spraying frames

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Not your average framer
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Re: spraying frames

Post by Not your average framer »

Thanks Alan.
Mark Lacey

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Re: spraying frames

Post by Justintime »

prospero, which no nonsense cartridge do you mean?? Can't see which one you're talking about..
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Re: spraying frames

Post by prospero »

They are very good. Order online now and it will arrive tomorrow. :D
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Re: spraying frames

Post by Justintime »

Thanks Prospero. Yes, next day delivery is awesome, but which one??
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Re: spraying frames

Post by prospero »

Watch Out. There's A Humphrey About
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Re: spraying frames

Post by Justintime »

:yes: thanks!
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Re: spraying frames

Post by Townsend »

Mark, I'd love to know how you got on. I'm similarly minded to use up years of unused moulding in such a fashion. The advice to use Halfords etch primer is first on my list and then I need to choose a sprayer and whether to use solvent or water based paint - I'm inclined to settle for solvent based due to the fast drying but I would be happy to use water-based if anyone has found them suitable. What brands, shades and percentages of sheen have worked for you? The Graco machine looks the business but is pretty expensive for the amount of work I have for it. Has anyone had success with other options? Will the Wagner gun spray all sorts and thicknesses of paint? Also I'm interested in what size, style and colour/finish of frames would best compete with the factory produced ready-mades. I'm lucky in having a space at the rear of my workshop with a big explosion proof extractor fan in situ. I have intended to use it to spray lengths of raw moulding and finished frames but have not yet found someone with enough knowledge, rooted in experience, to advise on the ideal set-up. Any suggestions would be invaluable.
Not your average framer
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Re: spraying frames

Post by Not your average framer »

I have sprayed a few frames before now. Spraying frames works for me because I like to spray them in a cardboard box, which is less messy and I can't do this very easily with whole moulding lengths. I have sprayed smaller lengths a little longer that finished size required and then trimmed the sprayed lengths to size before joining the and making them in to frames. I am not the world's best guy when it comes to using a spray can, so I am rather slow trying to avoid paint runs.

I get my spray cans from B & Q and Homebase. I buy the 400mm cans, which seem to work best. I try to use the whole can on a batcch of ready made frames. I am an expert at putting part used cans somewhere safe and then finding the the spay nozzle is no longer there. Also the nozzle seems to spray better if the paint is all used up in one go. Secretly I have a bit of a hatred on spray cans and I don't really understand why most people make a better job of spraying with spray cans than me.

I am also right handed and it's my right hand side that has been affected by my stroke. Unfortunately I still need to paint with my right hand. I can paint, write and use various tools with my right hand, unfortunately spray cans is not so easy.
Mark Lacey

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Re: spraying frames

Post by Townsend »

Thanks for your reply Mark. I've been told about a guy in Dublin, but with this Covid thing I can't travel to see him right now. He comes highly recommended and I want to see what he has to offer. I'll let you know how I get on should I proceed.
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Re: spraying frames

Post by prospero »

I have dallied with spray painting already-finished lengths of moulding. The big issue is with adhesion. All moulding is
not created equal and where one type will accept spray paint readily, others have a coating that rejects virtually anything
and needs to be sanded down - which can be a tedious job. Testing a bit is essential. If you can scrape the paint off with
a fingernail when fully dry then it hasn't bonded properly. It may look alright but it will flake off over time. Embarassing. :oops:

I mostly used a (car-body) primer that would take a water-based (hand brushed) top coat. But I used to use metallic car
paints to refinish ½" black cushion moulding. That stuck very well and looked great. :P
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Re: spraying frames

Post by Not your average framer »

I did not really want to come across as a bit too negative, but I am slowly improving when it comes to using spray can. I clearly does take time to get really good with using spray cans on wood and a little bit of practice can make a lot of difference. There not a lot of body to many spray can finishes and I don't say that in a negative way, but just to say that some spray finished can benefit from some kind of top coat sealer, or varnish to help to produce a bit of durability.

As with most of these things a little bit experimenting can be a very helpful thing. Mot every colour, or finish will necessarily look the best with exactly the same top coat sealer, of varnish. I really like dead matt varnish top coats, but this is not the best looking top coat for every colour, or finish. Very often, strong colours work best with a gloss top coat varnish. I'm not giving you a list of do this, or do that rules, but just suggesting that you try some things and exercise a bit of your own judgement in determining how the final result looks to you.

We are not all the same and part of how we do things differently is part of what we each do that customers like about what we do and why it is so special. For me it's never been about one size fits all. A little bit of flair and individuality really does go a long way in creating something special and interesting because it's different and done tastefully. Customers can buy the same old, "run of the mill" stuff almost anywhere, but not everybody is looking for that. People like to fill their homes with nice things, with a bit of character.

"Run of the mill" stuff does the job, but where's the originality and character? Usually that never was a consideration in the first place! Originality, character and subtile styling is what many of us understand much more than we always realise. If we have a little bit of that, it's usually something that we can develop further and that's we get know for supplying nice things. Everybody knows that nice thing cost a little bit more, which is a nice place to be in the market for us to be.
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Re: spraying frames

Post by GeoSpectrum »

I’ve been using a lot of Montana Gold and MTN water based spray recently. Worth investigating.
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Re: spraying frames

Post by Not your average framer »

I bought some of the Montana Gold spray cans before my business, was forced to move premises. I did try them out and was quite impressed, by as I was so short of storage space between leaving my former premises and being able to find some new premises to move to. So I gave the spray cans to one of our interior designer friend who paints some bits of furniture and never used the spray cans on anything but bits from the scrap bin, but the results looked great although I do not use any primer.

To be truthful, have never used primer when hand finishing frames. I started off hand finishing frames after seeing Pete Bingham doing a demo at the NEC, where he does did not use a primer and I just carried on doing the same and it's never been a problem. From what I remember, The stronger colours were really well pigmented and covered really well. I have over the years used spray paint cans from B & Q and Homebase, my strategy has been the spray oversize lengths of moulding close to gether in a card board box, with the lengths of moulding standing on bits of scrap from the bin.

My thinking is that the spray pattern is wide enough to cover more than one length of moulding at a time and any over spray which misses the moulding is otherwise wasted. I trim the finished moulding to size after I have complete finishing the lengths of moulding. Some spray can paints produce a better surface finish that others and I'm never completely sure about their durability, so I still like to apply a top coat varnish for extra durabiliy. Most of the tme I am brushing on a water based varnish. I'm a bit wary of spray can varnishes and whether they are going to react with the pint on the moulding.
Mark Lacey

“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
― Geoffrey Chaucer
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