Posts: 1,688
Threads: 0
Joined: Oct 2001
I wanted to give a try at spraying varnish, just to see how it works and to compare it to my regular varnishing. Basically, just for shits and giggles. I have some outdoor projects that need cleaned and recoated. If I go to spray on Spar, does is spray right out of the can, or do I thin it first? What I have is standard Spar (not water-based), if I do need to thin, do I use mineral spirits?
Mike
I work on the 50-50-90 rule: If there's a 50-50 choice, I'll pick the wrong one 90% of the time!
Posts: 5,845
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2003
Scouter,
If it were me, I'd stick to brushing it unless you had a hundred pieces to do and each contained 25 spindles per piece. Spraying oil based poly, urethane, varnish, is a sticky mess for where ever the overspray falls.
Hard to say if you'll need to thin it but you most likely will unless you're shooting with an airless or very expensive conventional, turbine or pressurized cup gun.
Nearly all materials say what you need to thin with in the back of the can. Clean up material with be the same thinning material most likely. It should be mineral spirits or paint thinner.
If these are cedar or anything else that's less than smooth, a weenie roller would be my choice. This will push it deep into the pores where spraying won't flood material into crevices and pores. I'd just brush and roll it but that's me.
Posts: 12,460
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: Wapakoneta, OH
Mike, it's what KCF said, it's a mess (1),; and it's hard to tell what thinning is needed (2). There are cups that measure viscosity and the easy way would be to get one and check it. Or you could just assume that it's too thick in the can (fairly safe assumption) and thin until it spays and levels. Lastly (and best) you could forego spraying and choose another application method.
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
Posts: 1,688
Threads: 0
Joined: Oct 2001
Thanks for the reply. If it's that much of a mess, then you're right, not worth it. Is it messy to spray furniture as well? Seems to be a somewhat popular method.
Thanks again, have a good holiday. Now I just need to figure out why I never received an email that you posted a reply.
Mike
I work on the 50-50-90 rule: If there's a 50-50 choice, I'll pick the wrong one 90% of the time!
Posts: 12,460
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: Wapakoneta, OH
09-03-2016, 07:30 AM
(This post was last modified: 09-03-2016, 10:18 AM by fredhargis.)
It's messy to spray anything with it (oil based varnish). I guess I never thought it was that popular to spray varnish, but then maybe it is and I'm missing something.
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
Posts: 4,133
Threads: 0
Joined: Oct 2009
Location: Lawrence, KS
Depends on the medium. Fast drying finishes are easy to spray and the overspray is dust like.
Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things. -- G. Carlin
Posts: 5,845
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2003
"Dry fall" is a commonly used term to describe the material drying before it falls to the ground. Oil based finishes dry slow so they don't dry fall and the result is a sticky mess for anything in the vicinity. Even finishes that dry fall will leave a dust everywhere if you're not ejecting with a fan.
Posts: 3,859
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2000
The slow drying property also has another crazy effect you can watch happen. When the material passes through the fluid tip, it gathers static electricity. In the angled light of the afternoon sun, I've seen particles of dust travel in a direct straight line toward my flypaper-like, freshly sprayed cabinet. I mean as much as fourty feet. The dust makes a perfect flight path directly to the cabinet like it is on a string or cable. All you can do is watch and anticipate your problem solving method for later.
