If lacquer thinner is not coming out, make sure the liquid flow adjustment is open enough, then if that doesnt work, be sure the fluid needle is sliding all the way back in the spray gun. We will keep the air flow knob opened all the way because, for our purposes, the amount of air will be controlled by the inline air regulator near the air compressor. Keep in mind, the lacquer will not fully cure for several days, depending on the particular lacquer and other conditions. As a general rule, Oil-based polyurethane can be thinned with mineral spirit, lacquer thinner, or naphtha. I usually use a HVLP sprayer for lacquer. Acetone separates polymer from its biner which makes it difficult to stick to the wood properly. Now, attach the air hose and be sure the air compressor is on and let air build up in the system. Over time the mixture might thicken, if so just add a bit more lacquer thinner to get the right consistency. The best way to efficiently spray lacquer is to use a high-quality lacquer with its matching lacquer thinner along with a simple spray gun and air compressor system. Create a cross flow of air through your workspace and make sure clean air is being introduced thoroughly to your work area. Great info. Satin or Matte lacquers are essentially gloss lacquer, with other elements added to the mix to dull the appearance, again, reducing clarity. To thin oil-based polyurethane, you need mineral spirit, naphtha, or lacquer thinner. A basic paper dust mask is useless with chemical sprays. As far as the nozzle size, are you recommending the 1mm or one of the others offered? Thanks. And you dont want to be so far away that the atomized particles actually dry in mid-air and create a powdery film. In Woods 2, Lukas made this shelving unit for his parents basement. A post shared by RS Wood Working (@rs_wood_working). All the best to you and Happy Turning! If a surface has silicone applied its nearly impossible to remove the silicone. Be sure to read my article that explains why and how to make your own shellac. What we are looking for is an even amount of thinner hitting the cardboard surface as you pass the gun from left to right or vice versa. The lacquer product has various elements removed or altered in such a way that the product meets the California regulations. At that moment the thinning process of polyurethane has already been initiated. That is dried lacquer, and of course, its not desirable. Kent can I spray lacquer on a bowl that I have already put two coats of Tried and True on. Hand-sand with P180 grit. Smooth Laminar flow is created when the flowing volume of air travels down the length of the hose. 7. Thinning polyurethane e before spraying is not really a necessary thing to do. In this orientation, I spray the outside of the bowl first. To prevent over-thinning, you should use polyurethane to mineral spirit ratio of 4 parts of polyurethane to one part of mineral spirit (4:1). Start your 14-day FREE trial - and get building! Add water or denatured alcohol 2% 3% percent of the total volume. Plus tips, advice, and special offers from Fine Woodworking. Rub out the finish At this point, the bowl should be looking pretty glossy and fabulous. Walter Parker is a woodworking enthusiast. Youre gonna want to see these other wood bowl finishing articles: 5 MAGICAL EBONIZING WOOD TRICKS MAKE SHELLAC HOW TO WOOD BOWL FINISH 3 AMAZING TURQUOISE INLAY TECHNIQUES ILLUSTRATED GUIDE. The flow of lacquer thinner should be a reasonably clean arching stream that pours from the front opening. These glass particles optically create a layer between the wood surface and the final coats of lacquer, which reduces reflectivity and diminishes the lacquer finish appearance. (How To Use It on Wood), Is Rubberwood Good For Furniture? And as you might guess, while it is great to have safer environmental standards, the quality of these products deteriorate. When youre adding mineral spirits or paint thinner to the glass jar maintain the ratio of 1:4 meaning 4 parts of polyurethane to one part of the mineral spirit. Other articles seem to indicate I need a larger tank. Ive turned for quite a while but never sprayed anything that didnt come out of a can. And the airflow control, you might be guessing, controls the amount of air flow. The items attached to the air compressor need to be placed in a particular order. Hes built dozens of round Shaker stands over four decades, so there is no one more qualified than Christian Becksvoort to demonstrate making this classic. Because we are using the regulator inline before the hose, we can control the amount of air traveling down the hose and into the spray gun. Get woodworking tips, expert advice and special offers in your inbox. Immediately off the air compressor, I attach the water collection fitting and then the air regulator. They work as a solvent to thin out the polyurethane layer. After three or four coats of lacquer, let the bowl dry until it is not tacky, this is usually at least 30 minutes. It is because of Barrys insight and knowledge that I was able to write this article. What we need to know for our purposes is that devices, like air regulators, disturb the flow of air and make it turbulent. So, 4-6 coats in an hour, depending on temp and humidity, is doable. At this point you might be thinking, why not just use a canned spray lacquer? Use a scrap piece of cardboard to spray the lacquer thinner as a test. Do not attach the air regulator to the spray gun base. Some well-known brands include Gemini and Mohawk. So, lets discuss each of the above steps in detail to get a clear idea about how to thin oil-based polyurethane for spraying. We covered a lot in this article, but the overall process is really pretty straightforward. When liquid just wont flow, you may need to clean the gun. But its not really a necessary thing. I build a lot of instruments. Before spraying lacquer, finish sanding your wood bowl to about 220 or 320 grit and stop before applying the spray lacquer. Hi Kent: Great article on lacquer finishes. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, The Finish Recipe Book: Foolproof finishes from your favorite authors, Shaker candle stand with Christian Beckvoort, Modeling upholstered cushions in SketchUp, Q&A: Mineral spirits vs. paint thinner vs. turpentine vs. naphtha, Editor's Letter: Technology and the future of woodworking. Mix the first coat fairly thin (about 70/30 mix of lacquer thinner to finish), checking the viscosity of the finish using a #2 Zahn cup. Dont get me wrong, I want a good quality finish, but Id rather be turning and not fussing over endless finishing steps. If it is Tried and True Danish oil, yes. If you tested the spray and a super fine thin mist came out, you probably have too much air coming through. Water-based polyurethane can be thinned with water or denatured alcohol. Mixing the lacquer and thinner is surprisingly simple. So, applying a thinner polyurethane will also dry faster because of the quick evaporation. I am not sure of the size. Despite all the attention to these parts, it seemed the gun never sprayed properly. Watch the air regulator gauge as you spray to see what initial setting achieves 20 to 25 PSI when you are actually pulling the trigger. Im Walter Parker. YouTube Channel As a matter of fact, I use a small Porter Cable pancake air compressor, and it works like a champ. The proportion of thinner to the lacquer can vary, but I usually keep my mix around 10-20 percent of the amount of lacquer in the cup. The best technique for moving the spray gun while applying lacquer is pretty straight-forward. Thinned polyurethane gives less texture bumps and dries faster and more efficiently than regular polyurethane coatings. Herere the solvents you can use to thin polyurethane for spraying. As always, thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge. However, if the flow from the spray gun is weak, make sure the air control knob to fully open and then check that the air regulator is reading around 20-25 PSI when you are spraying, not when the gun is sitting idle. This should work because fresh lacquer dissolves the previous layer to a degree. Yes, too much air pressure can cause the lacquer to dry in mid-air so small beads are sticking to the bowl instead of fresh lacquer. Just wondering if this would be a good choice for lacquer? Using my left hand, I rotate the hand wheel to reveal an adjacent area of the bowl side and repeat the process until the entire outside of the bowl is coated and appears wet. Asprayed gloss lacquer builds and dries fast, is very durable, and is easily repairable. No, Im only kidding. Either way, you can spray a fresh coat and then wipe it off to clean the area and then reapply. You can spray the lacquer when the bowl is off the lathe. Retarders will prolong the drying process, and there really is no need for that, because it gives more time for potential issues to form. Well, if you are using it all the time every day, yes a larger tank would be helpful. When you are done spraying, pour any remaining lacquer mixture in a separate clean glass jar labeled mixed lacquer.. My pleasure, Im so glad to help. So what do you do if you get a run or drip while youre spraying? The rotation allows the lacquer to settle and even out as it drys. Acetone dries out polyurethane too fast which causes polyurethane to crack with time. Be sure to read my article that explains why and how to make your own shellac. Spray the first coat, let it dry 20 minutes or so, then scuff-sand with P320 grit. pic.twitter.com/fSYHFopoSy. 3. The distance between the spray gun nozzle and the bowl surface can vary, but I find that about 10 to 12 inches from the bowl surface works well for me. All the best to you and Happy Turning! Now take the clean stick and slowly stir the polyurethane and water mixture for about 10 minutes. Assemble the case After making thinned polyurethane test it on cardboard or a piece of wood by adding a small amount of polyurethane to the spray gun. You dont need a big colossal air compressor to do the job. For example, add 0.4 fluid ounces of water to the 20 fluid ounces of polyurethane volume. I dont recommend you cut the spray can If youre using polyurethane that comes in a spray can for spraying. I have been sanding it out and refinishing the wood. Kent. I have read where a good finish for cabinets is 2 parts polyurethane and pre cat lacquer. However, you will see that the lacquer is dry to the touch within about 10 minutes. So where do you find high-quality lacquer? Maintain a wet edge. Remember, the air pressure will rise when you stop spraying, and the system builds up air. 6. In-depth articles, up-close photography, and detailed illustrations, Finish Products: Deft gloss lacquer, Renaissance wax (available fromWoodcraft). Using a separate clean glass jar, I unscrew the nozzle and place it in the glass jar covered with lacquer thinner. If the resulting polyurethane layer has no imperfections, no bubbles, or color variations, congratulations, you have successfully thinned the oil-based polyurethane. How full I fill the cup depends on how much spraying I will be doing. Its also important to be sure the rim of the bowl is evenly coated in the process. Polyurethane is a coating finish that is used to protect the wood from water damage and scratches. To thin water-based polyurethane, you need water or denatured alcohol. The T&T Original has beeswax and it will repeal the lacquer to some degree. Thanks in advance. Good information Kent thanks for directing me here. But by doing that, Im 100% sure youll get a super smooth even finish than fining with regular rough polyurethane. Lets continue, and Ill share with you what you need to get started. Drying too fast can also cause clouding. Behler is another quality brand. The exciting thing about lacquer is that dissolves into itself. Because California is such a large state, chemical manufacturers cant ignore their rules and regulations and lose the opportunity to sell products within that state. Thats a good question. Sand I usually spray a bowl while it is sideways on a four jaw chuck mounted to the lathe. Safety glasses and a respirator are required as well. If you feel polyurethane is too thin, add polyurethane a little more to the mixture, stir and do the test again. We have talked about how to thin both oil-based and water-based polyurethane with different types of solvents and answered some frequently asked questions as well. If the wood bowl has very porous end-grain, you may want to coat the bowl first with high-quality shellac before spraying lacquer. If the air bubbles are trapped inside, it can be a huge problem because they never leave even after the application of polyurethane coatings. There you have it, from setting up your air system, spray gun, obtaining quality lacquer and applying the lacquer to your wood bowl, weve covered the full spectrum. 3 AMAZING TURQUOISE INLAY TECHNIQUES ILLUSTRATED GUIDE, https://turnawoodbowl.com/make-shellac-wood-bowl-finish/. Better for us, less waste, and better for the environment. Rough regular polyurethane is difficult to dry, and the surface can be blotchy easily. The air pressure should be okay at the same level. Once assembled, I mask the inside to prevent overspray from hitting already finished areas, then repeat the finishing steps laid out above. Now take the clean stick and stir the polyurethane and mineral spirit mixture for about 10 minutes. Yes, there will be a smudged area, but dont worry about that.