Spray varnish.

[sussertown]

I'm getting better at working with my spray guns. But I over polished the legs on my rocking horse. Rather than drag out all my equipment I bought a can of helmsman spray urethane. I'm puzzled why it goes on so much easier and cleaner. My gun work wasn't bad, it just felt like harder work and the finish was a little more in need of polishing. I'm wondering what it tells me about my spray gun technique.

[China]

Many things can influence the finish, Quality of the spray gun, type of spray gun, size of nozzle/air cap, type of finish, mix of finish, the environment in which you are spraying and yes your technique

[Arron]

I'm wondering what it tells me about my spray gun technique.

Probably not much. It’s easy for a manufacturer to make a spray can that sprays well because they have control over everything like pressure, nozzle size, product density etc.

I’d think if your work needs a lot of polishing compared to the can then you may be spraying too dry - usual beginners mistake. Too much air, product too thick, not enough product going through nozzle etc - giving you a finish that feels thin and dusty. The product is dry before it hits the workpiece and doesn’t meld down into a nice coat.

I had this problem till an experienced user told me to spray ‘wet like a lake’. Just meant I had to stop being overcautious and lay enough product/thinner down to make a decent coat.

Experiment and see.

[sussertown]

This response really hits the spot. Some of my work looked wet, some looked thin. When it looked wet, it was sometimes too quick to run. I thought of reducing air below 25 and increasing product. I moved to 1.5 needle. I'll have to keep practicing.