Refillable Spray Paint Can?

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

7 hours ago, Bill WIlson said:

JT, you've piqued my interest with the water based lacquer.  I've always liked solvent lacquer as a finish, but hated applying it in my basement shop because of the fumes.  Always used Deft brushing lacquer and never tried to spray it.

What is the drying time for the WB lacquer?

Basically the same as Nitro or Deft spray cans. Now like all finishes, dry time is not cure time. Usually 15 to 20 minutes between coats to dry. To fully cure 21 days for water based lacquers and 30 days for oil based lacquers. Now if a project is not abused you can get away with sooner. but same goes for Polyurethanes. Finishing is a process. I never spray in Temps below 60 degrees. I heard 50 degrees is probably the cut off. The smell is nothing much but can not say nil. As far as finish quality with the stuff I use it is as good as Deft spray can. Now I also use Deft for smaller projects. You coat as you do with oil based lacquers. It melts into each other. Now one thing is needed is a air compressor that can keep up with air supply so when I do spraying with my air gun I have to do either in my garage or outdoors because my larger compressor is in garage. Now if you are doing small projects and not many at a time you could get away with a smaller compressor. I can not and that is why I will use the rattle cans for smaller projects. 

[kmmcrafts]

I found a company online that was running a sale on the spray cans of Lacquer.. $50 for a case ( 6 cans ) so I bought 4 cases.. that should get me through this year.. I was paying $80+ per case.. I have a local source that IF they have it in stock it's just over $8 per can but they are 40 mile away and I don't go to that town often so it's usually a special trip and then hit or miss if they even have any.. last trip there they only had 1 can so that wasn't worth the trip. The sales guy claimed they were going to discontinue it in the spray can but I don't think he knew what he was talking about as he was trying to sell me onto a $17 per can different brand. That is when I chose to buy the one can left and a quart can since I was there.  All other local sources ( big box ) Menards / Lowes etc is almost $14 a can.. 

The quart can cost me $14.. that quart once diluted will likely cover more area than those 6 cans.. that's quite a savings if I can find a reasonable method to spray without the hassle of cleanup every time. Currently spray all inventory even the production ones with spray cans.. so even if I get a sprayer for the "production" portion and then use spray cans for the 1-2 piece special order ones would save a ton of money over the course of a year. In an economy of 4 years ago I wouldn't even flinch at the $80 a case and the $35 per sheet of BBply.. but with a slowed economy and the $80 case vrs. $40 and $12.50 vrs $35 I'm not able to double the price of the end product.. Some say it's a tax write off and yes it is but still hurts the bottom line no matter how you put the numbers.   

With all the EPA regulations etc. going on and they are changing paints to water base. I don't mind change and have experimented with most of the water base poly spray cans out there.. they are decent IF the spray cans could spray consistent.. one can spits and spatters and the next is great.. The quart can sprayed through my spray gun works well however it does lift the wood grain some so you have to apply several coats to get it smooth or sand between coats so it makes the process more work and hassel. I do like that that stuff dries fast and hardly any smell.. Works great if you dip in Danish oil and then spray then there is no grain lifting issue.. Just can't dip the ones that I paint details with my paint markers as it melts and runs the paint colors together etc.