Expert: Greg Scholl - 1/1/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hi Greg!

I turn to You with my question from Hungary. I have a legacy working-room furniture, a large table and a cabinet. The style is baroque, with fine curving. The inner surface is mahagony, the outer is black (earlier it was so black as a piano). I can make finish with french polish on the plain surfaces (inner walls etc.), but I am afraid of the the outer surface. I wanna make it with HVLP spraying, and I am looking for the suitable item. I want to spray conventional shellack with natur or tinted with black. I looked around in my country, here can bought Bosch and Wagner. Sorry, I did not find anything in the WEB from the application of this item in my case. Would You help me! I can order e.g. Earlex HV3000 from England.

Stevie

ANSWER: Hi Steve, HVLP is not the best solution for Shellac, as it uses warm air and will tend to dry the finish prematurely as you're trying to spray it on...meaning the finish will not flow out and dry smoothly..this becomes especially tricky on a large surface such as a table top. You can add some glycol ether to the shellac to slow it's drying, but it still tends to "flash" off pretty rapidly.I am not familiar with the Earlex machine, but I see it's available with a finer needle kit for thinner materials.... Conventional air conversion HVLP guns might work better, but you'll need to adjust the gun and air pressure carefully to get a smooth, even finish, and you'll need to work quickly to lay down the film.....a fair amount of experimentation will be necessary....wish I could be more help. Please feel free to post back if necessary, regards- Greg

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QUESTION: Hi Greg

I thank Your answer, but I have a new ask. What kind of airless do you recommend. In my country Bosch and Wagner are the favorit. There are Wagner W95 or W140P  and BoschFSP 55 or FSP260 (low cost).I search the siutable item, with good result and low expence.
Thanks

ANSWER: I am not recommending an "airless" impeller type sprayer for shellac, as it's too thin I believe...these units are really designed for spraying paint and other viscous coatings....as I said a conventional air compressor and an HVLP conversion gun would probably be best....something like this..:

http://www.amazon.com/Wagner-Power-Products-276124-Conversion/dp/B00005NMSC/ref=

Do you already own a decent air compressor?

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QUESTION: Hi Greg

At first, Happy New Year.

The last days I spent on Internet, searching the resulotion to my problem. I found a good thing instead of Shellack, the Crystalac Black Glossy water-soluble fine coating. In the handling instruction the HVLP spraying needs 1 mm needle and nozzle, and this is the very expense territory of HVLP-s, Apollo, Turbinaire, Fuji e.t.c. The commercials have 1,8-2 mm. There are some handy HVLP  as Wagner Control Spray ( similar the Bosch FSP, maybe a license of Wagner) and Wagner Control Spray Plus ( in EU Wagner W660). The needle and nozzle size are unkown. There  are some always Chine made, low expense, with stronge turbine 500W, but only with 2 mm needle and nozzle. What do you recommend?

Thanks  

Answer
I think you're right that you will need the smaller cap/needle set up....I would check with the manufacturers about the availability of those for the particular gun....also the Crystalac  is a waterborne product, and they will be able to recommend air flow, cap/needle setting as well...I'm not familiar with that product, but the manufacturer will be able to help you out...typically, you get what you pay for with these spray systems...again, if you have a conventional air compressor already, I would shop for a conversion gun for that, you'll get more for the money..........