Check my HVLP plans please

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Weber

New User
Larry
My 15 year old Accuspray HVLP turbine just died so I am in the market to replace.

I typically sprayed oil enamels for cabinets and oil poly for stained stuff. Tried to spray latex but I had to thin it so much I lost all gloss off the finished product. Would water borne lacquers be a suitable replacement for the oil enamel I have been spraying? Is there anything particularly tricky about the WB lacquers? Brand preference? Will probably also go over to WB poly.

After searching these forums and anything else I could find, I have about decided that the Fuji Mini-Max is probably right for me. I'd love to have a four stage whatever for the occasional latex job, but no more than I'd use it, I just can't justify the expense.

Anyone have any updated experince with the Fuji that would be helpful? Insights on WB lacquers and poly?

Many thanks!
 

JimD

Jim
Senior User
I have a Fuji Mini Max 3 that I really like. The only thing I have sprayed with it so far is Resistane which I buy from Hood Finishing. They call it a pre-cat lacquer. From what I read, there are only minor differences in formulation between water based polys. The only other water based I have used is Minwax's product and I like Resisthane better. It dries quickly, normally you can sand it in 2 hours, it is very clear, and it is pretty easy to get a smooth finish. It used to be cheaper than it is these days, about $40/gallon delivered to my house last time I ordered. I may try something else when I need another gallon.

I used a Wagner conversion gun before purchasing the Fuji. It is a night and day difference. The Fuji will move un-thinned Resisthane extremely quickly. Like less than 5 minutes spray time to empty a quart cup. When I have it adjusted this way, I have to make one quick pass with no more than about 1/3 overlap or I get sags on vertical surfaces. The size control on the gun has significant effect but you have to adjust the air too which is not hard. I got a teflon line cup for finish and a spare plain one for water. I got the Fuji lids too. So I spray a coat, give it a little air to drop the finish out of the gun after disconnecting the cup, put the lid on the finish cup, hook up the water cup, and spray for a minute. I do the water routine 2 more times and then let the gun dry. In 2 hours, a light to heavier sand depending on how I did spraying and how much the grain is raised, vacumn, use a lightly damp rag as a tack cloth and then shot it again.

Resisthane comes tinted in white or black and in gloss, semi-gloss, and flat. I've used the white on plantation shutters and it holds up well. They make a very compatible, stain blocking, primer which I also like a lot. There is an interesting article somewhere that talks about thinning latex with Resisthane when you need a color rather than white or black. I haven't tried it but it seems like it could work.

Jim
 

Gregory Paolini

New User
Gregory Paolini
I have HVLP Conversion guns, and I too like the Resisthane by Hood. I do thin mine however, looking for 17-20 seconds through the viscosity cup, and use a 1.4 mm tip. I use this Pre-Cat laquer on all sorts of Furniture and Cabinetry, and have no complaints.

A word about the price - Yes, a single Gallon shipped to my door is about 40 a can. However, 2 Gallons end up being about $30 each. And so on, and so on...

I've used the Minwax Polycryilc, which works well, and is priced about $40 a gallon as well.

Minwax has a newer (About a year old?) product, Waterbased, Oil Modified Polyurethane. I really like this product. It has an amber color to it. It dries very hard, and lays out real nice.

Propperly thinned, and in a suitable enviroment, I often am scuff sanding after an hour with these products. And many times, two coats is plenty. Waterbourne finishes typically have higher solid content than solvent based, and build much faster.

Depending on your setup, you may have to fool around with viscosity a bit to keep from getting dryspray with a turbine. But a buddy of mine sprays Resithane all the time with his 3 stage system, and has no complaints.

Hope this helps,
Gregory
 

Shamrock

New User
Michael
I can say nothing but good things about the Fuji Products. I've got the Q4 and have sprayed everything. oil based enamels, latex house paint, lacquer, oil based poly, you name it and aside from user error the system performs flawlessly.

Also, for water based products try Target Coatings, the make the whole line from water based poly to pre-cat and conversion lacquers, all good stuff.
 

JimD

Jim
Senior User
I wanted the Q4 (is there a Q3?) but couldn't justify the additional cost. The noise of the mini-mite is enough I sometimes wear hearing protection. It is not really obviously worse than the shop vacumn I use to remove dust between coats, however.

Target is what I am considering for an alternative to Resisthane. But I have no real complaints with Resisthane so I may just keep using it. I finished my daughter's bedroom set with the last of the Resisthane I had so it is an unusually good time to give something else a try.

I think Hood has an additive to make their water based products look like oil based - but I would need to check their catelog to be sure. I haven't tried it.

Jim
 
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