How to spray paint furniture

Painted furniture has become a popular trend and by using the right tools, paints and other materials and paint techniques, you can give new life to a piece of furniture. Spray painting furniture is by far the best way to go about it because it is much quicker than painting with a brush or a roller and the end result so much more rewarding. Whether a beginner or a more experienced furniture painter, in “How to Spray Paint Furniture” you will find a detailed guide on aspects such as the best tools and equipment for spray painting, what types of paint to use, how to prepare wood for painting, the basics of the technique of spray painting etc. There is also a section dealing with the best approach to paint different types of wood surfaces such as hardwood, laminated wood and MDF (medium density fiber) and how to spray chalk paint and milk paint. You will find many useful practical tips and suggestions to get you started to become a master spray painter. Whether you are just starting out by using an ordinary spray can or using a handheld sprayer or want to progress to a more professional level of using a spray gun with a compressor – this book covers all the necessary aspects to get you there. Spray painting can be mastered with relative ease and your projects can achieve a new level of sophistication in no time.

How to mix paint for spraying furniture

Spray painting requires that the paint be accurately mixed so that you get the correct consistency – not too thick and not too thin. Most paint manufacturers give an indication of the ratio of solvent to the paint volume required. As a rule of thumb, 10% solvent is usually sufficient. However, some water based paints are non-drip and comes as a thick liquid that will require a bigger ratio – up to 15%. 

Mixing cups and empty yogurt container

Mixing cups are available in the paint trade. These are ideal for accurately measuring the paint mix. Different sizes are available but the 1 liter cups are the most practical. A spray painter’s ruler is also a handy measurement and mixing tool. 

Most paints used for spray painting must be filtered to get rid of small particles. Paint strainers of various grid sizes are available but the medium mesh size is preferable. Clean paint prevents clogging of nozzles and air holes on the paint gun. Paper strainers can be cleaned and used two or three times before discarding. Reusable paint strainers are also available. 

You could make your own reusable paint strainer by using the 20 liter paint straining mesh that can be bought from your paint dealer and cutting it to fit over a used yogurt container as shown in the picture. Here is what you do:

• cut about 5 cm off the top of an empty yougurt container

  

  Home made reusable paint strainer

• use the top part to insert in another empty container to hold the straining mesh that you have cut out from the 20 L straining mesh
• fit the mesh over the empty container and then press the 5 cm top lid to insert the mesh into the empty container
• Pour the paint and then remove and wash the straining mesh with the required solvent (water or turpentine) to use again.

Best spray gun for spraying furniture

A spray gun is the only tool that will give you a professional finish. It will give a really smooth finish whereas brushes and rollers always leave marks. There is a great variety and types of spray guns for spray painting jobs but the question is - what type of gun is most suitable for spraying furniture? Unlike spraying flat metal surfaces, wood present a very different character and not any spray gun will do the job properly. Keep in mind that wood is often sprayed with conventional household paints and water based paints are preferred because they are environmental friendly, but they are also thick and although it can usually be thinned with water about 10% it still remains thick substance.  

There are mainly two common types of spray guns used in finishing:

• Conventional (low volume/high pressure) spray guns work with compressed air and blast the finish onto the wood at 3 – 5.0 bar. The gun’s air consumption is 4 – 7 cubic feet per minute (cfm). A high pressure gun will generally give a smoother finish than a HVLP gun.

• HVLP (high volume/low pressure) spray guns work with either compressed air or turbine air and lay the finish onto the wood softly at 2.5 – 3.5 bars.  Air consumption is rated at 4 – 6 CFM. These guns create much less overspray.  

Conventional Spray Guns (LVHP)

Conventional spray guns have been used for a long time. They provide excellent control of the liquid material that reaches the surface.  But they have one serious drawback - they are only about 20 to 30 percent efficient.  This means that well over half of the material you're spraying is wasted - it goes into the air.

High Volume Low Pressure Spray Guns (HVLP)

 HVLP spray guns were developed more than 30 years ago but are only recently becoming popular.  HVLP guns can work with either compressed air or continuous air supplied by a turbine.  Either way, the result is a low pressure spray that creates very little overspray.  HVLP guns are 65 to 90 percent efficient, which means that most of the material you're spraying ends up on the wood.    There are two advantages to using a turbine over a compressor with an HVLP spray gun: 

• A turbine passes a high volume of air directly to the gun at about 4 psi.  A compressor generates much higher pressure at lower volume.  In order to raise the volume enough to operate the HVLP gun, the high-pressure air must be sent through a regulator.  This transforms the high pressure to high volume and low pressure.  It takes a large, expensive 3- to 5-horsepower compressor to adequately supply an HVLP gun, compared to a small, inexpensive turbine.

• Turbines warm and dry the air, which speeds curing and helps reduce blushing (a moisture-related, off-white color that appears as some finishes cure).  

The small DIY electric guns are becoming popular but if you want to get a professional finish, forget about them –I think it is just a waste of time and money. I would suggest that you buy a suitable compressor and a HVLP gun with a 1.8 or 2.0 mm nozzle. To do touch up work a smaller gun with a 1.0 mm nozzle will also be needed. To spray sealers and varnish, a 1.4 mm nozzle will do a good job. Spray Painting Tools can be bought on the internet.

GLAZING TECHNIQUE

Glaze is simply a thin, translucent film of color that's painted over a base coat. Many faux and decorative paint techniques require glaze; it's essential to create rich, dimensional paint treatments. Here, decorative painter Gary Lord gives you the DIY Basics so you can start glazing like a pro.

• Glaze is added to paint to extend the drying time -- which gives you more time to work with your glaze to create the look you want.
• Water-based glazes and paints are the easiest to work with and to clean up.
• You can buy glazes that are already tinted, or you can make up your own glaze color:
• To tint, combine glazing medium with your paint (either latex or acrylic). Generally the ratio is four parts glaze to one part paint, but you should follow the manufacturer's instructions.
• The amount of glazing medium you add to the paint can affect the color of the glaze. When you're using lighter paint colors, a 4-to-1 mixture will not affect the value of the color. But darker colors may be altered to a lighter color value when mixed with too much glaze. It's always best to experiment with the color on a piece of poster board.
• The translucency of the glaze is determined by how much paint you add: more paint than glaze results in less translucency; less paint than glaze results in more translucency. I always like to test my glaze on a scrap board or poster board to make sure it's the right consistency and translucency.
• A key to a beautiful glaze treatment is the surface you'll be painting on. A low-luster or semigloss latex or acrylic paint will seal the surface well and allow you to manipulate the glaze and keep a wet edge.
• Avoid using a flat latex base coat.
• You apply glaze just as you would apply paint, with a brush or roller. Again, work in small sections: roll on the glaze, finish the technique and then move on to the next section. And if you're doing a two-person job, make sure one person is always rolling and the other is working with the glaze. That will give you the most consistent treatment.
• Drying time for glaze varies; usually you have about 10 to 20 minutes to work with the glaze before it dries completely. To increase the drying time, add a paint extender to your mixture. Because of the time constraints, it's usually best to work in 2' sections.

It's possible to create beautiful paint treatments using glaze. Just remember:

• Paint on a semigloss surface.
• Mix glaze to the right translucency and consistency.
• Work in small sections.

PAINTED FURNITURE - A PROFITABLE HOME BUSINESS

HOW TO GET STARTED

 Have you considered starting a profitable home business with painted furniture? There will always be a good market for quality painted and refinished furniture. This is an ideal home business and can be started with minimum capital outlay. The skills needed to refinish furniture can also be easily acquired and with some practice, a professional finish can be achieved. There are some basic requirements that have to be met if you want to succeed in this home business. 

The first is that you should have a reasonable size space available to do the stripping and painting. A double garage is ideal to start off with. The painting area and the stripping and prepping area should be kept separate as far as possible.

 Secondly, some basic tools and equipment will be necessary but these can be bought at reasonable prices at any good hardware shop.

 Thirdly, a market must be developed and this will take some time. However, you can start small and gradually grow your business because you will have virtually no overheads and all the input costs can be derived from your client at the start of a project. 

Maybe it sounds over simplified, but I have gone through the process and my experience was that the business just had a steady growth right from the start. The most important aspect is to provide a trustworthy and quality service. Remember, anyone can make a mistake but the crucial point is that mistakes must be rectified quickly and without any arguments. The old cliché of the client that is always right is a golden rule that will serve you well. There are no short cuts in the refinishing business. The processes that I will describe later on, have all been tried and tested by many people in this business, and must be applied without any attempts to bypass or manipulate. This will enable you to be successful in this business.

Refinishing implies that you take an old piece of furniture and strip the old finishing (varnish, paint etc.) and refinish it by re-varnishing or painting the piece. The question is where do you get old furniture to get going? You can start by using any piece of furniture that you can get hold of and start practising the techniques of preparing the wood for painting and then following the process of repainting or refinishing the project. In my book "Refinishing Old Furniture - start a home business" I have set out all the steps that should be followed. Some of the aspects that are dealt with in the book are the following:

• Refinishing furniture as a business
• Tools and equipment required to get started
• Stripping old finish
• How to apply paint with brushes, rollers and by spray painting
• Paint techniques and recipes are discussed in detail
• How to get the business going and how to grow the business.

Whether you are a stay-at-home mom wanting to enjoy a rewarding hobby or a retired person looking for something to keep you busy and earn a handsome extra income or you just want to start a sideline business, this could be the answer.

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I shovel into God’s warehouse and He shovels into mine. Thing is, His shovel is much bigger than mine!