Preparation is a huge part of finishing. Failing to prepare the wood will surely lead to a bad finish no matter how good your equipment or coating. Let’s talk first about sanding. You must start with a completely dry piece of wood. If you have stripped it, let it dry thoroughly, this could take a […]
Finishes vary in viscosity depending on their type and formulation, and especially in temperature differences. The viscosity is thicker when the finish is cold and thinner when the finish is warm. To measure viscosity, dip a viscosity cup into a finish so the cup is full. Then lift the cup out of the finish and […]
It’s common to be instructed to apply a finish in the direction of the grain, called “with the grain.” Doing this is usually best when brushing a finish, but it’s rarely necessary when wiping or spraying a finish. Brushing with the grain is best because the grain will help disguise the brush marks, the ridges […]
There are two questions you need to ask when selecting the right system for your needs: Ask yourself how often you will be using the system. Are you using it more or less than 10 hours per week. What coatings or finishes do you intend to use with your Apollo Sprayers HVLP Turbo spray system? […]
Do you really need to clean your spray gun every time you use it? Do you need to clean it when you go to lunch? What if you are putting it away for a week? Which coatings mean clean “right away”? Here are your answers: Always clean your spray gun! If you are spraying a […]
Have you ever used a HVLP turbo paint spray system? Maybe you have been a little apprehensive about it? Take a minute and open your mind to the idea. You can get professional results with little to no mess. Is space at a premium for you? You can spray in more places and situations than […]
You can use architect’s pencils to test for finish hardness (scratch resistance). The lead in these pencils is rated from about 6 or 7B, the softest, to 6 or 7H, the hardest. HB is in the middle. You don’t need to buy all these pencils, just the middle five or six, because most finishes will […]
“Off-the-gun” finish is a widely used phrase among finishers. It means the finish hasn’t been rubbed out. It’s the simplest kind of sprayed finish—spray it on and leave it as is. We have seen the phrase used to mean a poor finish, but this is not a correct usage. An off-the-gun finish doesn’t have to […]
It’s human nature, we all do it. We have a project going – whether it’s a piece we are building or a piece we are refinishing – and there is a whole bunch of time and energy in the rough stages of the project. We keep carving, cutting and shaping it until it takes the […]
While just about all wood is beautiful, not all the pieces of wood we work with are perfect. Sometimes they need a bit of color. Normally we pick and choose through various stacks of lumber looking to acquire boards that match reasonably well in grain and color. Sometimes we end up with boards that have […]
One of the questions/concerns we get a lot is how to get the sheen of the finish even, especially satin sheens. The biggest issue seems to be that the sheen is streaked. The issue seems to be getting the flattening agents to lay down evenly. Oil finishes normally go on very thin and when wiped […]
Good water base coatings have become the norm for many finishers. In the old days it was easy to get a beautiful finish with nitrocellulose lacquer. The coating was very forgiving and offered a wide latitude regarding viscosity – even thinned to 50% or more you still got a terrific finish.
If you engage in the act of finishing at any kind of level, whether it’s your fulltime business or a once a year project then you understand that the proof is in the pudding when it comes to creating good finishes. When you are spraying the goal is to be able to use whatever means […]
High Volume Low Pressure (HVLP) Turbo spray systems are a complete self-contained spray finishing system consisting of three (3) components. A blower motor in an enclosure A spray gun An air hose There is no air compressor involved or needed with an Apollo Sprayers HVLP turbo spray finishing system. This is an independent standalone system. […]
A spray pattern, with all the controls on the spray gun wide open, is supposed to be an even, elongated oval shape. If the pattern is heavier on one end, the likely cause is that one or more of the holes in the air cap is plugged up. There is also a chance that the […]
Bleeder style spray guns have a continuous flow of air through the air cap when the HVLP turbine is “on”. Bleeder spray guns are the original style HVLP spray gun supplied with Apollo turbine spray systems. They are simple in design, extremely reliable, and very easy to clean and maintain. The perception that the continuous […]
Woodworking is one of the most popular fields of home DIY. The working of wood allows us to carry out large personal projects with which to decorate and furnish our homes. When working with wood we can count on certain tricks that facilitate and simplify the process, and today we will see some of them. […]
The primary goal of sanding is to produce a surface that doesn’t show machine marks or sanding scratches after you apply a stain or finish. If the scratch pattern can be made even, you may achieve satisfactory results sanding only to #150 grit. Stationary sanding machines are best for doing this, though hand sanding will also work, especially if you aren’t applying a stain.
The main reason you sand wood before applying a finish is to remove machine marks. All machine tools leave cuts or impressions in wood that are highlighted by stains and finishes, especially by stains. Before machine tools appeared in the mid-nineteenth century no sanding was needed. Indeed, there was no sandpaper. Wood was smoothed with hand planes and scrapers.
Hang out with Susan “Swooz” Hudson – Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint as she walks you though the basics of mixing and diluting our furniture paint for spraying. Jeff Garrett takes it from there and applies our Galvanized grey to the inside of some bar cabinets with our HVLP – Apollo Sprayers International sprayer and […]
