Spraying a stain

[garfield]

Hi all,

I'm building my son a bed and I'd like to stain it but would like to use a stain that I can spray on. I've never tried to spray it on before and I'm wondering if there is a certain type of stain etc that I need to use to spray it on - if so where could I buy it from best price etc in Western Sydney please?

I'm not exactly all that experienced with staining in general so any advise is much appreciated.

Thanks
Geoff

[dr4g0nfly]

Any paint, Stain or Varnish that can be thinned to the correct consistency will go through a spray gun.

[garfield]

Thanks dr4gonfly.... Do you think I should get an all in one stain and varnsish to run through the spray gun or stain and then poly through the gun to finish it off?

Cheers
Geoff

[dr4g0nfly]

I'd always go with the stain first and make sure I had even coverage and colour before moving onto a finish, especially poly, once set you'd have problems if you did have blotches or uneven colour.

[munruben]

Pine is prone to being blotchy, a thin coat of shellac before you stain will help with that. When spraying stain it is a good idea to have a brush handy to brush in any runs you may get. Apply very thin coats to avoid the runs if possible. Cot looks cool.

[garfield]

Can anyone tell me if these spray guns are any good? I'm thinking of buying one to save pulling out the compressor when I want to spray.

I have a gravity feed spray gun but I'm wondering if these work better?

Thanks

[greek carpenter]

hi mate
i use water based stains here in greece they dry much faster and u wont have any problems with any type of varnish. spray the the stain all over the thing that u will be painting its good if u could have it standing up and then wipe it down with a sponge. its better to give it an go on a sample before .

good luck
michael

[garfield]

Thanks for the reply greek. I'm not sure about the water based stains... do you get a good result?? I'd appreciate any pics of your work stained with water based stains to have a look at.

Cheers
Geoff

[StuartMcC]

I'd always recommend wiping the excess of any stain regardless of spraying, brushing or wiping on. When you have to wipe the excess it makes spraying a rather wasteful and messy exercise. Keep your spray equipment for finishes that form a film on the surface. Theres no benefit for spraying a coating that penetrates timber. Best stain I've found is Feast watson proof tint.

[garfield]

Thanks for that Stu... do you Spray stain at all?

[StuartMcC]

No. I always brush or rag on.

[garfield]

Why mate? Don't rate the spray on?

[greek carpenter]

well i did start of with rags and brushes to apply the stains, back then it was powder that would be mixed with water 2-3 basic coulors.i do use thinner based stains(sikkens) for my windows and doors but it takesr far to long to dry and they are toxic. i spray my stains cause i always have alot of pieces to to do, a wall unit has in average has 60-70 it would take me 2 days to do by hand. mabe 1-2 pieces that you have is better by hand. follow the link below a have posted a few photos of my units&cabinets that have been done with water based stains.

michaelFlickr: michalioscreations' Photostream

[garfield]

Thanks heaps for that greek. Mate you have some awesome work there absolutely awesome! I love the looks of the finish especially those kitchen cupboards.
<O</O
What is your technique for applying the stain and do you finish the piece off by giving a coat of polyurethane? <O</O

[garfield]

Does anyone know where's the best place to buy water based stain at a good price? I'm pretty sure that Bunnings didn't have much in the way of water based stains.

Thanks
Geoff