Norminn wrote:
Ray K wrote:

My needs are modest: paint one side (and four edges) of 11 decorative,
louvered, window shutters. With the burgundy red color I'll be using,
there is already a warning that I may have to apply two coats. If the
sprayer requires further thinning of the latex paint, I may have to
apply three coats.

With a brush, each shutter takes 25 minutes to apply one coat. So even
if I don't have to apply a second coat, it's a 5+ hour job.

Thanks,

Ray

There is a nifty gadget for spraying smaller stuff, although 11 is a
larger project than I have used them for. Preval Spray Gun is an 8 oz.
bottle for your paint, air cartridge screws on top. Instructions with
sprayer tell you how much to thin. Home Depot has them, as do some
paint stores. Can get refill air cartridges, too. I used oil paint,
thinned with ?Penetrol (from paint store). There is a special product
for thinning latex. I brushed the frames of louvered closet doors and
sprayed the louvers and inner surface of the frames. The spray pattern
is small, so it is perfect for louvers. Use a foam brush wrung out with
the appropriate liquid to smoothe runs or drips. My doors had
previously been painted upside-down, with lots of drips that pointed up
) I sliced those off with razor scraper and sanded a little bit.

Norminn,

Sounds like a great gadget. Just last night, I was at the HD paint
department and asked about a $45 Wagner sprayer they sold. (Said it
doesn't handle latex paint.) I wonder why they didn't mention the Preval
gun. (Maybe if I had described the project they would have brought it to
my attention.) I'll check it out today.

After experimenting with a brush, I find I really do need two coats to
get a nice finish of the desired color. The shutters are about 18" x
51", so I got my work cut out for me.

Thanks for the great lead.

Ray