woodturners

[rodw]

I'm sure that there are wood turners out there that use a spray gun on their works of art, my son has just given me a spray set and I don't know (1) how to use it (2) what stains to purchase (3)how to use and what quanity of thinners (4)what other equipment I should have.
can anybody help me out with this??? Rod W

[MurrayD99]

I'm not sure about applying stain with a gun. I never tried that. There is a lot of stuff on air, guns, technique in the finishing thread.

e.g.http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=47322&highlight=compressor+spray+gun

Mostly we use this gear on larger surfaces. I guess it would be possible to use an airbrush on turned objets d'art after you take them off the lathe but otherwise I doubt it would be worth the overhead involved in cleaning the gun etc... I don't expect this "wondering" of mine will be helpful but the other threads could put you on the right track. Just scroll through "finishing". PM me if you like.

[thefixer]

Hi Rod

Lots more info needed.I am a professional auto spray painter and also did a few years spraying in the furniture business.
Q 1. Is it an airless spray kit or do you require a compressor?
Q 2. If requires a compressor , is it low pressure, suction, or a top loader?
Q 3. What type of stain or lacquer are you intending to use. Water base, oil base or thinner base.

Just a few basics to get you thinking. Personally I wouldn't use spray on turnings as most on this forum would agree. Using waxes and polishes gives you a much more natural look and there is no drying time to worry about.

Regardless of that if you require any tips on using a spray gun don't hesitate to ask , I have 30 years exprience in all sorts of spraying.



Cheers
Shorty

[KevM]

One of our Guild members owned his own bodyworks and was a spray painter in a previous life, he now turns gallery items and they are all sprayed. This sassafras bowl was plain grained on the top so he airbrushed the rim.

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/attachment.php?attachmentid=42214&d=1174133841



He currently uses Wattyl Stylewood, I have some photos somewhere which I will upload if I can find.

[thefixer]

I'll reserve my thoughts on air brushing . Suffice to say that with my experience as a spraypainter I could make any timber look something that it is not. Kinda takes away the art of enhancing good timber for what it really is.

Cheers
Shorty

[rodw]

Thank you all for your in put so far, all I can tell you is that it is a compressor type with a small gun (hows that for being dumb) it has a sticker on it that says 195 something or other but not psi. we just came home from New Zealand and I spoke to a number of turners over there and most of those spray paint their work and mostly use a shellac. and there work was superb not overly glossy but it made them spot proof in the wet, my problem is that at a market, if it rained and you did not get under cover fast they would spot and then require re sanding and polishing, I agree that wax is great but.....
Rod W

[KevM]

A couple of photos of items from the Guild member mentioned previously both sprayed with Wattyl stylewood.

For those that have difficulty resizing pictures, these two were 241kB each photo and uploaded to the Forum without resizing, but were resized by Forum software to 61.3k and 44.5k respectively. There is now no need to use a separate resizing program before uploading.

[thefixer]

A couple of photos of items from the Guild member mentioned previously both sprayed with Wattyl stylewood.

For those that have difficulty resizing pictures, these two were 241kB each photo and uploaded to the Forum without resizing, but were resized by Forum software to 61.3k and 44.5k respectively. There is now no need to use a separate resizing program before uploading.

Looks too plastic for my liking

[KevM]

Looks too plastic for my liking

I agree, I'd use a lower level of gloss but he tells me that that is the level of gloss that the gallery owners request.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I see nothing wrong with airbrushing a piece, so long as it's done tastefully and at least some of the timber is left visible. I'd be doing it myself if some mongrel relly would stop pinching my gear every time I replace it. :(:rolleyes:

But I don't see the point in going whole hog for a spray gun... not unless I was thinking of doing bowls in batches and I'm not that keen. IMHO the clean up just isn't worth it for one or two items.

[OGYT]

I use a spray gun quite a bit. I spray lacquer only, at 30 psi. I never clean my gun. :eek: Well, almost never. I've had this one about 10 years and have never taken it apart to clean it. I take the fan nozzle off about once or twice a month, and drop it into a little jar of lacquer thinner. That's all.
I leave the lacquer in it, and if it's two weeks or six months before I use it, it's okay. Lacquer melts lacquer. I just take it off the hook, connect the airhose, rub my finger across the nozzle with the trigger pulled, and then spray my piece.
I spray hollowforms and some artsy bowls, and little boxes, etc.
Well, there you have it. Lacquer is the only thing you can use in a gun in this manner. If you use anything else in it besides lacquer, you'll have to clean it after each use. And I'm too lazy for that. :snopee:

[Gil Jones]

Al, how do you manage that without the thinner evaporating away in the cup?

[tashammer]

ermm, that platter looks more like a case of repeated oversprays, the ones you get when you are holding a piece of cardboard to prevent paint going to far.

[OGYT]

Al, how do you manage that without the thinner evaporating away in the cup?

The cup is sealed. I removed the little air inlet tube when I bought the new gun. I use a little bent piece of 14 gauge wire to plug the vent... just have to remember to remove it when I use it. I've never had a problem. I thin with 20% Thinner/80%Lacquer, and add 1/2 to 3/4 ounce of Retarder to each cup. Works like a charm. :2tsup:

That's texturing, Tas... {grin}

[rodw]

Looks too plastic for my liking

[rodw]

Thanks for the photo's they do look good but I'm after a more satin finish much like the finish you get with wax but with out the marking of the rain any idea's how it can be achieved???
Rod W

[rodw]

I was sending you a reply when the computer died so I'm not sure if you got it or not, anyway I was saying that when I press down the trigger half way I get a light spray of air but when I put the trigger down fully I get a blast of air so which does one use????
Rod W

[rodw]

Hi Kev, I went to the wood show up here in Brisbane on Saturday and lo and behold there was your friends platter in all its glory, not sure I would pay the price he had on it, but it was unusual, thanks again for the photo's
Rod W

[OGYT]

Rod, the two positions of the trigger are Air, and Fluid. The first little position is for a little blast of air that will clean off any little piece of lint that's floated onto your surface.
Then, fully pulling the trigger... where you get that "blast of air"... is when whatever you got in it comes out. That's when the 'lacquer' comes out, if you got lacquer in the cup.
To use it, you hold it out in front of you, and swing your arm back and forth like a horizontal pendulum waving it across the piece and back.
As you approach the piece, pull the trigger all the way back; when you pass the piece, let off the trigger; then when you swing it back, do the same thing, again, and again, back and forth, squeezing and releasing the trigger 'til it's finished.

[rodw]

Hi Shorty, How do I know at what pressure Im spraying at??, the compressor pumps up to the red line then stop as it should,(197 L/pmin) and the knob on the front that is suspose to regulate the flow, is not calibrated to give me any idea as to what pressure is coming out of the gun, also can I use water to practice with on the garage door to get the hang of distance from and the speed to use???
Rod W

[OGYT]

You can buy a small gauge with a regulator knob on it, that will attach with the same threads as your gun. Screw it into the gun, then mount the quick connect for the airline.
That way it's right at the gun, where you can adjust the pressure.
Too much pressure on the gun will round the bottom, making you cuss a lot. :D