I am using Kem Aqua for the second time. The first time did not
produce results comparable to my experience with Sherwin Williams Nitro
lacquer - so I guess I need help.

I am using a Sharp Cobalt HVLP conversion gun. The results look a bit
rough - sometimes it even looks like a dry application.

Today I did a couple of new samples:

I sanded the piece to 220, raised the grain and let it dry, and
then sanded lightly again.

The test piece and the Kem Aqua sealer were stored in my shop at
about 65-70 degrees.

I have the gun and compressor set as per Sherwin Williams
instructions.
air at 45 psi
fluid tip pressure measured between 5 and 10 psi
fluid flow control wide open
fan set about 12 inches high
gun about 8 inches abouve the work piece (piece is lying flat
and the gun is pointed down)

I put two coats of sealer down about 30 minutes apart.

I tried varying the tip pressure and the fluid flow rate on each
of two samples (4 tests)

test 1: cut fluid flow in half and tip pressure at 5
psi
test 2: cut fluid flow in half and tip pressure at 10 psi
test 3: fluid flow open full and tip pressure at 5
psi
test 4: fluid flow open full and tip pressure at 10
psi

All results seem a bit rough. I left them to dry overnight and
will sand to 400 followed by 3 coats of kem aqua lacquer tommorow.

Can anybody tell me why the results are not smooth and what I
should change to get better results. ( I need to get this cabinet done
this week - before the guys come to put the granite down on it.)

When I get to the real cabinet I intend to use an oil based
glaze to color it.
I think the spray schedule should be:

seal with shellac
put on glaze
seal with shellac
one coat of Kem Aqua sealer (needed?)
three coats of Kem Aqua lacquer


Does anybody have any experience with mixing Kem Aqua and shellac
(Zinzer )



Len

wrote:


All results seem a bit rough. I left them to dry overnight and
will sand to 400 followed by 3 coats of kem aqua lacquer tommorow.

Can anybody tell me why the results are not smooth and what I
should change to get better results. ( I need to get this cabinet done
this week - before the guys come to put the granite down on it.)


Are you laying down a full, wet coat?

When I switched from NC to water-base lacquer, it took a bit for me to
get used to how much more of a coat the water based product needed.
The first time I got it right, I thought I ruined the piece. Luckily, I
let it dry, and it looked fantastic.

I agree with Barry, it needs to go down pretty wet. Also, be careful of
going back over a partially dry coat. The stuff dries fairly quickly so the
edges need to stay wet as you're spraying. I've had issues where I was
doing a set of doors and after I finished, I noticed the first door had an
edge that was a little light. So I tried to touch it up and the first coat
had already dried to the point where the two would not blend (for lack of
better term).

Also, you mentioned shellac based Zinzer. I used that stuff almost
exclusively for my white finishes. Here is a typical schedule:

Sand to 320
Zinzer shellac-based primer (white)
Sand with 320
Zinzer shellac-based primer (white)
Sand with 320
One coat of kem aqua tinted
Dry for 2-4 hours at least
2nd coat of kem aqua tinted

I'm using a Fuji 3 stage HVLP so I can't necessarily advise on your sprayer
setup.

Good luck!

Eric



wrote in message
ups.com...
I am using Kem Aqua for the second time. The first time did not
produce results comparable to my experience with Sherwin Williams Nitro
lacquer - so I guess I need help.

I am using a Sharp Cobalt HVLP conversion gun. The results look a bit
rough - sometimes it even looks like a dry application.

Today I did a couple of new samples:

I sanded the piece to 220, raised the grain and let it dry, and
then sanded lightly again.

The test piece and the Kem Aqua sealer were stored in my shop at
about 65-70 degrees.

I have the gun and compressor set as per Sherwin Williams
instructions.
air at 45 psi
fluid tip pressure measured between 5 and 10 psi
fluid flow control wide open
fan set about 12 inches high
gun about 8 inches abouve the work piece (piece is lying flat
and the gun is pointed down)

I put two coats of sealer down about 30 minutes apart.

I tried varying the tip pressure and the fluid flow rate on each
of two samples (4 tests)

test 1: cut fluid flow in half and tip pressure at 5
psi
test 2: cut fluid flow in half and tip pressure at 10 psi
test 3: fluid flow open full and tip pressure at 5
psi
test 4: fluid flow open full and tip pressure at 10
psi

All results seem a bit rough. I left them to dry overnight and
will sand to 400 followed by 3 coats of kem aqua lacquer tommorow.

Can anybody tell me why the results are not smooth and what I
should change to get better results. ( I need to get this cabinet done
this week - before the guys come to put the granite down on it.)

When I get to the real cabinet I intend to use an oil based
glaze to color it.
I think the spray schedule should be:

seal with shellac
put on glaze
seal with shellac
one coat of Kem Aqua sealer (needed?)
three coats of Kem Aqua lacquer


Does anybody have any experience with mixing Kem Aqua and shellac
(Zinzer )



Len