# Spraying lacquer with an airless



## painter1986 (Mar 19, 2012)

Any tips/hints? Lot of wood work in an old bed and breakfast. Big remodel. Tomorrow's lacquer day!


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

Tomorrow will be your first day spraying lacquer with an airless?


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## DONZI (Dec 23, 2013)

WOW! where to begin? Best tip is make sure the hose, spray rig and gun is clean and dose not have old paint residue in it! If you have been spraying latex and alkyd, the hot lacquer will loosen it up, and it will be in your lacquer.


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

Best scenario is a pump and gun dedicated to lacquer. Next best is a line and gun dedicated. 

You mentioned an_ old_ B&B. Are you spraying an existing lacquer finish?

Not an old varnish?


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

DONZI said:


> WOW! where to begin? Best tip is make sure the hose, spray rig and gun is clean and dose not have old paint residue in it! If you have been spraying latex and alkyd, the hot lacquer will loosen it up, and it will be in your lacquer.


Hot and humid NOLA....bet you know about retarder, too.:thumbsup:


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## Boco (May 18, 2013)

Make sure to have ventilation and no smoking or anything that could create a spark. I worked on a house a few weeks back where the painter was spraying lacquer then spilled thinner on a computer board. poof the place caught on fire causing 250k worth of damage.


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## painter1986 (Mar 19, 2012)

slinger58 said:


> Best scenario is a pump and gun dedicated to lacquer. Next best is a line and gun dedicated.
> 
> You mentioned an_ old_ B&B. Are you spraying an existing lacquer finish?
> 
> Not an old varnish?


We stripped wood work, and re-stained a darker color. Stain finished tonight. Lacquer goes on stained wood tomorrow.


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## painter1986 (Mar 19, 2012)

slinger58 said:


> Tomorrow will be your first day spraying lacquer with an airless?



Yes, before we always brushed. I should clarify, I've sprayed plenty of poly, but never lacquer. Designers are demanding that it be sprayed and not brushed.


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## oldccm (Jan 23, 2013)

Light coats, dust it in. Start in the less obvious areas first. Everyone's got to learn somewhere. You'll hate the product, you'll hate the smell & application but when you see the results you'll understand why we do it.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

painter1986 said:


> Yes, before we always brushed. I should clarify, I've sprayed plenty of poly, but never lacquer. Designers are demanding that it be sprayed and not brushed.


Are the designers demanding that it be lacquer?? I have to wonder why they'd pick a less durable product like lacquer for that application.


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## bskerley (Apr 15, 2011)

Fine Finish tip, reduce it 30% percent, sand between coats. Its easy...


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## robladd (Nov 22, 2010)

*Lacquer Base Lacquer or WB Lacquer*

If you plan on spraying LB Lacquer here is a trick I use to do when I only had 1 pump 1 hose and 1 gun. Still can't believe I did this on a weekly basis.

Get a gallon of lacquer thinner and 2 clean buckets. Pour clean lacquer thinner into 1 bucket and prime your pump through 2 strainer bags into the other clean bucket. Once primed cycle the lacquer thinner through your pump, hose and gun flushing it out through the 2 strainer bags into the other clean bucket.

Keep doing it til there is no more paint particles coming out of the gun. LB Lacquer is HOT and will break down any paint residue left in your pump, hose and gun. As stated before dedicated pumps, hoses & guns is your best bet.

Dedicated hoses and guns next, after that its what I suggested and does work.
1st time spraying lacquer .010" Fine Finish or .011" 6"-8" fan. Do not break your spray pattern or it will blush. 1 continuous wet edge. Good Luck.


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

robladd said:


> If you plan on spraying LB Lacquer here is a trick I use to do when I only had 1 pump 1 hose and 1 gun. Still can't believe I did this on a weekly basis.
> 
> Get a gallon of lacquer thinner and 2 clean buckets. Pour clean lacquer thinner into 1 bucket and prime your pump through 2 strainer bags into the other clean bucket. Once primed cycle the lacquer thinner through your pump, hose and gun flushing it out through the 2 strainer bags into the other clean bucket.
> 
> ...


There's a neat trick I haven't heard. Hats off to whoever thought of it.


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## Rcon (Nov 19, 2009)

painter1986 said:


> *Any tips/hints?* Lot of wood work in an old bed and breakfast. Big remodel. Tomorrow's lacquer day!


Yeah. Open all the windows and all the doors. Turn off the furnace, and hope nobody decides to fire up the stove while you're at it. Don't smoke.

Or use waterborne and forget all the above.


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## woodcoyote (Dec 30, 2012)

If you can, go with a WB. Less hassle overall and clean up is easier. 

If not, just follow what everyone else has said. Keep a wet edge, don't spray too slowly for fear of runs, sand between coats, and wear a good mask. 

Good luck, let us know how it turns out.


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## journeymanPainter (Feb 26, 2014)

Why do you have to use an airless? I've seen it done, but never the finish. The atomization with an HVLP, or conventional spray system is much nicer, and the bonding is so much better

Sent from my SGH-T989D using Tapatalk


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## Carl (Jun 18, 2011)

HVLP is slow.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

Bonding is better withy HVLP application vs. airless for lacquer? That is the first I have heard of that. Too many mils with airless?


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## ExcelPaintingCo (Apr 16, 2011)

I've sprayed plenty of lacquer through my airless without any problems to achieve glass smooth finishes. I use a dedicated machine, thin 10-15% ff x10 tips. It's probably the easiest material to spray with good results.


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## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

ExcelPaintingCo said:


> I've sprayed plenty of lacquer through my airless without any problems to achieve glass smooth finishes. I use a dedicated machine, thin 10-15% ff x10 tips. It's probably the easiest material to spray with good results.



Yes, it's quite forgiving. I usually don't thin.

I really like the SW pre-cat


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## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

ExcelPaintingCo said:


> I've sprayed plenty of lacquer through my airless without any problems to achieve glass smooth finishes. I use a dedicated machine, thin 10-15% ff x10 tips. It's probably the easiest material to spray with good results.


Agree its also easy to fix goof ups as well. Just the whole exploding thing to worry about, no easy feat if you don't have total control over the site.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

DeanV said:


> Bonding is better withy HVLP application vs. airless for lacquer? That is the first I have heard of that. Too many mils with airless?


That's interesting, since the heated air from the HVLP is more likely to cause orange peel and other surface defects.


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## journeymanPainter (Feb 26, 2014)

Gough said:


> That's interesting, since the heated air from the HVLP is more likely to cause orange peel and other surface defects.


If that's the case then why do cabinet shops use them (and conventional systems), or auto body shops use them? Plus the finish is WAY nicer (my opinion) and less chance of fish eyes. Although the production of an airless is nice, you get better and actual atomization with the other hence the creation and improvements to the AAA.

Sent from my SGH-T989D using Tapatalk


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

journeymanPainter said:


> If that's the case then why do cabinet shops use them (and conventional systems), or auto body shops use them? Plus the finish is WAY nicer (my opinion) and less chance of fish eyes. Although the production of an airless is nice, you get better and actual atomization with the other hence the creation and improvements to the AAA.
> 
> Sent from my SGH-T989D using Tapatalk


See: reasoning, circular.

None of what you posted relates to bonding.

Initially, I think it was because they switched from one compressor-based system, conventional spray, to another compressor-based system, conversion guns. There's little incentive for auto body shops to go to airless, the small amount of material/frequent color changes would be totally impractical.

Few of the cabinet shops with which I'm familiar have stayed with HVLP, most have switched to AAA.

"Less chance of fisheye"? To quote Inoya Montoya, "You keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means." Fisheye/cissing is caused by surface contamination, not application method.


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## Rcon (Nov 19, 2009)

journeymanPainter said:


> If that's the case then why do cabinet shops use them (and conventional systems), or auto body shops use them? Plus the finish is WAY nicer (my opinion) and less chance of fish eyes. Although the production of an airless is nice, you get better and actual atomization with the other hence the creation and improvements to the AAA.
> 
> Sent from my SGH-T989D using Tapatalk


Cabinet shops don't use HVLP (at least not the turbine variety). They use gravity guns, pressure pots, and AAA. Airless for primer. 

Atomization from a AAA or gravity gun is better than from a turbine HVLP in my experience. For the latter, you just need a lot of air to make them work properly. And thinning is a must - that's how they get those perfect finishes.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

Rcon said:


> Cabinet shops don't use HVLP (at least not the turbine variety). They use gravity guns, pressure pots, and AAA. Airless for primer.
> 
> Atomization from a AAA or gravity gun is better than from a turbine HVLP in my experience. For the latter, you just need a lot of air to make them work properly. And thinning is a must - that's how they get those perfect finishes.


And all that warm air from the turbine also means more problems with orange peel, and the likelihood of having to add retarder.


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## painter1986 (Mar 19, 2012)

Finished last night - turned out great. Sanded between coats, and tacked down (obviously) Didn't thin, probably should have, but we're happy, the GC's happy, and so are the designers. I'll upload pictures later.

Thanks to everyone for all your help.


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## journeymanPainter (Feb 26, 2014)

Gough said:


> See: reasoning, circular.
> 
> None of what you posted relates to bonding.
> 
> ...


Fish eyes is the term used in trade trade school. What I mean by it is little tiny bubbles (popped or not). We call them fish eyes cause that's what they look like to us

PS I like the princess bride quote
Sent from my SGH-T989D using Tapatalk


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

journeymanPainter said:


> Fish eyes is the term used in trade trade school. What I mean by it is little tiny bubbles (popped or not). We call them fish eyes cause that's what they look like to us
> 
> PS I like the princess bride quote
> Sent from my SGH-T989D using Tapatalk


Sorry, you're mistaken about fisheyes. It's an industry term, also called "cissing", where surface contamination causes the finish to recede from small area, leaving thin or no finish. The most common cause is surface contamination from silicones or oils.

http://www.midwayis.com/paintdefect.htm

http://www.repaintsupply.com/glossary_of_automotive_paint_t.cfm


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

journeymanPainter said:


> Fish eyes is the term used in trade trade school. What I mean by it is little tiny bubbles (popped or not). We call them fish eyes cause that's what they look like to us
> 
> PS I like the princess bride quote
> Sent from my SGH-T989D using Tapatalk


What you are referring to here are microbubbles from air entrapment or solvent bubbles. Not fisheyes. Gough is correct on the proper use of fisheyes.

I have seen some WB coatings fisheye over themselves at times. Happend this winter in fact. Completely different from the microbubbles.


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## ExcelPaintingCo (Apr 16, 2011)

straight_lines said:


> Agree its also easy to fix goof ups as well. Just the whole exploding thing to worry about, no easy feat if you don't have total control over the site.


the exploding thing must be respected. I always shut down all pilot lights, tape of light switches, maximize fresh air ventilation etc. but it's always on my mind. I guess that's why I've been using more WB urethanes lately.


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