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Leon[_7_]

On 4/28/2017 2:16 PM, wrote:
On Wednesday, April 26, 2017 at 11:49:58 AM UTC-5, Leon wrote:

That sprayer has been around for a while, regardless of it being new
to Rockler. It is an Earlex 2 stage, considered at best an entry
level machine. That being said, you can get some good use out of it.
Like many tools, you can't get premium results using a great deal of
materials, but it does have its place.

I assume you use this or one like this.

I have on many occasions considered using this type equipment in
the last 30 years. I had a terrible experience with a Wagner
Airless sprayer 30+ years ago.

Sound likes me. Once bitten, twice shy. OK, maybe thrice shy.

Anyway, How much trouble is it to clean these/this sprayers?

This is an all plastic unit, so the surfaces can be problematic. As
with any spray rig, cleanliness is one of the keys to a consistent
finish. The plastic doesn't hold up to the hard resinous residue
that can form from continued spraying being removed with harsh
solvents and a stiff brush. If you are going to use it once in a
while, say once a month or so, this could be a great choice.

Clean up is my biggest gripe.

Is this unit good enough to deliver a fine finish on relatively
fine furniture, bare wood?

That truly depends on the material you are applying. Part of using
HVLP technology means that you will learn proper thinning and mixing
procedures for your finish. You can thin solvent based finishes that
have no solids like lacquer, most shellacs, and clear polyurethanes,
etc. and spray them well as they have no solids to desegregate when
thinned.

Probably exclusively clear poly.

Other materials put a specific limit on how much you can thin before
you have ruined the material itself, or wind up with a bad finish.
For example, a satin finish poly is no different than a clear gloss
except that the satin has a certain percentage of silica crystals
that diffuse the light and make it "non gloss". Over thinning the
satin finish will cause the silica to come out of suspension and give
you a blotchy finish.

But, since an HVLP doesn't break down the finishes into tiny droplets
like our old guns that could create a fog bank, you have to become a
master of thinning.

This is a two stage unit, so it has enough power to do a fair amount
of work. For what you are doing Leon, this could be a great deal for
clear coats if you find a finish you like and "woodshed it" to get
your formulas correct. Thin more on cooler days, less on warm day,
more for that finish and less for others. The gun has rudimentary
controls on it, so you can tinker with it to fine tune what you
want.

I had a Fuji 4 stage with their best gun and selection of air caps,
and finally sold it. I used it a lot and got great results with
clear finishes and even latex, but it was redundant after a fashion.
Remember too, that these sprayers /reduce/ the overspray and drift,
not eliminate it. If you are spraying in your shop, you will still
have to cover your tools. If you are going to make a rolling
platform, you can do what I do. Put your material on a cart/roller,
roll it out on the driveway, spray, roll it back in the garage.

And that would be a problem for me, it is very seldom not windy in my
driveway.

This could do all you want if you don't go for the real high
performance enamels, etc. An occasional project is what these are
made for as well as being a stepping stone to other HVLP machines.
Certainly, the price is right! I paid a bit under a grand for my
Fuji 12 years ago, no telling what that is now. It required less
thinning and material manipulation before application because it was
a 4 stage.

I have not used one of these personally, but have instructed two
different clients on their use. One shot poly and some primers, and
the other shot shellac and latex. Both were happy with their
results, both thankful I told them to 1) keep good notes on the temp,
humidity and thinning procedures used on each material, and 2)
practice on anything but your project.

I know Karl has some instructions on how to set this rig up. He has
one very similar, and I scribbled out a bunch on gun setup. You know
how much he likes his results with this setup when shooting shellac.
I am telling you, once you get proficient spraying, you will have a
hard time going back to rubbing, back rolling, brushing, sanding, and
all the other things that most people hate about finishing.

Oh yeah... they aren't hard to clean! A package of tooth brushes
from the dollar store, some hard round tooth picks and come clean
solvent make the job go quick.

Robert

Got it. And THANK YOU Robert.