I have had this thing for a while but the
only thing I have really used it for was
to "hose down" a few outdoor benches with
a oil based stain.

It works well for that sort of thing.

It is "slow", but again...it works.

I now need to do a few directors chairs
with something that has some higher solids
in it(ie:latex or enamel paint).

Does anybody have any suggestions on a
starting point or even a product that
would be suitable for this gun ?

By a starting point, I mean how thin do
I really have to get to ?

Since this thing is a basically a air
brush, what has been other folks luck
with shooting the heavier stuff ?

For those who don't know:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...190,43034&ap=1

On Apr 1, 10:00*am, Pat Barber wrote:


It is "slow", but again...it works.

I now need to do a few directors chairs
with something that has some higher solids
in it(ie:latex or enamel paint).

Does anybody have any suggestions on a
starting point or even a product that
would be suitable for this gun ?

By a starting point, I mean how thin do
I really have to get to ?

Since this thing is a basically a air
brush, what has been other folks luck
with shooting the heavier stuff ?

For those who don't know:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...190,43034&ap=1

Just my opinion here, Pat. But remember, one man's ceiling is another
man's floor.

I have seen many claims about this gun, but never seen results first
hand. By the design of its sprayer and spray nozzle I don't see how
it could be used for a lot of finishes.

By design to make the gun work properly they limit the nozzle/needle
size, and of course the air. When you have those limitations, you can
see how it worked well with your oil bases stain. The stain is high
viscosity so it shoots well from this gun. In the same light, I have
heard from a reliable source that the critter shoots lacquer well, but
with it thinned to almost water consistency.

I think it is a pretty spiffy little gun within its limitations.

But I think by the time you get to the point where it would shoot
heavy varnishes (especially the ones with flattners) and the like you
would face problems with your material desegregating in the cup.

By the time you get latex thin enough, you will definitely see the
difference in your final product. When you over thin latex not only
do you ruin its ability to wear, you will also wind up with another
color! DAMHIKT.

I think the needle size on the critter is something like 1.00 to
1.2 mm. I don't know for sure, but I do know its small. A good all
around tip size is 1.4mm for shooting oil based enamels, shellac,
sealers, lacquer, varnish etc.

I cannot get latex to hang well and retain its color with anything
less than a 1.7mm. Optimally, I would like a 1.8 - 2.0 mm for latex
for a small project gun. Larger nozzles/needles/aircaps mean less
thinning, more product on the project and less coats with less chance
of runs or sags.

As always, just my 0,02.

As a sidebar I am looking at starting a small project to see how it
will float that will have me making display cases for high end goods.
If I do that, will probably buy a Critter for the exact purpose you
found it useful. All the display cases will be made from maple, but
stained, then finished.

If I have the Critter set up, I can keep all my stains in jars and
then just screw the head on the color I want and go. Sounds pretty
easy.

What brand of stains are you shooting from your Critter? Are you
thinning any? How many psi are you using with the gun to shoot the
oil based?

Robert

wrote:
On Apr 1, 10:00 am, Pat Barber wrote:

It is "slow", but again...it works.

I now need to do a few directors chairs
with something that has some higher solids
in it(ie:latex or enamel paint).

Does anybody have any suggestions on a
starting point or even a product that
would be suitable for this gun ?

By a starting point, I mean how thin do
I really have to get to ?

Since this thing is a basically a air
brush, what has been other folks luck
with shooting the heavier stuff ?

For those who don't know:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...190,43034&ap=1

Just my opinion here, Pat. But remember, one man's ceiling is another
man's floor.

I have seen many claims about this gun, but never seen results first
hand. By the design of its sprayer and spray nozzle I don't see how
it could be used for a lot of finishes.

By design to make the gun work properly they limit the nozzle/needle
size, and of course the air. When you have those limitations, you can
see how it worked well with your oil bases stain. The stain is high
viscosity so it shoots well from this gun. In the same light, I have
heard from a reliable source that the critter shoots lacquer well, but
with it thinned to almost water consistency.

I think it is a pretty spiffy little gun within its limitations.

But I think by the time you get to the point where it would shoot
heavy varnishes (especially the ones with flattners) and the like you
would face problems with your material desegregating in the cup.

By the time you get latex thin enough, you will definitely see the
difference in your final product. When you over thin latex not only
do you ruin its ability to wear, you will also wind up with another
color! DAMHIKT.

I think the needle size on the critter is something like 1.00 to
1.2 mm. I don't know for sure, but I do know its small. A good all
around tip size is 1.4mm for shooting oil based enamels, shellac,
sealers, lacquer, varnish etc.

I cannot get latex to hang well and retain its color with anything
less than a 1.7mm. Optimally, I would like a 1.8 - 2.0 mm for latex
for a small project gun. Larger nozzles/needles/aircaps mean less
thinning, more product on the project and less coats with less chance
of runs or sags.

As always, just my 0,02.

As a sidebar I am looking at starting a small project to see how it
will float that will have me making display cases for high end goods.
If I do that, will probably buy a Critter for the exact purpose you
found it useful. All the display cases will be made from maple, but
stained, then finished.

If I have the Critter set up, I can keep all my stains in jars and
then just screw the head on the color I want and go. Sounds pretty
easy.

What brand of stains are you shooting from your Critter? Are you
thinning any? How many psi are you using with the gun to shoot the
oil based?

Robert

In addition to what Robert said, another limitation of this gun is that
it can only spray a round pattern. In this day and age even most of
your better $3 spray cans will spray an oval pattern, and I wouldn't
have much use for a spray gun that couldn't do the same.

--
Repeat after me:
"I am we Todd it. I am sofa king we Todd it."
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

Over the last 3-4 years, I have used several
"outdoor" stains from Flood,SW,etc on gliders,
picnic tables,benches,etc,etc.

As you know, deck stains have some sort
of solids in there, but not a lot. I did
not do "any" thinning on any of the products.

The Critter does most of these oil or water
based stains fairly well. I fooled around
with the psi and "around" 20-25 psi seems
to work the best.

Be aware that it is a fairly slow process.

The volume this gun shoots is fairly small,
but really fine stains should go pretty quickly.

It does handle lacquer and shellac fairly well,
but only on very small projects and cut "fairly"
thin. It takes "forever" to get a base built up.

I also wondered about trying something like
this: http://www.zinsser.com/product_detail.asp?ProductID=15
but I don't know if outdoors is going to be a killer
on this stuff.

Any other suggestions on something other than paint ???

I suppose I could always go to rattle cans....

Your views are always excellent in my opinion.



wrote:

Just my opinion here, Pat. But remember, one man's ceiling is another
man's floor.

As a follow up, this contraption has always
been poorly received by all, but I have
wondered if it has gotten any better/worse ?


http://www.wagnerspraytech.com/porta...95917,747.html

"Pat Barber" wrote:

As a follow up, this contraption has always
been poorly received by all, but I have
wondered if it has gotten any better/worse ?

http://www.wagnerspraytech.com/porta...5917,747.htmlI threw mine in the garbage.Lew

Pat Barber wrote:


Does anybody have any suggestions on a
starting point or even a product that
would be suitable for this gun ?

I've used it with oil-based primer and alkyd enamel to good effect. I
thinned it just enough to shoot, to minimize runs on vertical
surfaces. The self-leveling properties of the paint covered my
technique. I was shooting interior "gates" with a lot of open work.
Would use my el-cheapo HVLP if I had large surfaces to coat.

I've also used it with shellac. Makes me an even bigger fan of
shellac.
--
Alex -- Replace "nospam" with "mail" to reply by email. Checked infrequently.

"Pat Barber" wrote in message
...
As a follow up, this contraption has always
been poorly received by all, but I have
wondered if it has gotten any better/worse ?


http://www.wagnerspraytech.com/porta...95917,747.html


All I had to see was www.wagner and I realized it was not worth looking any
farther. Burn me 3 times, yes again no. ;~)

Three times ????

Leon wrote:
"Pat Barber" wrote in message
...
As a follow up, this contraption has always
been poorly received by all, but I have
wondered if it has gotten any better/worse ?


http://www.wagnerspraytech.com/porta...95917,747.html


All I had to see was www.wagner and I realized it was not worth looking any
farther. Burn me 3 times, yes again no. ;~)

"Pat Barber" wrote in message
...
Three times ????

I would think it reflects an upbeat optimism rather than a true learning
disability.


Leon wrote:
"Pat Barber" wrote in message
...
As a follow up, this contraption has always
been poorly received by all, but I have
wondered if it has gotten any better/worse ?


http://www.wagnerspraytech.com/porta...95917,747.html


All I had to see was www.wagner and I realized it was not worth looking
any farther. Burn me 3 times, yes again no. ;~)

On Apr 1, 1:12 pm, Pat Barber wrote:

Any other suggestions on something other than paint ???

If you want to spray, then you might try a good interior/exterior
polyurethane in gloss. No flattners in gloss, and you can get them
tinted. Polyurethane is sneaky stuff as it seems a lot more viscous
than it should be. Since the gloss stuff is almost all resin/carriers
and solvents, I am thinking that you could thin it enough to get it
sprayable with that gun without compromising your finish.

I suppose I could always go to rattle cans....

I read once what rattle can paint cost compared to a quart can...
nasty. Besides, unless your project is really small, you won't get a
lot of material on anything with cans anyway. For director's chairs,
you would probably use 3 - 4 cans a chair to get a nice finish on
them.

In an industry publication I read a couple of years ago, it was
estimated that the average rattle can delivered on 35% of material to
the target. How's that for inefficient? I still use them on really
small stuff or in a pinch, though.

Your views are always excellent in my opinion.

Thanks, Pat. I appreciate that.

Here's something to look at concerning the Critter gun. I noticed
that they weren't too critical overall as they are selling the same
gun in their stores:

http://www.woodcraft.com/articleprin...?ArticleID=699

I saw the reference in this thread to the Wagner gun. I actually used
a Wagner Power Shot Professional (model number unknown) and it worked
great for me shooting latex paint.

I was finishing up a workshop for a client, and he was worried about
getting his Hardie plank painted before a large group of storms were
to hit. He and his son were to do the painting, but that was a
project slated for several days away. I told him I couldn't do it as
my airless was tied up on another job (big shop!) and rolling cement
plank was not a good use of time.

He told me he had a sprayer as well. He went into the garage and
pulled out one of those Wagners that had a slingpack for the paint
feed as well as the quart cup. I wasn't interested. But he made me
an offer I couldn't refuse (hey.. I'm not made of stone!) so I decided
to give his gun a whirl.

I was spraying Glidden deep tint base paint in a deep brick red. The
gun acted up a lot and sputtered and spewed. It was as bad as
expected. I goofed with it a bit, then watched as my client looked
broken hearted when I announced that the gun didn't work.

I got to thinking, I remembered that years ago I had a painter work
for me that carried one of these around. He only took it out of the
truck if he had a lot of latex enamel to spray on doors, or if he had
louvered doors. His work always looked presentable.

So I cleaned the gun thoroughly, which was easy. I cut the paint by
10 - 15%, and loaded it up again. It performed flawlessly. I put on
two coats of paint on his entire shop, and shot about 7-8 gallons of
paint through it. No problems at all, and the finished product looked
nice.

A few things I found out about the Wagner gun. First, buy the most
powerful one they make. The others are a joke. Second, the gun MUST
be kept scrupulously clean. And I cannot stress how important it is
to have your paint as clean as a freshly opened can. This gun clogs
easily and the filters just don't work well. Third, make sure you
thin, no matter what the baloney says on the box about not needing to
do so.

I have used mine now and then in a pinch, and have no qualms about
using it. I only use it for latex application, interior and exterior,
enamel and flat wall. But I have better equipment (airless, cup guns)
for latex application, so it is rarely used.

Like the Critter, they have a place, you just have to practice a bit
with it and decide what that place is in your repertoire.

I think personally if I were in your shoes and wanting to use your
existing equipment on the director's, I would look at a tinted poly in
your Critter gun.

Robert

"Pat Barber" wrote in message
...
Three times ????

3 different products.

Man... I thought you were a glutton for pain for a
while there.

As Robert pointed out, you can get them to work with
a little extra effort. I'm not sure I want to go that
far for a few directors chairs.


Leon wrote:
"Pat Barber" wrote in message
...
Three times ????

3 different products.

I am forever learning stuff when you
do one of your posts. I'm sure the rest of
the crowd does also.

I didn't know there was such a thing as interior/exterior
polyurethane. I also didn't know you could tint the stuff.

I don't think you are talking about garden variety
poly by Minwax are you ???

Who makes this product ???

I'm more than willing to be a test subject on something
new. I'll even do a few pictures.




wrote:
On Apr 1, 1:12 pm, Pat Barber wrote:

Any other suggestions on something other than paint ???

If you want to spray, then you might try a good interior/exterior
polyurethane in gloss. No flattners in gloss, and you can get them
tinted. Polyurethane is sneaky stuff as it seems a lot more viscous
than it should be. Since the gloss stuff is almost all resin/carriers
and solvents, I am thinking that you could thin it enough to get it
sprayable with that gun without compromising your finish.

On Apr 2, 8:15*am, Pat Barber wrote:

I didn't know there was such a thing as interior/exterior
polyurethane. I also didn't know you could tint the stuff.

Don't think you are alone. Almost no one I know realizes there is a
difference, and I have had more than one lunch purchased for me up
providing proof. The interior stuff tends to dry harder, and is more
scuff resistant. It has no UV protection.

The exterior is just the reverse. Being outside requires that the
finish be more flexible to accommodate the expansion and contraction
of the substrate in climate changes as well as UV resistance.

You should be able to get a lunch bet our of someone on that one,
Pat!

I don't think you are talking about garden variety
poly by Minwax are you ???

Who makes this product ???

There are several manufacturers of tinted poly products. Minwax is
certainly there with their polyshades, but ZAR, Varathane and others
make their own as well just to name a couple. I think that Benjamin
Moore and Sherwin Williams will also tint gallons of their stuff for
you if you have a commercial division batch mixer in your area.

I'm more than willing to be a test subject on something
new. I'll even do a few pictures.

Excellent!

These tinted coatings are made for speed, no necessarily for fine
finishing. I think deck chairs (and anything that needs a fast,
better than average finish) and the like are the market in which these
products shine.

They aren't designed for fine finishing.

Here's a tip I learned with tinted lacquer. Apply a first coat as
evenly as possible. Apply a second coat to even out the appearance of
the first coat.

If the sum of your two coats is even in appearance, make your
subsequent top coats clear so that you won't have to worry about the
color blending as well as the actual application.

One more comment. These colored finishes work best on naked wood. If
you sand previously finished wood down and apply them over it, you
take a huge risk of color blotching. Most of the finishes on store
bought furniture are some kind of UV treat related lacquer or
a catalyzed component finish of some sort. Your colored finish will
skate right over these, with the more sanded areas grabbing more
finish and color while the less sanded give the new finish no traction
to adhere.

Better to clean the surface, sand it, then apply old faithful Bull's
Eye sanding sealer over it before starting. Sand only enough to even
out the surface, not exposing any raw wood or old surface material.
Doing this will even out the texture of the surface and in turn even
out the application of the colored material.

I will be looking for pics where we all can see them on photobucket,
imageshack, etc.

You're committed! VBG

Robert

Thanks Robert...

I'll make a visit down to the commercial Sherwin Williams
place in the next few days. Do you happen to know if you
can do this in pastel colors like blue,white,green,etc,etc ???

I forgot to ask:

Which Bulls Eye sealer ???

http://www.zinsser.com/subcat.asp?CategoryID=1

or do you mean "SealCoat"

http://www.zinsser.com/subcat.asp?CategoryID=3




wrote:
On Apr 2, 8:15 am, Pat Barber wrote:

I didn't know there was such a thing as interior/exterior
polyurethane. I also didn't know you could tint the stuff.

Don't think you are alone. Almost no one I know realizes there is a
difference, and I have had more than one lunch purchased for me up
providing proof. The interior stuff tends to dry harder, and is more
scuff resistant. It has no UV protection.

Something interesting along the lines we have been
talking about, but alas not for exterior applications
but still very interesting...

http://www.zinsser.com/pdf/Decoratin...ed_Shellac.pdf

On Apr 2, 1:11*pm, Pat Barber wrote:
Well, since you opened this can of worms,
I might as well ask about "water based poly".

It occurs to me that it should be able to
handle colors even better ???

I know that sounds a little too logical
but finish chemistry ain't been my strong
point, so I thought I would ask.

I got nothin' on water based finishes. I know they are the future,
but I figure that as long as I have to wear all the gear and take all
the precautions I do when applying finishes, I will go with my
favorites which are all solvent based..

I have almost no experience with water based finishes. I didn't like
the look of the finishes, the cleanup, or the inability (on my part
anyway) to fine tune to the exact spray characteristics of my guns.
The experiences I had were not good, so went to other solvent based
products to find a solution rather than pursuing a water based
product.

I know that many professionals use the MLC brands water borne products
(like BARRY when he is here), and others I have been in contact love
the ML Cambell (sp?) brands. They swear by them.

At this time, not my cup of tea.

Robert

Pat Barber wrote:

Well, since you opened this can of worms,
I might as well ask about "water based poly".

No direct experience; however, a fellow boat builder in CT tells me
that water based finishes have come a long way in the last 5 years,
and he is using them in marine applications.

Since this is an outdoor application, might want to take a look at
Cetol which is used on teak trim on boats as an alternate to varnish.

Does provide an orange cast which may be objectionable.

Lew

I'm gonna need a "colored" finish on these
old deck chairs. They started out life as
some sort of white and have been stripped
and painted a time or two.

The last stripping was a couple of years
ago and I just never got around to the
finish. Some sort of colored finish is in
my future.



Lew Hodgett wrote:

No direct experience; however, a fellow boat builder in CT tells me
that water based finishes have come a long way in the last 5 years,
and he is using them in marine applications.

Since this is an outdoor application, might want to take a look at
Cetol which is used on teak trim on boats as an alternate to varnish.

Does provide an orange cast which may be objectionable.

Lew

"Pat Barber" wrote:


I'm gonna need a "colored" finish on these
old deck chairs. They started out life as
some sort of white and have been stripped
and painted a time or two.

Do a Google on "Cetol", then take a trip to your nearest West Marine
and pick up some data sheets.

My bet is if you had lunch in Oceanside and then walked the docks, you
would find several Cetol boats in the slips.

Lew

If you mean "OceanSide, CA.", I'm a
pretty good distance from there.

I'm 3 blocks from the ocean in Myrtle
Beach, S.C. and OceanSide has been the
name of my business for 28 years.

I own two boats and I'm familar with
Cetol, which is a fine product.

Lew Hodgett wrote:

Do a Google on "Cetol", then take a trip to your nearest West Marine
and pick up some data sheets.

My bet is if you had lunch in Oceanside and then walked the docks, you
would find several Cetol boats in the slips.

Lew

"Pat Barber" wrote:

If you mean "OceanSide, CA.", I'm a
pretty good distance from there.

I'm 3 blocks from the ocean in Myrtle
Beach, S.C. and OceanSide has been the
name of my business for 28 years.

I own two boats and I'm familar with
Cetol, which is a fine product.

For some reason I thought you were on the left coast.

Be rather a lengthy trip for lunch in Oceanside, CA.

Boats?

Did he say "Boats"?

What kind?

Lew

wrote in message
...
On Apr 2, 7:07 am, "Leon" wrote:

Three times ????

3 different products.

I know EXACTLY what you are talking about, Leon. I had two and took
them both back. I NEVER would have tried another one if that guy
hadn't had one in his garage.


Robert I bought a Wagner spray gun in the early 80's and took it back, I
never even used it past trying to get it to work. A few years later I
bought the Wagner Power roller to paint the outside of my house. I did a
little inside painting first and the thing seemed to do the job pretty well.
Then I tried it outside and apparently did not sterilize every itsey bitsy
teeny weenry part after the previous use. I could not thin the latex paint
down enough for the pump to push the paint through the hose. After a couple
of hours of thinning the paint finally flowed but poured out of the roller,
uncontrollably. I then proceeded to go into a fit and slammed the roller
into the outside wall there by changing it's shape for ever. ;~) It did
not help but I felt better. It then went straight into the trash can. A
few years later, you guessed it, I bought the Wagoner "Paint Stick" The
syringe style paint roller. It worked pretty darn well for several years,
then a buddy showed me one of those tall paint buckets to dip your roller in
and I tossed the Paint Stick.

"I've learned my lesson well, do- da- dodo".

"Upscale" wrote in message
...

"Leon" wrote in message
then a buddy showed me one of those tall paint buckets to dip your roller
in
and I tossed the Paint Stick.

Tall paint bucket? I suppose I should know what/which you are referring
to,
but I don't. Got a link?



Similar to this,
http://paint-and-supplies.hardwarest...et-170589.aspx

I get mine at Home Depot. The Home Depot one is "orange" and looks more
like a square waste basket with a handle. The HD bucket will only handle
the regular 9" rollers and easily holds 1-2 gallons of paint. Also the HD
version is much cheaper, less than $10 IIRC.

"Leon" wrote in message
then a buddy showed me one of those tall paint buckets to dip your roller
in
and I tossed the Paint Stick.

Tall paint bucket? I suppose I should know what/which you are referring to,
but I don't. Got a link?

"Leon" wrote in message
I get mine at Home Depot. The Home Depot one is "orange" and looks more
like a square waste basket with a handle. The HD bucket will only handle
the regular 9" rollers and easily holds 1-2 gallons of paint. Also the HD
version is much cheaper, less than $10 IIRC.

Thanks, I should have figured it out. When you said "tall" paint bucket, I
was trying to envision a paint buck that you'd dip the end of a roller into.

For those who don't know:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...190,43034&ap=1
Pat Barber


Here's something to look at concerning the Critter gun. I noticed
that they weren't too critical overall as they are selling the same
gun in their stores:
http://www.woodcraft.com/articleprin...?ArticleID=699
nailshooter

Thses look like they might fit the bill for me. Since I do mostly
scroll saw and turning work, the smaller pattern would work well. I
especially like the idea of being able to just swap mason jars. And
this is way more in my budget and shop size ... lol.
`Casper

"Casper" wrote in message
news
For those who don't know:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...190,43034&ap=1
Pat Barber


Here's something to look at concerning the Critter gun. I noticed
that they weren't too critical overall as they are selling the same
gun in their stores:
http://www.woodcraft.com/articleprin...?ArticleID=699
nailshooter

Thses look like they might fit the bill for me. Since I do mostly
scroll saw and turning work, the smaller pattern would work well. I
especially like the idea of being able to just swap mason jars. And
this is way more in my budget and shop size ... lol.
`Casper

The Critter seems to have won a spot in people's hearts, but another
alternative that would afford you a lot more control and capability, at an
extremely good price is...

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...?Itemnumber=86

These guns are commonly on sale in the stores for around $9, but even at the
full price, it's a great deal. This gun can handle quite a large job, or a
small job. The limitation is that you won't shoot latex through it. Not a
limiting factor IMHO. It's also not HVLP, but for the type of work you
would commonly do with small guns, that's not as big of a deal as it might
seem.

--

-Mike-

The Critter seems to have won a spot in people's hearts, but another
alternative that would afford you a lot more control and capability, at an
extremely good price is...

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...?Itemnumber=86

These guns are commonly on sale in the stores for around $9, but even at the
full price, it's a great deal. This gun can handle quite a large job, or a
small job. The limitation is that you won't shoot latex through it. Not a
limiting factor IMHO. It's also not HVLP, but for the type of work you
would commonly do with small guns, that's not as big of a deal as it might
seem. Mike Marlow

Two things ...

One is I'd prefer to see the contents of the can, not only to know the
level, but be sure what's in it. Ergo why I like the mason jar idea.

Two is I'm not big on Harbor Freight except for little things. I've
already had a friend go thru 3 welders, another thru 4 drills and
another thru several other power tools, mostly saws and grinders. I
know it might not happen to me, but I'd rather spend a bit more to be
certain and not end up frustrated in the long run. But that's just me.

`Casper

On Apr 17, 3:42*pm, Casper wrote:

One is I'd prefer to see the contents of the can, not only to know the
level, but be sure what's in it. Ergo why I like the mason jar idea.

Easy enough. As with 99.99% of paint sprayers, just look inside. I
haven't ever had a glass jar as a cup.

I know it might not happen to me, but I'd rather spend a bit more to be
certain and not end up frustrated in the long run. But that's just me.

I understand completely. I hate wasting time, and I get even more
****ed off at myself for wasting money. With Harbor Freight, you
definitely pay your money and take your chances.

Mike has this one right, though. This is a copy of the industry
standard Binks 115, and a mighty fine copy if I must say so. I have
used mine for every kind of solvent (no latex) finish you can imagine
with great results. I like it so much I bought another.

For the hobby guy, a few ounces in the cup is all you need once you
master the flow control. It would be great for small cabinets,
jewelry boxes, end tables, etc., as it is from HF.

But for bigger stuff, don't count this out. When one of my other $$$
guns decided to die (it was spray day... NOTHING stops spray day) I
sprayed out a whole kitchen with one of these. No kidding! It was a
medium solids fast dry enamel, and it sprayed great.

There were two keys to the success of spraying large objects with this
gun. First, its air requirements are such that I could use a smaller
compressor to spray, so the 2 hp worked fine. It ran a lot, but kept
up.

Second, I had a spare 1 qt cup, and went to the hardware store with it
to match connectors. It was ugly, no doubt about it, but I hung the
1 qt cup off the spray head with an assortment of connectors. It
sprayed like a champ, and lack of material was never a problem.

I paid full price for mine a few years ago, which was at that time
$9.99. I keep it scrupulously clean, and it still works so well I
haven't even tried the newer one yet.

I would vote for this one over the Critter simply because the Critter
comes with a 1mm tip and the HF comes with a 1.4mm.

As always, YMMV.

Robert

"Casper" wrote in message
...

Two things ...

One is I'd prefer to see the contents of the can, not only to know the
level, but be sure what's in it. Ergo why I like the mason jar idea.


To each his own. There aren't many things I keep mixed up ready to spray,
so seeing what is inside of a mason jar is of no value to me.

Two is I'm not big on Harbor Freight except for little things.

Understandable, but you are shortchanging some pretty good stuff. A good
amount of what Harbor Freight sells is perfectly acceptable stuff. This gun
in particular, is a very good gun. But if you don't care for HF, then
that's fine.

I've
already had a friend go thru 3 welders, another thru 4 drills and
another thru several other power tools, mostly saws and grinders. I
know it might not happen to me, but I'd rather spend a bit more to be
certain and not end up frustrated in the long run. But that's just me.


There are a lot of things from Harbor Freight that I would not buy. Some of
them are included in the list you stated. I did however, buy a 4 1/2
grinder from them, a die grinder from them, my son bought a small compressor
from them, and an assortment of other things. As I stated, this spray gun
in particular I can assure you is not a piece of junk. It is an exact copy
to the nth detail of the original Binks. I know - I have the original
Binks. The grinder I bought gets put through its paces - probably harder
than your friends use theirs. No problems. The die grinder really gets
used - no problems. I didn't go there when I needed to buy a new welder.
Nor when I needed a new drill. But then again, the welders at HF should
scare off anyone looking to do any amount of welding at all, just by
reviewing the product specs.

--

-Mike-

"Mike Marlow" wrote in message
...

"Casper" wrote in message
...

Two things ...

One is I'd prefer to see the contents of the can, not only to know the
level, but be sure what's in it. Ergo why I like the mason jar idea.


To each his own. There aren't many things I keep mixed up ready to spray,
so seeing what is inside of a mason jar is of no value to me.

Two is I'm not big on Harbor Freight except for little things.

Understandable, but you are shortchanging some pretty good stuff. A good
amount of what Harbor Freight sells is perfectly acceptable stuff. This
gun in particular, is a very good gun. But if you don't care for HF, then
that's fine.

I've
already had a friend go thru 3 welders, another thru 4 drills and
another thru several other power tools, mostly saws and grinders. I
know it might not happen to me, but I'd rather spend a bit more to be
certain and not end up frustrated in the long run. But that's just me.


There are a lot of things from Harbor Freight that I would not buy. Some
of them are included in the list you stated. I did however, buy a 4 1/2
grinder from them,

That grinder Will Not Die! No matter how bad you want a name brand.

Do you remember how seriously you cut that
enamel to get it to spray ???

I got a local store up the road and I also
own a CH gun that is a dead
ringer for that gun.


wrote:


Mike has this one right, though. This is a copy of the industry
standard Binks 115, and a mighty fine copy if I must say so. I have
used mine for every kind of solvent (no latex) finish you can imagine
with great results. I like it so much I bought another.


But for bigger stuff, don't count this out. When one of my other $$$
guns decided to die (it was spray day... NOTHING stops spray day) I
sprayed out a whole kitchen with one of these. No kidding! It was a
medium solids fast dry enamel, and it sprayed great.

On Apr 20, 12:51 pm, Pat Barber wrote:
Do you remember how seriously you cut that
enamel to get it to spray ???

I got a local store up the road and I also
own a CH gun that is a dead
ringer for that gun.

I have seen that one. A buddy of mine has one and he likes it pretty
well. He used it to spray some oil (long oil alkyd, not fast dry
enamel) based enamel on some book cases and crowed like a barnyard
rooster since they came out so well.

Using that gun, I thin the enamel the same as I do on my HVLP, so
that's the reason I remember. Otherwise...

The same thinning protocols go for ( IN MY EXPERIENCE !! ) Rustoleum
High Performance, Coronado Corotile Industrial, and Sherwyn Williams
Southern Builder's Enamel. They are all quick dry, medium build (no
matter what they say - medium, not high) enamels designed specifically
to be sprayed.


- 90 degrees or so, about 10%. If the material was stored outside and
is the same ambient air temp in a rising temp day, I start with a
little less

- 80 to 90 degrees. I start with about 15% thinning

- 70 to 80 degrees, about 20%, may go 25% as I get closer to 70
degrees

- 60 to 70 degrees, about 25%

Below 60, about 30% thinned.

However, I have shot the SW stuff at 35% thinned on a 50 degree day
with no harm to the finish

I thin these with lacquer thinner, which speeds up the dry time even
more. If you hit these enamels 20%, you can bet you will get your 15
minute "dry to the touch" even in moderate weather.

If you need more time to spray out your surfaces (complicated shapes,
large tables, etc.) try thinning with mineral spirits instead of
lacquer thinner. You will get more open/lap time, but in the end it
might be better for you and your guns. Part of that depends on how
fast you spray.

As a general guide, that little gun will shoot a nice 8" pattern
(pretty wide for a peewee!) at about 10" from the target, so it is
really useful. It will close up the pattern from there very easily,
which will allow you to do smaller objects.

A warning - keep those horn air holes clean. Clean them outwith a
toothpick and then use air pressure to make sure they are clean. You
probably have only two holes per horn, so one clogged horn is
disaster, taking away 25% of your air stream.

Be careful spraying as this gun (it's the amount of air coming from
only 4 air holes) has a lot of blowback from time to time depending on
the position and pressure being used.. It will clog those horns up in
mid use using a fast dry enamel as the air stream will start drying
out the enamel on the way out of the needle.

I have sprayed enamel on a really hot day, and when noticed sputters,
I looked at the gun and it had long (1/2") icicles of paint reaching
out from around the bottom horn.

Post with any other questions. Let me know how you do.

Robert

Thanks for another chapter on "How to do it"
in the finishing book.

Great stuff....

wrote:
On Apr 20, 12:51 pm, Pat Barber wrote:
Do you remember how seriously you cut that
enamel to get it to spray ???

Snipped all the good stuff...