I've got about a dozen interior doors I'd like to spray paint. I have
a compressor and decent quality sprayer. My question: where can I find
how to set up my sprayer for the type of paint I have and the surface
to be painted? I'm using Latex paint, so do I use internal or external
mix? Pressure feed or siphon? The manual for an older sprayer I used
to have had a cross-reference type chart with this info, but my current
sprayer does not. I've searched all over the 'net, and the sprayer
manufacturer's web site, no luck.

Thanks,
Jack

wrote:
I have
a compressor and decent quality sprayer. My question: where can I find
how to set up my sprayer for the type of paint I have and the surface
to be painted? I'm using Latex paint, so do I use internal or external
mix? Pressure feed or siphon? The manual for an older sprayer I used
to have had a cross-reference type chart with this info, but my current
sprayer does not. I've searched all over the 'net, and the sprayer
manufacturer's web site, no luck.


I go to a real paint store (probably not a big box) for my detailed
information. Sherwin Williams is the one I use. What you can do is
call around or visit stores in your area and ask some very specific
questions. Bring your spray gun along. You may want to find a store
that stocks your specific brand of sprayer.

If you are using an air compressor then your type of sprayer is
probably what is called a "cup gun" where the paint is held in a cup
which sits below and is connected to the actual gun. This type of
sprayer siphons the paint from the cup and has to be held close to
vertical for the siphon to work.

I use an "airless sprayer" that I purchased from SW and the guys down
there know that machine and stock parts for it. With my airless sprayer
the machine has a hose which drops directly into an external pail and
there is no paint stored at the gun. You can spray 360 degrees with
this type of gun, even upside down! There are other types of sprayers
as well. You can likely rent (or buy) any type of sprayer at a paint
store and get the associated advice if you can't get good info on the
sprayer you have.

Lawrence

Spraying latex is a non-trivial pursuit, and you want to do it indoors,
yet! Excellent chance of getting paint all over hell, and doing sub-opt
job. IMHO, you gotta be nuts.

What I*'d do:
1) dismount doors & drive a couple of long finishing nails maybe 1/4"
into top & bottom of each door ~1" from ends of edge.

2) paint each door, 1 side, with roller with door horizontal on horses.
Let each dry a few minutes before removing from horses and setting
close to vertical alongside wall, standing on 2 nails and having 2
nails on top in contact with wall.

3) when first side dry, place door horizontal on horses with first side
down, with nails only contacting tops of horses. Paint the rest. Allow
time to dry partially, then prop up to finish drying as before.

4) pull nails and hang doors.

J

Thanks for the comments, J. I've spray painted inside my garage
before, and yeah, it can make a pretty big mess. Even with drop cloths
hung to form a sort of spray booth, the fine paint particles still got
all over the garage! And it sounds like latex is the worst?

I have actually painted a couple of the doors by brush/roller, and they
came out OK, but still not as smooth as spraying (at least with
non-latex g) and take cosiderably longer to do. Oh, well, sounds
like this is the best route anyway.

Jack