Spray finishing - grrrrr! Festool (ETS and Surfix) to the rescue!

[festivus]

I've done a fair bit of spraying but still feel very much a beginner. I got the spray equipment out yesterday to finish a retail shop display unit.

Complete disaster - had to do it outside. It was sunny and not cold so thought I'd get away with it. Not the case! Too much water in the air and after it dried got this all over!! Think it's called blooming.

[attachthumb=1]

It actually sprayed on fine even though the can was years old (Chestnut Melamine Lacquer).

I just hate finishing and want to get it done as fast as possible - especially for this sort of thing which is not fine furniture!

It's walnut veneered MDF so don't have much wood to sand back - but the ETS 150 with 120g Rubin worked a treat in getting back to unfinished wood (it fact works better for this than general sanding as far as I can see).

Now I have the option of re-spraying - which means emptying my shed, heating it and going for it. But thought I'd go back to oil finish. I needed some more Liberon finishing oil - but have always been tempted by the Surfix system - so now have that on order - complete overkill but intrigued more than anything!

I've gone for the indoor tough finish so hope that's good!

 

[tiralie]

It's so much fun though... [crying]
When I get some time I will post my less than desirable results.
When it goes bad, you wonder why you even bothered.

Tim

 

[festivus]

Thanks - yes that will make me feel much better !

 

[mmriis]

I don't think you'll regret the surfix. It's very nice to work with. I'm quite surprised how hard and smooth the surface actually gets. It reminds me more of a lacquer finish than oil. But then again I'm a noob

 

[petertheeater]

I use the Surfix and polyx oils all the time. I've not had anything spray lacquered for years now other than some restaurant work tops which get wiped regularly with water.
Just put it on in thin coats as it only has less than a mm of veneer to soak into. Light rub between coats and it is as good if not better than lawyer. To my mind if lacquer gets scratched the whole surface needs respraying but on an oil finish it can easily be touched  up.

 

[festivus]

Thanks Peter.

Just finished the project using this oil. It's not as fast as spraying - but it's far more relaxing!

I'm putting together a little video review of the system. Although the main criticism seems to be the price - I've finished a medium sized table for my retail shop and only used 1/2 of a one 0.3l heavy duty bulb (2 coats)! I'd bought two extra bulbs too for this project thinking I'd need a round a litre! Another big advantage is almost no mess. Drying time is longer than stated - even in a shop I heated as much as I could (almost 20 degrees C!). I normally buff out oil finish with wax but not really necessary with this system - although will take a look when fully dry.

 

[mmriis]

you can buy 5L cans if you need a lot

 

[Tayler_mann]

I'm not 100% sure about how you are heating your shed. Let me assure you if you keep it heated during the spraying process you have a ticking time bomb weather you are usin electric coils or a gas heater. Do not spray lacquers with a flash point in your shed, garage, or anywhere that is not a proper paint booth. I have a few colleagues in the trade that did this in a garage and it flashed over the entire room when the heater kicked on. They each sustained third degree burns one of them having it on his entire body and the other on his entire body but mostly on his face as he was the one spraying at the time. If you must spray use water borne lacquers such as KEM + or something close to that nature. A very forgiving product but it does lift the grain and require a good first sanding than the second sanding is quite easy. Whatever you use that isn't a paint booth just make sure there is no flash point in the product.

 

[festivus]

Tayler_mann - Surfix is an oil finish - I wasn't spraying it? In the original post the whole issue was I was spraying outside. Sorry - I'm not sure I understand your comment.

mmris - thanks - but I was saying that in fact the 0.3l that came in systainer was more than enough which I was surprised at.

 

[Tayler_mann]

Tayler_mann - Surfix is an oil finish - I wasn't spraying it? In the original post the whole issue was I was spraying outside. Sorry - I'm not sure I understand your comment.

mmris - thanks - but I was saying that in fact the 0.3l that came in systainer was more than enough which I was surprised at.

I must have read it wrong I thought you said you were going to spray the original lacquer in your shed.

 

[festivus]

Tayler_mann - still valuable information - thanks.