Spraying Workspace

[jayne]

I'm just starting out, and have searched these forums high and low, but have not been able to find an answer that satisfies all parts of my question.

I will be doing all the printing and framing out of my home, not a commercial work space, and I need some help on how best to set up the area where I will be spraying the varnish onto the canvas, as well as how best to place the canvas to dry.

I live in Florida, in a rural area, so humidity is my biggest concern, along with dust and bugs. I intend to spray outside on a screened-in deck, then bring the canvas inside to dry.

I have space to spray on the front deck (would be modified so that the normal foot traffic would be diverted), but need advise on ventilation, and how that needs to be set up. It is a 16'x16' deck, screened in, with 2 screen doors outside and one to the house, on 3 separate sides. Does it have to a complete "clean room"? Do I need a fan? If so, where & how big? Does it need to be closed in (plexiglass) completely? Or is screen enough as long as bugs aren't in? Does it need to be A/C'd? How about humidity levels? (It is FL, after all.) Do I need to make a typical spray booth?

Does the Glamour II varnish have an odor? Is it a harsh odor? (I fully intend to wear a mask while spraying.)

How about drying? I'm presuming that it needs to be A/C'd. Can they be dried inside? Is the odor really strong? Hung up to dry? Layed flat?

How does humidity affect the application and drying of the varnish? I plan to use Glamour II, and probably applying outside. Does it cause it to bubble? Does it still turn out just as good as low/no humidity areas? What else do I need to know in regards to the humidity factor, over-all? Once sprayed (outside in up to 98-100% humidity), I intend to move inside to an A/C'd room, where the humidity should be lower.

Yes, I've done research, and I'm pretty sure I know where I'm going on this set-up, but I'm curious if there is someone, either in FL or another extremely high-humidity area, that can advise how they're set up. I've found a lot of this information already, but sometimes it is great to hear from actual end-users of certain things, such as with the humidity, and how it truly holds up under certain conditions.

Thanks.

[neile]

Does the Glamour II varnish have an odor? Is it a harsh odor? (I fully intend to wear a mask while spraying.)

Others who spray more than I do will likely provide thoughtful answers to your other questions. But I can answer this one Yes, it smells. It's not harsh per se, but when I used to coat in my dining room it made the downstairs of the house unlivable for a few hours. If you're out spraying on a deck with good airflow it shouldn't be so bad.

I've started spraying using Timeless in my garage and there's a world of difference in odor between just doing it in the garage vs. in the house. Way less annoying!

Neil

[na goodman]

I don't find the smell of Glamour II that bad. I do have a small spray booth in the studio that is vented to the outside. That is probably why the smell isn't too bad. I do always wear a mask and have the fan going that goes to the outside.

[langier]

In researching best methods for a canvas print job I'm in the middle of, I was seriously looking at spraying each canvas. However, the more I thought about it, the less I thought this work work, both in the even coating of the surface, the waste of the coatings, the cost of the sprayer, the ventilations..., you get the picture. Same with powered laminators. The largest I found was limited to about 18 inches wide, less than half what I required, was big, heavy and cost a fortune.

Then I found what became my solution, a Daige EZ Glide Liquid Laminator. I found them new for about $600 for a 50 inch model but went to eBay and found one used for half.

It took some practice to learn how to use it and my first results were hit and miss. However, I've got it down pretty well. It really takes two tables, one with the Daige, the second to lay out the print. It will take about 1/2 gallon of liquid laminate to fill it.

This afternoon, I coated 70 prints, mainly 20x30, 24x36 and 30x40 canvases in just a few hours. I inspected each canvas after pulling them from the Daige and had to touch-up just three using a paint trim roller to simply smooth out a couple of glitches.

I had a change to check quite a few of the coated and now dry canvas, and they looked pretty smooth and even. At the end of the coating, I drained the laminator and added up the coatings used at about 3 quarts.

Having had to don a respirator for another project (600 prints) and needing lots of ventilation, this was quite easy and I'm pretty happy with the results overall. It takes a bit of time to clean-up the Daige afterwards, but the coating is all water based, so it's pretty easy.

The EZ Glide is basically a tray with a non-rotating roller on a hinge and works by emerging the entire canvas into the liquid laminate and spreads it with the roller. As you pull the canvas through, the back of the canvas is squeegeed of the laminate and pretty well remains dry and doesn't make too large of mess.

Just thinking of setting up a both, the equipment, respirator, and waste makes me glad I went with the Daige!

[Alan Goldhammer]

Datasheet for Glamour II is here.  I would make sure to have adequate ventilation both where you are spraying (porch should be fine) and where the canvas is drying as the vapors can accumulate over time if not adequately vented.

[Randy Carone]

+1 for Daige EZ Glide. I have used Daige laminators (liquid and film) for 10+ years. Very basic units that require some technique to master. Ike at Daige is very patient and is always willing to offer phone support to new users. Once the operator gets past the learning curve these units are well worth the cost and effort. As long as the user has a place to rinse the EZ Glide it is very easy to use and will probably cause you to forget about spraying canvas with solvent coatings.

[na goodman]

I also have used Daige products for years and cannot say enough good things about Ike and his company. You can send samples and they will do testing to see if your materials are right for their products.

[Craig Murphy]

Are you all using the Daige liquid laminate or other brands in the units?

[fike]

It smells like Elmers wood glue to me...and about that strong.  If I was going to do it every day, year-round, I might worry about ventilation, but I might do some canvas work a couple of times a month, at most. 

I have sprayed coatings and I have rolled coatings on.  The Glamour II coatings roll on to canvas very well.  I have had trouble rolling smooth matte paper without leaving lines, but on canvas, rolling works quite well for me without any noticeable lines.  I generally let it dry laying flat on the table.  My only challenge is preventing the cat from walking on it.

[Craig Murphy]

What smells like Elmers Glue?

[ternst]

Just FYI, Ike says that the Rollaguard coating used with the EZ Glide system will not work on Breathing Color canvas, but that it might be possible to use Glamour II (or Timeless?) with the EZ Glide system - has anyone tried these BC products with the EZ Glide?

[Craig Murphy]

I print on Black Diamond Satin and you can't use Glamour II on it so I wonder about the Rollaguard.  I do like that Daige says on their site that they will test your media if you send in a sample.   

[fike]

Glamour II smells like elmers glue.

[Randy Carone]

"Glamour II smells like elmers glue"

That suggests it may be a vinyl acetate ethylene compound.

BTW, IJ Technologies offers their Eclipse UV coating that is engineered for use with their Black Diamond canvas.

[Ken Doo]

I print on Black Diamond Satin and you can't use Glamour II on it so I wonder about the Rollaguard.  I do like that Daige says on their site that they will test your media if you send in a sample.   

Is there a technical/chemical reason "you can't use Glamour II" on this particular canvas brand, or is it a subjective comment?

ken

[Craig Murphy]

Glamour II is technically water based but they had to put a good bit of solvents in it so it would work with BC canvas.  At least this is what I have been told.  If I use it on Black Diamond it will smear the ink.  IJ's Eclipse has one coating for spraying and one for rolling.  The spray gallon is thinner but the same price.  $90 or so.  I can't see buying that as you could just thin down the one made for rolling hence making it cheaper.  I sent two Bl. Diamond samples to Daige so they can do a sample coating for me.    

[ghaynes754]

Tried the Diage.  Was using EcoPrint and 100% cotton Hahnemuhle Monet canvas.  May work well on a cotton/poly blend but on the Monet the edges curled up the size of a pencil, maybe a bit larger.  Went the spraying route.

You are right about a cleanup space.  With a 54" Daige I don't know what i was thinking when I didn't factor in cleaning.

[dgberg]

Still spray most canvases with either Timeless,Glamor II or Clearjet. The cleanup gets really old really fast especially when you are only doing several with the water based product and you have no water in the shop. I have several gallons of water I use to spray through the gun for an initial clean but always take it to the house for a good cleaning.
It is another reason I have been loving my roller laminator more and more. Using Seal's low temp "Print Guard UV" satin matte or luster.
The luster has the nicest look in my opinion. No dirt problems,drying time issues or cleanup. The only problem is it has a plasticy look which would kill it for many here. You can gallery wrap with no worries of any ink scraping off on the corners or anywhere else on the wrap. In my opinion though it looks best laminated to canvas and then Gator or Dibond for a substrate

[jayne]

Thank you all so much!  (Posting and disappearing is not something I like to do, but when you get sick and don't get out of bed for almost 3 weeks, and then, while still not better you have to play catch-up, unfortunately, something has to suffer.)

I appreciate all the replies, and I will be getting (safely) set up in the coming weeks.

Thanks, again!

[marty m]

Has anyone definitely tried the Daige EZ Glide with Glamour II and the canvas made by Breathing Color such as Lyve or the canvas made by LexJet such as Sunset Select Matte?

I can't really use a sprayer in my work room, as it is shared with a natural gas furnace.  I guess I could build a vented spray booth, but the EZ Glide would be a better solution.

Thanks in advance for any responses.