Upping My Finishing Game

[Danny in Houston]

Danny, You will probably have to avoid using solvent borne lacquers. I don't have any issues with fumes from shellac but when I have sprayed lacquer the fumes are horrible. I would guess if you spray solvent borne products unless you have a very powerful exhaust system venting directly outside the whole building will smell like lacquer If you do vent straight outside then the whole block around your shop will stink. If someone was really offended by the odor they could report you to one of many agencies which would cause all kinds of problems. Most of the shops (even auto body shops) in my area have transitioned to waterborne products. The ones that do use solvent borne send the exhaust through scrubbers so they are not releasing obnoxious fumes into the area.

Great thanks.  I don't think fumes will be an issue in my shop for various reasons.  But while we are talking, if not solvent-based, what water-based products will produce a great dining table finish? 

So what is the best product for a dining table, something that does not look plastic, but can stand up to a glass of ice water left overnight, or a hot paper plate with steamy foods?  My lacquer finishes do great with water, but fail miserably with a hot paper plate.

[Dave Diaman]

Either Endurovar or Target Coatings EM8000 would be good spray finishes. Both pass KCMA standards and will have the same look as a solvent lacquer. For table tops I am a big fan of Arm-r-Seal though.

[Danny in Houston]

Either Endurovar or Target Coatings EM8000 would be good spray finishes. Both pass KCMA standards and will have the same look as a solvent lacquer. For table tops I am a big fan of Arm-r-Seal though.

Thanks!

[Snipe Hunter]

Danny, You will probably have to avoid using solvent borne lacquers. I don't have any issues with fumes from shellac but when I have sprayed lacquer the fumes are horrible. I would guess if you spray solvent borne products unless you have a very powerful exhaust system venting directly outside the whole building will smell like lacquer If you do vent straight outside then the whole block around your shop will stink. If someone was really offended by the odor they could report you to one of many agencies which would cause all kinds of problems. Most of the shops (even auto body shops) in my area have transitioned to waterborne products. The ones that do use solvent borne send the exhaust through scrubbers so they are not releasing obnoxious fumes into the area.

Maryland is a Low VOC state so all the shops are using low VOC products. So am I. Most shops are using some sort of water borne but some of us (including myself) are using what's called a hybrid Low Voc product. It can be mixed solvent or water based. The water base generally has better color matches. I've used water too and it's quite incredible how close the colors match to OEM paint. The Hybrid Solvent base is pretty close. The solvents are either Low VOC or non regulated. Acetone and Alcohol aren't regulated. I can smell what I believe is vinegar in one of the reducers, alcohol in another. The downside is that I need different reducers for metallics, solids, clears and usually a combination of several of them to qualify as Low VOC. It's a pain to mix but the cocktail is legal. I use the hybrid solvent because I'm shooting outside, from 2 degrees to about 100 degrees. Water borne won't dry without a lot of moving air, warm is best. Hard to get that outside in the winter. The paint booths are heated to the high 0s for shooting the water borne, than they have to let the car cool to shoot the clear-coat.

I agree about the lacquer. Something about it... One huff and I'm a mess. Worse than automotive finishes by a long shot.

[Dave Diaman]

Snipe, thanks for info. I need to have some body work done on my truck and talked to the guy at one of the shops I got a quote from. He just said they use waterborne finish but didn’t go into specifics. I’m guessing he thought I would not understand about VOC laws and ways to work around them or bend them. I have tried some of the low VOC lacquers. I don’t know what the solvent is but whatever it is it turns my stomach. I used it once and threw it away. I have also had issues with some of the VOC compliant finishes not giving me a powder when I sand and just clogging my paper up. Luckily I’m a small shop and can get away with spraying the high VOC stuff if I buy it out of state. It does stink though and a little of it stinks up a really big area. For the most part I stick to shellac and waterborne finishes. If I they ever stop selling zinnser seal coat in 5 gallon buckets I will be in trouble.

[Snipe Hunter]

Snipe, thanks for info. I need to have some body work done on my truck and talked to the guy at one of the shops I got a quote from. He just said they use waterborne finish but didn’t go into specifics. I’m guessing he thought I would not understand about VOC laws and ways to work around them or bend them. I have tried some of the low VOC lacquers. I don’t know what the solvent is but whatever it is it turns my stomach. I used it once and threw it away. I have also had issues with some of the VOC compliant finishes not giving me a powder when I sand and just clogging my paper up. Luckily I’m a small shop and can get away with spraying the high VOC stuff if I buy it out of state. It does stink though and a little of it stinks up a really big area. For the most part I stick to shellac and waterborne finishes. If I they ever stop selling zinnser seal coat in 5 gallon buckets I will be in trouble.

I've run into the same problems with water borne primers. They take forever to dry. I need to sand my primer smooth before painting. I've found the same with low voc deck stains, they stay tacky for days.  I purchased a bunch of old stock (pre low voc laws) single stage Omni acrylic primer which dries fast and sands easily. If it's still in stock, it can be used. Replacement stock just can't come into the state. Just make sure the production date can be read on the label. I tape over it to protect it. Almost everything is gone from the suppliers now. I thin it with acetone which isn't regulated. Normally, it was supposed to be thinned with LT. So far, so good with the acetone. There are low voc LTs available but it's about $125 for a 5 gallon can where the acetone is about $50.

I'm finding that old products are being re-packaged to skirt the voc laws. a good example is Deft lacquer is now called Deft Brushing Lacquer. Some of the old slow flashing body shop solvents are being marketed now as Wiping Degreasers "Do not spray".

[Danny in Houston]

Danny, most all compressors list the output at both 90 and 40 psi.  If not, figure around 30% more at 40 psi than at 90.  IIRC, the AM-6008 HVLP gun needs 8+ CFM at 40 psi.  My 60 gal single stage Campbell Hausfield puts out around 10 cfm and has no trouble driving that gun non-stop.  This Husky at Home Depot has 13.4 cfm at 40 psi.  I'm sure Lowes has something similar.  In any case, I would only buy an oil lubed, belt drive unit.  

John

                           [url=https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-60-Gal-Stationary-Electric-Air-Compressor-C602H/205389936][/url]

Bought the Husky - thanks!  Merry Christmas to me!!