More spraying Timeless questions...

[Mike Guilbault]

Spraying is going well but I  have a couple questions.  First off, how long do you usually wait between coats?  I'm spraying a light coat followed by two slightly heavier coats and getting good results, but waiting a good hour between sprays.  The surface feels dry, but should it cure longer - or am I safe spraying another coat sooner.  For lack of a better word, is 'tacky' too early to spray; dry-to-the-touch?  I know time will vary depending on temp/humidity and thickness of coating, but I'd like to speed up the process a little if possible.

Secondly, how long can you leave Timeless in the gun's reservoir? I've been leaving it in, between coats, swirl it around (gently to avoid bubbles) a bit before applying again, but how long before it becomes useless, or less than optimal for spraying?  The seal seems pretty air tight so I assume it's no worse than leaving it in the bucket, but then again, the nozzle and such need to be cleaned and I don't know about the Timeless that's already 'in' the gun.

And lastly (yah right!)... is there a difference between spraying satin or matte?  I'm not interested in Glossy, but would like to use matte as well. Any difference?

thanks!

[smjphoto]

last first… from my finishing wood experience, especially floors, we alway use gloss for everything except the final coats to keep from getting a cloudiness with the build up. I haven't experimented with canvas to compare one approach from the other, but it might be something to consider.

I only wait 20 minutes between coats w timeless and haven't found it to be a problem, but I'm no expert.

Stuart

[Miles]

My experience is with satin and glossy.  I wait a minimum of 20 minutes, but never rush the second coat so I get to it when I am at a good stopping point on whatever else I am doing, thus my actual practice is closer to 30-40 minutes on average.  Similar to you, I leave the gun loaded.  Note that after spraying over a long period of time this way, the gun may need a good cleaning (may be dependent on the model you use as mine is an inexpensive gun).

The viscosity seems similar between satin and glossy.  I would be surprised if it is significantly different for matte.  I'm sure there are others here that can chime in with much more experience and details to help with your questions. 

[Mike Guilbault]

Thanks guys.  My workflow seems to be similar to both of yours.  I've rolled matte before, but not sprayed so I'll have to get some more and try it.

[dajaka]

One thing I do is put a piece of wet paper towel over the nozzle of my sprayer between coats. It prevents a film from forming on the tip.

[Miles]

Good suggestion.  I'll give that a try next time.

[Mike Guilbault]

Ok... so a film forms over the tip.  So far, I've been able to just pinch it off and begin spraying again.  I'm thinking the film helps keep the solution from drying out inside, no?

[smjphoto]

When you don't pull the trigger, the needle valve is closed and the liquid is sealed inside the gun. The crusty film is the drying of the material that coated the nozzle when you were spraying. In my opinion, it's probably better to wipe the nozzle off with a wet rag before the film dries and it doesn't hurt to cover it with a wet rag between spraying. Avoiding crusty bits on the nozzle keeps chunks out of the finish on the next coat.

Stuart

[deanwork]

Between coats I put a damp paper towel over the nozzle and wrap the head in a small baggie. That way I'm always ready to go and never have a problem.