Applying KA+

[Zorty]

I built some birch cabinets for my kitchen with shaker style fronts. I had originally planned on using Benjamin Moore Advance but now have read too many horror stories. I had also been planning on brushing the paint.

I decided instead to buy a paint sprayer so I purchased the Fuji HVLP hobby pro. Now I’m thinking about spraying SW KA+. I’ve never sprayed anything. I’ve read that there is a high learning curve to spraying KA+. Would you say this is true? Can I expect a near professional finish using KA+ with the FUJI hvlp?

From what I’ve read I think I need to do the following.

[list type=decimal]
[*]Wet with cloth, wait about an hour and sand to 220
[*]Spray KA+ surfacer using 1.3 air cap set (am I supposed to use a primer before surfacer? This is bare wood, trying to get rid of grain) spray to at least 2.5 wet mills
[*]Wait an hour; sand 220 and spray second coat of surfacer
[*]Spray KA+ pigmented paint (white) with 1.0 air cap set 2 to 3 coats (waiting 30 minutes between coats)
[*]Spray a KA+ Clear topcoat
[/list]

What else am I missing? I’ve seen online posts heating up the ka+ and others using a retarder etc. Are these things I need to do? I’ve watched the Jeff Jewitt spraying videos so I understand straining paint etc.

 

[tjbnwi]

1) That will work.

2) Surfacer is the primer.

3) Can be as short as 15 minutes---use 240 grit. I use the ETS 125.

4) KA+ is not paint. 1.0 or 1.3. Depends on viscosity, use the Ford 4 to determine.

5) Not necessary, will give you more wear life.

Tom

 

[Zorty]

Thanks Tom much appreciated!

 

[Hnnguyen85]

Do as Tom says and you'll get great results. I learned how to spray KA+ by picking his brain for a few weeks and I was able to get dead flat and smooth finish on my built-ins the first try. I love working with KA+ now and it's my go to paint.