hscrewdude Posted February 8, 2012 Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 Hey guys, I haven't posted in a while, but my dad and I just got av hvlp and were wondering what a favorite top finish to spray with these unis is. We have no experience with these and would like any tips or suggestions you are willing to offer. It's only a cheap (rockler) unit for a starter setup before shelling out$$$. We like to finish many pcs at the same time and this would save a lot of time once we learn the proper way to use it. I have always got the answers I need from fellow woodworkers like you, so thanks in advance. P.S. If ot helps, we usually stain with minwax oil base with a rag. Never tried water based or gel finishes. Thanks Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jjmedure Posted February 8, 2012 Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 i just started using a similar spray system, i got the earlex 5500 pretty happy with it so far. I am using general finishes polyacrylic i got from amazon. It is water a water born top coat. I am having great success with it using a 1.5mm needle. if you never sprayed before honestly the best thing i can tell you is to google a few videos to get the general idea of the motion. After that fill it up with water and practice a little. The water will flow faster than the finish will so once you get a good pattern you will need to open the flow up a little once you switch to the top coat. Just play with it for a while before you put it on anything that matters. The bigest thing i can tell you is start spraying before the wood and follow thru untill you are past it and keep a steady distance and never stop in the middle. Good luck and have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewoodwhisperer Posted February 10, 2012 Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 In my opinion, nothing sprays better or is more user-friendly than good old lacquer. But these days, with tighter VOC regulations, things are definitely going in a more water-based direction. So even though lacquer sprays like a dream, I wouldn't get too used to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hscrewdude Posted February 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2012 Thanks for the replies guys, and I know what you mean by lacquer finishes. I haven't tried them in this machine, but every other way and always happy with the turn out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceHoleInOne Posted February 11, 2012 Report Share Posted February 11, 2012 I like General Finishes water-based High Performance. It's prety friendly to spray. Has a good amount of solids in. My opinion is to learn water-based. Just not having to deal with those solvents is a huge bonus. Water clean up is pretty nice too. Water-base is our future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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