Replies

1. 
   TomT226 | May 02, 2003 07:57pm | #1

   I've never seen an airless system that could give furniture a decent finish. They're mainly used for spraying heavy bodied latex and acrylic products for exterior and interior walls and trim.

   A good HVLP unit with a pressure pot will spray any lacquer unthinned, along with the heavier bodied acrylics properly thinned.

   You will need a compressor with this type of system. There are HVLP units with turbines instead of compressors.

2. 
   RW | May 03, 2003 12:36am | #2

   Yes, Graco and others make pumps in a variety of sizes. The smallest Graco (I think its the 395) is no bigger than your average HVLP turbine. Carry it with one hand. Grab your yellow pages and look up paint stores. Most of them will carry. We've got at least a half dozen Graco dealers here. It ought to run you about eight or nine bills for the setup. But that said, even a small pump is still more production oriented than a cup gun, whether that be compressor driven or turbine driven. I wouldn't consider the efficiency of using a pump to greatly outweigh cup guns unless your volume started being measured in gallons rather than quarts.

   "The child is grown / The dream is gone / And I have become / Comfortably numb "      lyrics by Roger Waters

1. 
   Adrian | May 03, 2003 04:15pm | #3

   Important to know if the painters had an airless, or an air-assisted airless; most of the manufacturers (including Graco) make both, and they look similar unless you know what you're looking at. Airless is for house paint; air-assisted airless for furniture quality finishes with lacquers and pigmented opaque furniture finishes.

   I agree with the others that a cup gun is best for small quantities and occasional spraying; if you are doing more than that, consider a pressure pot and a good gun. If you want to spend the money, and are spraying a fair amount (doesn't have to be high production, the systems are made in various sizes) the air-assisted systems are beautiful; soft spray, less air consumption, no cup on the end of the gun to deal with....but you need to prime the pump, and keep the lines filled, before you are ready to spray an ounce on your woodwork.....and that means waste, if you are only spraying once in a while. Most of the dealers I work with have everything available, from cup guns to much bigger systems, and will help you choose what's right. Graco is okay (I have one of their air-assisted systems); also look at Kremlin and Asturo. Stainless steel fluid parts if you're thinking about waterbased at any time.cabinetmaker/college instructor. Cape Breton, N.SWAY too conservative to be merely right wing

1. 
   gtp | May 03, 2003 06:33pm | #5

   I live in the mountains, at 8,000 feet, some distance from a large city. I will need to purchase a system mail-order. Is there a specific system that you recommend for finishing with lacquer, assuming that the pieces are cupboards, desks, etc., built mainly by me, but with assistance sometimes? Many thanks for your reply.

1. 
   RW | May 03, 2003 08:04pm | #6

   I would recommend a Binks pressure pot with dual regulators and a 2001 gun. With 25' of hose, anticipate in the neighborhood of $600. You can go to http://www.binks.com and click on a dealer locator to find one near you. You might be able to get them to ship simply by calling. Barring that, the yellow pages for the large city nearest you might be able to hook you up by looking under paint suppliers. I know the paint store here, while not technically dealing in mail order stuff, if you called from two hours away and wanted it UPS to you, they'd do it.

   Bear in mind this would require a compressor, and I'd buy some good filters. We all got opinions. "The child is grown / The dream is gone / And I have become / Comfortably numb "      lyrics by Roger Waters

3. 
   migraine | May 03, 2003 05:53pm | #4

   Wagner makes some good quality pumps and I don't mean those stupid buzz boxes that look like a cup gun with a motor attached.  I have 3 airless models that I have owned over the past 14-15 years and they have been vary reliable., except for some O rings and a major cleaning now and then.  All 3 of my pumps have the bucket "hopper" sitting on top of the pump so that the material is gravity feed.  I prefer the diaphragm type for lacquer and a good quality gun. The gun I have (all 3) are G-10 and I believe they are made by Graco.  The guns have a long filter in the handle that filters out everything and keeps the tips from clogging.  I also spray with a 4/10 or a 4/08 double orifice tip.  The "4" means the size of the fan and then double it (8").  The "10 or 8" mean the diameter of the hole in the tip in thousandths.  Yes, I mean  .010" or .008"  I still cut my lacquer with thinner and I use retarder also.  You can get that gun in an amazingly tight areas.  Learning not to cause runs take a lot of practice.  I use my airless for mostly interior cabinetry, and even painting.    I also have HVLP, shading guns, old style spray guns, pressure pots.  The airless is still my favorite to use.

   Last pump I bought was a Wagner 425 that was purchased at Harbor Freight and I think I paid about $275  with a hose  a cheap gun.  I thew the gun away.  It was the type that had the siphon hose and was on wheels.  I just removed the siphon hose, flipped the pump upright, reattached the wheels and handle, and then attached a hopper bucket.  Sprays lacquer perfectly.  I believe manual said it was .25 gpm.