spraying finishs. without fuzzies

[minowevie]

spraying finish. without fuzzies, is it winter. or is it me. when i spray my finishs. i get the frizzies. is it in the air ? I notice there is alot of frizzies in the air. but i don't have any where to go to spray, i use fast set sprays. but still get the frizzies. on my work. and what do i do now. your friend Evie

[CanadianScroller]

I saw a nice article in a very old magazine where a woodworker made a little tent for spraying.

They took a long piece of plywood and placed two supports to hold a roll of plastic over the finished wood. This stops dust from falling directly on the project.

This may help.
If there are fuzzies on the finish already, you can use some very fine sandpaper, to scrape off the dust and respray it again.

Paperbags also work for the sanding.

[lucky788scroller]

I would suggest lighter coats hun, try lighter coats, and also try the ones that arent speedy dry. I bet that will help. Dale

[lucky788scroller]

I know improperly sprayed coats of some quick drying finishes will make what appears like spiderwebs almost on the projects. Is it the static drawing forign objects to your piece, or is it coming from the finish itself? if its forign material getting in it, let the dust settle good, or do a makeshift spraybooth, like carl suggested.
Dale

[arbarnhart]

If you are spraying lacquer from a can (with really good ventilation for the sake of your health, I hope) I would suggest using Deft. There are cheaper alternatives, but it really isn't very expensive. I don't have adequate ventilation, so I am giving up lacquer for shellac or Tried and True.

EDIT - forgot to say why Deft - It has levelers and better driers than the cheaper stuff. You still don't want to go too thick, but I find it easier to get a good coat with Deft.

[lucky788scroller]

Evie, who ever said I was right???????? It was just a suggestion hun. dale

[Forester21]

There are a lot of variables to consider when using spray finish - here are some to think about - not sure if any are the cause of the problem :
*Humidity -
*Temperature - I have gotten "spiderwebs" when it is too cold outside
*Shake that can!!
Check the back of the can for the specifics - if you are spraying outside of their guidlines that might be the cause.

I belong to a couple painting forums - the artists there were noticing that when they used a certain brand of spray finish that they were ending up with a white cloudy finish. It turns out the company had recently changed their formula and that was the problem - Company error. Most of the artists on one forum switched brands of finish because of this.

Theresa

[sheltiecarver]

Evie,
I spray carvings and scrolled stuff in a large cardboard box (from somebody's TV) with most of one side cut out. I have a piece of hardware cloth propped up on some blocks hot-glued to the sides of the box. It is at about a 45 degree angle (not critical). The box contains most of the overspray while protecting the piece from dust and little insect critters. Gotta wear a mask though, 'cause the box seems to direct the fumes back out the front. When I'm through with that coat, I drop down a cloth front curtain (made from an old pillowcase, so it isn't very lint-y. This time of year it is cold, but most times it is hot, and the coats dry pretty quickly.
Watch out about how long to wait between coats too. Some stuff says to recoat within so many hours or you have to wait so many days. Others have still other directions - the manufacturers USUALLY know what is best.
I really like Deft - I get it at Walmart - it is good over all sorts of other finishes. One thing I discovered though -If you do not want a glossy finish, be sure the coats are very thin. If you build up too many coats of matte or satin Deft, it will sometimes get sort of cloudy. I have been told that this is from the things in the finish that dull the surface. You can work around that by making your first coats glossy (no dullers in there), and then your top coat or 2 of the matte or satin.
Good luck on banishing your fuzzies!
Sandy
PS I think your projects are really spiffy!! If you aren't going to make a quilt piece, then a whole lot of the rest us should just give up too.

[CanadianScroller]

Evie you give all of us the warm fuzzies!

[Neal Moore]

Minwax Polycrylic

While we're on the subject, has anyone used Minwax Polycrylic? It's a water based polyurethane. I bought a can last fall and was really dissatisfied with the performance. It sprayed in foamy globs and left an "orange peel" finish even with light coats. I thought the can had maybe been frozen during shipping so I discarded it. I tried another new can today with the exact same results. Practically ruined a project I'm doing for my girlfriend to give her niece for her baby shower. I have always had good results with Minwax products and I don't think this last can is from the same lot as the first. I bought them six months apart (but from the same Wally World). I generally have a real calm disposition but folks this is the second project that I've spent several hours on and that stuff has sent south. Guess I'm just venting some frustration but that's the last can of that stuff I'm gonna waste my time and money on!!!

[Neal Moore]

Evie's quilt Square

By the way Evie.....You're already part of something great!!!! You're a member of one of the best family of friends a person could ask for!!! It's a shame we don't all live near each other....could you imagine the cook-outs?? By all means do a quilt square. This ain't a competetion.....and if it were it would end in a tie between all the contributers....jump in and get your feet wet!!!

[arbarnhart]

I have tried Polycrylic and had good results. I did it on warm dry nights last summer. Look close at the can, though. It is no safer than lacquer as far as health hazards other than fire. I know a cabinet maker that uses it when he is in a hurry (cures quicker than lacquer).

[Neal Moore]

Krylon Satin Poly.

I bought a can of Krylon Satin polyurethane spray-on to try on my last project. I'm pretty happy with the results. It dries to the touch rapidly so any airborne dust particles have less time to imbed in the finish. I prefer spraying outside so that's a big plus for me. So far, it's the best I've found for my stained segmentation portraits. Seems to put life back into the wood without giving it a glossy appearance.

[Rainman2014]

Spider Webs

Evie, I Have Heard That Cooler Air Contributes To The Problem Your Having, Not Sure If That Is True But I Have Had That Problem Spraying In The Basement Which Was Too Cold. Also,try Taking A Spray Bottle Using Water To Spray The Around The Room And In The Air As A Mist And It Will Help Take The Dust Out Of The Air. Good Luck !!! Rain Man

[MacS]

Spraying Conditions

Many finishing problems are caused by the high or low temperatures and the relative humidity in your shop. The woods you are spraying can also be another cause for finishing problems.

The position and height that you hold the aerosol can, and the way you make your passes with the aerosol will also play an important part in your final finishing.

If you hold the can to close to your work, you will get runs, sagging, bridgeing, and even pinholes in your coating. If the aerosol is held to high above the work, you will get a dry spray, with poor flow out.

Remember, that 2 thin coats are better then one heavy coats, you must allow each coat to flash off before you apply the next coat, when you apply the next coating too fast, or you apply heavy coats to quick you may get "pinholes" because you are not allowing the slower solvents (the bubbles) to exit out of the coating, and they will get trapped inside the coating causing the tiny holes.

They also sell a "retarder" in aerosol cans, retarders are slow drying solvents, when sprayed over a problem coating like Lacquer, they will reflow- out most of the imperfections caused by different spraying conditions, including "blushing", which are trapped moisture in the coating.

There are many different finishing problems to over come, not allowing enough "dry time" between each step in the finishing process is the cause of most finishing problems.

THINK TWICE, FINISH ONCE