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What do wood guys use HVLP for

Spud

Diamond
Joined
Jan 12, 2006
Location
Brookfield, Wisconsin
For what material and application do wood finishers use HVLP for?

I just started an Automotive painting/chassis program at local tech school. We use HVLP for auto painting as it is industry standard.

While looking at the various brands of HVLP manufacturers, I noticed that Graco and Kremlin make HVLP guns, but I have never heard of anyone in the automotive painting world use either brand. Since Kremlin is popular with wood guys, my hunch is that Kremlin HVLP is used for wood finishing?
 
Can't speak to Kremlin, but wood shops use HVLP anywhere they'd use any other type of spray gear. And wood shops spray a lot of finishes ranging from lacquer to urethanes, and occasionally adhesives when working with sheet goods.
 
I spray everything with it- two pack clears, poly, lacquers, traditional varnish.
The down side of spraying traditional varnish is having to thin and still build film thickness.
 
While looking at the various brands of HVLP manufacturers, I noticed that Graco and Kremlin make HVLP guns, but I have never heard of anyone in the automotive painting world use either brand.

Tells you something, doesn't it?

I don't spray on wood any more. I use the Sam Maloof two stage finish method. Takes a long time for rubbing with a rag. But the result is worth it.
 
I’ve painted using HVLP guns spraying latex trim paint for house trim, doors and the like. I also have a smallish Sata HVLP gun that I use for clear finishes on fuurniture and other fine finish work. It works well with varnishes and lacquers. As Triboatworks mentioned you do have to thin for a good spray pattern but I find it well worth the slight downside. I especially like the result with Waterlox as each new coat burns into the previous coat. Two or three coats gives a really nice built up finish. Really not much different from any other method because of the fine control of film thickness for each coat. Very little waste too.
 
So what is the reason to use HVLP gravity feed over siphon feed or pressure pot? Do you use gravity feed if it's a small job?

And why use airless or air-assisted over HVLP?
 
Gravity feed can run on lower cap pressure so less overspray.
On the other hand, a cup can be fed a bit of pressure to eliminate some of that advantage while a separate pot is of course a pressure feed.
 
For what material and application do wood finishers use HVLP for?

Watch those woodworker programs on PBS, weekends. Once in a while they spray finishes on their projects. It's usually a turbine with some funky spray gun. If they might describe what the painting system they are using. Anyway, they use the tools the advertisers hope you will buy.

In my experience the spraying on plywood is not so great. Depends on the wood but I see different looking fill areas, non-uniform absorption. A hand rubbed method always comes out even and better. Takes a lot more time.
 
Coming in a bit late but Graco and Kremlin are commonly used industrial painting spray gun brands. Industrial spray painting is a whole separate field to automotive or timber finishing. My shop uses Graco airspray, air assisted airless and airless. We just use what the job demands. Cheers
 








 
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