high-end motor yachts to custom painting electric guitars.
He's a personal friend (and former boss) of mine and won't sell you anything that he doesn't believe you need or want. In fact he sometimes refers me to his competitors if he can't give me a good enough deal on something. But on spray guns... he almost always has the best prices around. We sometimes call him "Super Owens" because he's painted two '69 Camero Z-28s (and owned one of them) that made the cover of Super Chevy magazine, just to give you an idea of what he is capable of.
Edited 3/28/2007 2:25 pm by Kevin
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