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Monday, January 5, 2009

Fine Finishing

The only standard for sprayed enamel or sprayed clear coat is a perfect standard. For this reason I don't recommend a process involving less than 3 coats.
If you are enameling trim, doors etc it will take a full 3 coats to get the results you want. The first coat will be a primer. You will follow that up with sanding putty and caulk. The 2nd coat will be a quality enamel with an extender added. I recommend a oil based enamel for a new construction setting and a waterbased enamel in a re-paint scenario. I thin the 2nd coat roughly 20 percent with Penetrol. I follow up the 2nd coat with more sanding, putty and caulk. The final coat is only thinned down about 5 to 10 percent. The thinner for enamel work should only be a product made for extending the life of your enamel as well making it "lay down." Do not use paint thinner to thin enamel.
For sprayed varnish or lacquer I recommend using only products that are meant to be sprayed. Using a polyurethane in a sprayer can give you varried results. Laquer and 1 hour varnish work well in a HVLP or Airless sprayer but using a product that dries slowly in either can be asking for trouble. Oil based polyurethane dries slowly and is far more touchy than Varnish or Lacquer. Water based Polyurethane works well in sprayer but will require a minimum of 3 coats if not 4 to get the desired finish. It is important to understand the correct product given the setting to make sure that your new millwork has the perfect finish.

NICK DETTINGER
651-336-0561

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