[adot45]

I plan on painting my jelly cupboard after prepping with 2 or 3 coats of sanding sealer and sanding in between coats of course. I really like the look of a sprayed on finish as opposed to brush on. What spray gun type etc. works best for the job? Thanks

 

[Steve Neul]

I plan on painting my jelly cupboard after prepping with 2 or 3 coats of sanding sealer and sanding in between coats of course. I really like the look of a sprayed on finish as opposed to brush on. What spray gun type etc. works best for the job? Thanks

If you are talking about lacquer, I would prime the wood with a lacquer undercoater rather than sanding sealer. If it's light in color I like Bushwacker white lacquer undercoater. It's available at Sherwin Williams. With a pigmented primer you will be able to see a lot more defects than sealer you might want to address before top coating.

It would be difficult to say which sprayer would be best without seeing the cabinet. If it doesn't have a lot of small covey holes any cup gun should work. You may have to overthin the finish and use retarder thinner to spray the inside. Sometimes a gravity feed gun gets cumbersome spraying the inside of a cabinet. I prefer to use a pressure pot and a conventional sprayer to paint cabinets with.

 

[adot45]

Thanks for your thoughts Steve. I know what you mean about using a pressurized pot, much easier painting in tight areas with just a nozzle and not trying to maneuver a gun and cup or a hopper. As for paint, I will probably try to find an enamel in satin or semi gloss. I've never been a fan of lacquer and no experience with it. I know for metal your base has to be perfect because lacquer, being so thin, will show every little flaw. I just don't like the look of brushing so thought I'd try spraying. Thanks again.

 

[cabinetman]

For spraying an oil base enamel you can use any type of conventional cup and gun. It may need to be thinned to spray...use mineral spirits. You can use any type of putty or filler for holes, and likewise you can use any type of sealer or primer.

You have to be careful about runs. OB enamel is a heavy bodied finish, and its easy to apply too much. Apply very thin coats, and allow enough time for curing to sand between coats.

.

 

[adot45]

Hello cabinetman, I think the oil based enamel is the way I'm going to go. At least I have a little more experience using it as opposed to lacquer based paint. I'll have to be careful of doing too heavy coats, with rattle cans sometimes I try to put the 1st and 2nd coat on all at once. :laughing: Using a "real" spray gun, I can dial down the paint output and try to avoid all the "drips, runs, and errors". Cleanup seems a little easier with OB too. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[cabinetman]

Hello cabinetman, I think the oil based enamel is the way I'm going to go. At least I have a little more experience using it as opposed to lacquer based paint. I'll have to be careful of doing too heavy coats, with rattle cans sometimes I try to put the 1st and 2nd coat on all at once. :laughing: Using a "real" spray gun, I can dial down the paint output and try to avoid all the "drips, runs, and errors". Cleanup seems a little easier with OB too. Thanks for your thoughts.

Try working with extra lighting if possible. Getting a glare on the wet path can help in seeing how wet it's getting. And, being heavy, it can start a run easily especially during the overlapping of paths, and corners.

.

 

[adot45]

A Ha.....more good stuff. :thumbsup: Since this cabinet is going to be pretty heavy once it's assembled, I'm going to leave the doors off and shelves (2) out, and also leave the top and bottom off so the wife and I can move it. That also means it will be easy to paint inside the carcass as well. Also, I can paint the ends (sides?) with it on it's side so they will be flat.....giving myself a better chance at no sags and runs. The doors, top, bottom, and shelves should be a snap to paint too, once I get them laid out. Appreciate the comments.

 

[Steve Neul]

If you are going with enamel I would use Kilz original for the primer. Since it's enamel you kinda need to let it dry 24 hours before sanding. It can be sanded sooner but tends to gum up on the paper instead of powdering. Enamel is a better finish but lacquer would have been far easier for you. It dries withing an hour if anything goes wrong. With enamel all you can do is look at it for 24 hours when there is a problem.

You have to be careful thinning enamel. Normally you don't thin it more than 5%. The thinner it gets the more likely you will get runs in it and it dosn't cover very well and screws up the sheen. One benefit is you are unlikely to get any orange peal since it dries so slow.

 

[adot45]

If you are going with enamel I would use Kilz original for the primer. Since it's enamel you kinda need to let it dry 24 hours before sanding. It can be sanded sooner but tends to gum up on the paper instead of powdering. Enamel is a better finish but lacquer would have been far easier for you. It dries withing an hour if anything goes wrong. With enamel all you can do is look at it for 24 hours when there is a problem.

You have to be careful thinning enamel. Normally you don't thin it more than 5%. The thinner it gets the more likely you will get runs in it and it dosn't cover very well and screws up the sheen. One benefit is you are unlikely to get any orange peal since it dries so slow.

Going after paint today. What I end up with really comes down to what is available in the color I want to use. If enamel, I'll seal it and sand it with a couple or 3 coats of sanding sealer but I don't plan on using any primer. As far as lacquer goes, where would a person even get lacquer based paint? Automotive type stores? I'm in a pretty limited area as far as selection of materials. Thanks

 

[adot45]

If you are going with enamel I would use Kilz original for the primer. Since it's enamel you kinda need to let it dry 24 hours before sanding. It can be sanded sooner but tends to gum up on the paper instead of powdering. Enamel is a better finish but lacquer would have been far easier for you. It dries withing an hour if anything goes wrong. With enamel all you can do is look at it for 24 hours when there is a problem.

You have to be careful thinning enamel. Normally you don't thin it more than 5%. The thinner it gets the more likely you will get runs in it and it dosn't cover very well and screws up the sheen. One benefit is you are unlikely to get any orange peal since it dries so slow.

Going after paint today. What I end up with really comes down to what is available in the color I want to use. If enamel, I'll seal it and sand it with a couple or 3 coats of sanding sealer but I don't plan on using any primer. As far as lacquer goes, where would a person even get lacquer based paint? Automotive type stores? I'm in a pretty limited area as far as selection of materials. Thanks

 

[Sharif]

Great thread guys.

My wife wants to paint a piece of furniture with a Dulux acrylic product rather than enamel (to avoid white colour yellowing). Will the same equipment you are talking about work for this too?
I'd like to run something off my air compressor if possible rather than a big hardware purchase.
Thanks in advance guys.

 

[Steve Neul]

Going after paint today. What I end up with really comes down to what is available in the color I want to use. If enamel, I'll seal it and sand it with a couple or 3 coats of sanding sealer but I don't plan on using any primer. As far as lacquer goes, where would a person even get lacquer based paint? Automotive type stores? I'm in a pretty limited area as far as selection of materials. Thanks

You will probably have to special order it but you can get pigmented lacquer at Sherwin Williams. Most of their stores cater to the house painting trade and pigmented lacquer is a commercial coating. If I'm not mistaken I think their lacquer is made by Gemini Coatings in Oklahoma. Some automotive paint stores will get wood lacquers for you. At one time I was buying Dupont furniture lacquer from an auto paint store. If at all possible I would avoid using automotive coatings on wood. Some work and some don't. They are formulated to go on metal which doesn't expand and contract like wood does and might be brittle enough to crack used on wood.

 

[Steve Neul]

Great thread guys.

My wife wants to paint a piece of furniture with a Dulux acrylic product rather than enamel (to avoid white colour yellowing). Will the same equipment you are talking about work for this too?
I'd like to run something off my air compressor if possible rather than a big hardware purchase.
Thanks in advance guys.

I've never used that specific product but you should be able to spray that finish with a regular spray gun. Expect to do some tinkering to figure out how much to thin it and will probably need more air pressure. You want to thin it enough that it will spray but don't try to thin it where it sprays dripping wet. Over thinning the finish, it won't cover very well and would screw up the sheen. The glossier finish you use will wear better for furniture. The flattening agents they put in paint makes the finish more porus.

 

[Sharif]

Thanks Steve.

I have had some success with Floetrol.
Might give that ago in a spray gun.