# Spray Painting on the Cheap



## modela (Jul 31, 2012)

*             Spray Painting on the Cheap         *

*Spray Painting on the Cheap*                              The purpose of this post is to point out that  you don't have to  have expensive equipment to do a great job spray  painting your equipment  or projects and to pass along a few tips and  techniques along the way.   I always figured that any good project was  worth a good finish. I have  included both wood and metal projects  because I often combine the two as  exemplified by this wine press.
http://www.***************.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=38915&d=1343600150&thumb=1

When   you are just starting, whether it be  fishing or golf, the thing that   needs the most improvement is your own  skill.  In this light I will   approach painting as I started years ago.  but today working on a current   project, refinishing my front door and  sidelights outside. You can  use  inexpensive equipment to do some really  nice finishing.  You can  learn  and add equipment over time. 

*The compressor:*  In this case I was using my old  garage   compressor and my old setup for air regulation and filtering.   You   probably have a compressor around. You don't really need much to get   started and I think choosing a simple  project is perfect for learning to   spray paint. So let me start off  where I did many years ago.  This is   my old Sears air compressor.  I  have had this thing around for ages. 










*Regulator and filter:*  In my present project I had  to string   out 100' of hose from the compressor (I switched it to 220  volts and my   other choice was to rewire my house).
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




     I built this little platform eons ago.  The regulator came with the    compressor and I added the water filter. Even with the 3/8" hose the    pressure drop would have been enormous had the regulator been attached   directly at the compressor.  

This outfit lets me string out a lengths  of  hose at higher  pressures to avoid line pressure drop.  Notice I  have  only 15' of hose  from the regulator to the gun.  Set up, this  includes a  water removing  filter and a regulator. At the gun I use a  disposable  final filter. 








 .
*The gun*:  I am using a FinishLine gun from  DeVilbiss.  I just stick with DeVilbiss  because it is a good brand with parts availability.   I   did spray quite a few projects with the old Sears gun  but it just   wouldn't hold consistent patterns. 

On the cheap, I believe  Harbor   Freight actually makes a decent gun.  Don't get  hung   up here.

*
The Project:*

 Today I am at home, working out of my garage.  I am outside the   confines of my shop, without my spray booth.  I am working in conditions   that I had most of my life--less than optimal.  My project currently  is  refinishing my front door. I replaced the  door with a plywood panel  so  I could sand and finish the door lying flat. 

The door project  is  one  of those "deferred maintenance" things that involved an  incredible   amount of sanding to remove the old failed finish.  

 Not wanting to go into the awful job of painting this again for many    years I chose my paint well going on wood finishing forums.  I settle on   an epoxy, 2-part, finish sealer/primer and a two part urethane finish.   The sealer was costly at $70 for two quarts, but I  figure I don't  want  to do this again for many years. 

I found out  that the epoxy primer/sealer had to be brushed. I get through it but it makes me appreciate spraying.    Anyway, I got through  it and was then on to spray painting.*






*

I am less fond of painting wood because the outcomes are many and   varied and a lot of them are not good.  Wood varies more than metal.  It   can absorb moisture--a real killer. It has irregularities and the grain   absorbs paint differently.   You can be spraying away to see your paint   lift on a small place for some unknown reason.  

Then there is staining   which I never seem to have mastered. I tend to finish everything (like   the wine press) clear. Were I to be building more fine furniture I would work more on my staining.

I do a lot of metal projects and have become familiar over time with metal finishes and primers. You can prime and finish your project in one morning.

Regardless, spray painting works good on both. You can spray something   (especially like a lathe or piece of complicated moldings) and get  into nooks and   crannies and be done in a fraction of the time. The only  things you   have to contend with are masking and clean-up. In addition you can go   from start to finish in one day using a good Notice the masking on the   doorway.

Pictured below is the Scotchman Iron Worker.  I primed it with epoxy   primer.  It went on beautifully.  I turned around and used an epoxy   finish.  It went on beautifully as well.  This was a one-morning paint   job start to finish.  Painting wooden projects typically can on for days   with multiple coats and sanding in between.








 I put many hours into cleaning and wanted the finish to reflect  that.    I purchased the paint from the manufacture and bought their  decals as   well. The paint is two part epoxy over an epoxy primer.  The  panels   were beat up and take a beating in everyday use.  I had them sprayed   black at a  bed liner place for $35.  I don't have to do everything, do   I?

*Setting up your Spray Gun:* 
 Setting up your spray gun is important because you are setting the    pattern width and the amount of paint. It is almost analogous to    choosing the width and kind of paint brush you are using.  I like this    video at [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn1WNis5m8k[/ame].    Very entertaining, besides, where else can you see someone else  giving  this kind of demonstration.  Remember, they are spraying the  easy  stuff.  I will  go  over the points later.
*
The Paints and Their Uses:* For your wood project.  I  would   recommend a couple of things.  First, your wood is going to soak  up a   lot of paint. Even if I were going to paint it a color, I often use   clear urethanes as primers. I would start off using a one part Urethane   Varnish  (exterior).  These are available, cheap, and effective.  The   only drawback is the slow drying time. Your first coat will really soak in, raising the grain so you need to   let it dry a couple of  days and then sand it lightly till smooth.  Be   patient.  Finishing wood takes more time.

  Then you can go to work spraying on  your finish coats adding   additional coats for filler and maybe a color  coat. I used to use sanding sealers.

 Don't buy cheap paint.  Cheap paints do so by cutting down the  pigment   content in the paints. This means it takes a lot more paint to get a    good finish and they tend to run like crazy. 

For metal I use oil based enamels, acrylic enamels, two part urethanes   and epoxies.  For years I used Rodda Porcelite enamel over red oxide   primer.  It  was a good paint at a reasonable price.  I never had much   luck with  either Rustoleum rattle cans or bulk paints. 

If you are on a   budget look for mis-mixed paints. I   have picked out  mismatched   paints (Oil Based Enamels) or mistakes for as little as $5  per gallon   from Pittsburgh Paints, Rodda, Sherwin Williams.  They  are glad to just   get rid of the paints.  Each time I go into these stores I ask if they have  the  mistakes.

Pick the paint for the project.  When I do machinery I like epoxies.     They are practically impervious to oil and grease and they are  durable.    Two part urethanes are good.  Acrylic enamels work well, too,  and  are  easy to use.  I did the DR Mower projects with these. (DR mower   project: 2-part urethane primer, red--acrylic enamel, black--2 part   urethane enamel).  On the rusty parts I used a rattle can rust   stabilizer before the primer. Can you imagine brushing this???

http://www.***************.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=38935&d=1343660516&thumb=1http://www.***************.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=38934&d=1343660469&thumb=1http://www.***************.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=38937&d=1343660727&thumb=1
*
Thinning:* Get the right thinner to match the paint.   Thinners are   as important as the paint.  Mineral spirits work with  Clear Urethanes   but they dry slowly which increases your chance of runs.  Choose the   thinner dry speed.  Fast dry works in cold weather.  Medium  is what I   used here.  Slow dry is great when the temperatures rise above 80 degrees. 

Here is shown a medium speed thinner that will thin    urethanes, acrylic enamels and enamels.  This particular thinner works   well with acrylic enamels as well.  I am sure it would work with regular   enamels, too. (pictured below the thinner is the door with two coats  of  epoxy thinner and one finish coat of 2-part urethane with one to two   more to come).









Viscosity is important. Too thick and you can't even seem to coax the    paint out of the gun.  In addition you won't get wide patterns. Too    thin and you don't get good coverage and there is a tendency to run.     Also it comes out in a mist.  

You will get a feel of this over time.  Pick the speed of the thinner. I    always start a little thick seeing how the gun handles it.  I thin as  I   need to, knowing that you can always go thinner but harder to go  the   other way.  Thick paints narrow the pattern you are spraying which  you   can use sometimes for nooks and crannies.
*
So, just do it.*  There is a learning curve for  anything.  I just   finished my milling machine.  I know hardly anything  about milling.  I   looked up some things on U-tube and read a couple of  books.  I know I   have a lot to learn but I want to be able to use it  successfully.  So I   know I am going to make mistakes on the the way.

Say you are doing your wood project.  I would start with the cheap    urethane, sealing the grain.  Remember that this dries slowly and   remember to seal the end grain of the wood so it doesn't pick up water.    Then  pick out the paint. You are looking for a good paint first with   price secondary.  If your  project is going to be outside or want to be   oil or gas resistant pick  an oil base. Choose good brands.  On my  front  door we spent hours and  hours sanding the thing.  In no way am I  going  to choose a cheap paint. 

Metal is similar but it is not porous like wood.  Pick your primer    well. If you have rusty pieces spot prime them to stabilize the rust   before you apply your primer.  If you have an existing finish make sure   your primer will not lift it.   If your surface is scratched you may   choose a filling primer.  As  a general rule I never use water based   primers on metal. Prepare the  surface well eliminating grease and rust.   Find out as much as you can about the paint you are going to use.     Read the instructions.
*
Prep:*
 Say you rebuild something like a trailer or a lathe.  It has tons of    nooks and crannies.  It is going to get solvents and oils on it.  You    put a lot of work in on it and you want the finish to reflect it.  Don't    do it right off the bat.  Take some easier projects to build some    skills.  Paint some of your outside furniture or and old tool. 

Start in the morning when you are fresh.  Every painting experience  is   different because you will use varying kinds of paints and they handle differently.   The most important thing is to keep your poise.  I    learned this from my kids when they were young.  They were good kids  but   at bedtime they became tired little zombies.  Believe me a bad   painting experience can make you into a zombie.

Do everything you can the night before you spray paint including  laying   things out, final sanding and touch up, and masking. Remember to   think  about over-spray.  I was once spraying a finish on one of my    commercial buildings, a bonding primer.  I wasn't thinking about    over-spray.  The wind took the over-spray over the top of the building    depositing on a row of cars on the other side. My insurance company  paid   for rubbing out the finishes on nine cars.   Read the directions  on   your paints, thinners, and primers.  Walk yourself through the  process. 
*
Spray Day:*

1. Clean your surface again.  I often use lacquer thinner followed by a    tack cloth on bare metal. On wood I will run a tack cloth across,    brush it off, and blow it using a  blow gun.  Wet down the area outside   if you are spraying outside. I typically roll my project outside to   paint and roll back  in to let it dry.  Don't spray in windy conditions.    Make sure your neighbor's cars aren't  in the path (or your own). 

2. You have done your research and have picked a good primer that is   compatible with your finish paint.   Apply primer to an even gloss and   see what your final project will look  like before it dries to a dull   color. If you see any bad spots or goofs this is the time to fix them   before the finish really shows them.  

Say I am spraying a lathe.  I would use either a two part  Urethane or   an epoxy primer on the lathe. You can use good quality rattle can    primers on many projects but only use tried and true ones.  Remember one   rule of thumb that applies to  most primers.  You can spray on your   finish coat if applied within 24  hours _without sanding_.  You may be able to apply the finish coat within hours (read your directions).

3. Set the amount of material and the spray pattern width.  With two    knobs it is easy to get lost.  If something is not going right, stop and    spray a flat area until you figure out the (just right) settings.     Remember that they change with the width of the pattern.  Remember you    are looking a a 1/2 overlap. Set up a sacrificial smooth surface vertically to see    your pattern.  If things are going awry just stop, take out your    sacrificial piece and work out the kinks.

You can open up the pattern width for the broad areas and make it    smaller for the nooks and crannies.  Remember that when you open up the    pattern (usually the small knob) that you have to also open up the    amount of paint going to cover it (the big nob).  Close the pattern    (clockwise) and close down the amount of material (clockwise). 

Paint    the nooks and crannies first.  Narrow down the pattern and adjust the    material to to match.  If anything, use a smaller amount of material hitting the    small areas several times lightly. Watch your paint and see how it is drying.  When you are applying your finish coats remember that it is not going to be    quite as forgiving as primer.  Better two light coats than one heavy one.

If it looks good leave it alone.  I learned that from a drywall guy. 
*
Recovering from disaster:*

We had to drive two hours to go to my   daughter's birthday party on that day so I had a little added pressure.    I would be okay if nothing went wrong.  The previous evening I had   masked off all my  surfaces.  I sprayed down my driveway with water   where I would be painting the door to eliminate dust. 

Early morning the day of painting I mixed my two part paint and let  it   set for 30 minutes as directed, poured in the thinner and found it  was   the wrong thinner, curdling the paint.  Fortunately I had only  poured   half of the paint into the gun where I thinned it.  I had to  throw it   out and start over again. Looking at the fine print I found out  that  it  was only for their brushing varnish.  Don't worry, every  painter  has  had his own painting nightmares, even the best ones.

I remembered some of the past ones like the English Ford I painted in    the afternoon.  It was a new kind of paint I hadn't tried.  It went on    beautifully, almost too much so.  Then it broke out in runs everywhere.     I worked until midnight with lacquer thinner scrubbing off the old    paint.  I should have known  better.  I had to re-sand everything.  I    found a better paint and the next weekend the new paint went on without  a   hitch. I should have tried the paint on a sample before committing    myself.   I can laugh about it now.

I returned to my task and hand. I mixed up more paint and let it set.  I   went in and had a cup of  coffee and relaxed a bit.  I went back,   started again and everything  went just fine.  I finished, cleaned up my   gun and called it a day. 

*FINALLY, HERE ARE SOME GENERAL TIPS*
 1. EVERY PAINT IS DIFFERENT, EVEN ONES WITHIN THE SAME BRAND. SOME ARE VERY FORGIVING.  SOME ARE FRUSTRATING.
 2. MOST PEOPLE WHO SELL YOU PAINT KNOW LITTLE ABOUT PAINTING AND IF THEY DO THEY AVOID GIVING ADVICE.
 3. IF YOU FIND A GOOD PAINT STICK WITH IT.  WRITE DOWN YOUR RESULTSGOOD AND BAD.
 4. WHEN YOU ARE PAINTING BRING YOUR PAINT TO A BRIGHT, EVEN FLASH.     THE SURFACE SHOULD LOOK EVENLY GLOSSY.  TOO MUCH AIR WITH NOT ENOUGH    PAINT MAKES IT LOOK DULL. IT SHOULD NOT LOOK ORANGE-PEEL.
 5. IF YOU ARE DOING A BIG JOB STOP AND REFLECT PERIODICALLY.  TAKE A BREAK. DON'T FORCE THINGS.
 6. THE BEST PAINTERS MAKE MISTAKES.  THEY JUST KNOW HOW TO COVER THEM.  YOU WILL LEARN THAT OVER TIME.
 7. GET AND USE A GOOD MASK.  THERE ARE MANY PAINTERS RETIRING EARLY.  WEAR IT INCLUDING PREP AND CLEAN-UP.
 8. TRY TO SEE EVERY PROJECT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN NEW THINGS AND IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS.
 9. MORE AND MORE PAINT COMPANIES ARE GOING TO WATER BASED PAINTS.  IF    YOU BUY A NEW EXPENSIVE GUN MAKE SURE IT WILL TAKE THOSE WHICH MEANS    STAINLESS STEEL CONSTRUCTION.  THERE STILL ARE LOW V.O.C. PAINTS THAT    ARE OIL BASED.  I USED A CLEAR COAT RECENTLY.
 10. ALWAYS CLEAN YOUR GUN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. BE CAREFUL WITH    WATER BASED PAINTS.  OIL BASED SOLVENTS AND THINNERS MAKE THEM CONGEAL    INTO A GOOEY MESS.

As you can see from my approach you can spray paint well with a  minimum   of equipment.  Choose your paint according to the importance of  your   project.  Remember all the work you put into getting it ready.   Good   luck.


----------



## dsquire (Jul 31, 2012)

modela

That is a very good lesson on painting tips. I am not a painter but have done enough of it to know that that is good advice. I wish I would have had that advice given to me before I started my first painting project. Thanks for sharing it with the members.

Cheers 

Don


----------



## TroyO (Aug 6, 2012)

I can confirm that the Harbor Freight spray gun ( http://www.harborfreight.com/20-oz-high-volume-low-pressure-gravity-feed-spray-gun-47016.html ) works just fine.

I got a couple, planing to abuse one with water based latex. It worked great... and seems to have survived the ordeal without a scratch. Not an ideal use, but if it can spray that crap it can spray anything, LOL.

Top tip:
Strain your paint!


----------

