cstovin Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 Hi all, I need some advice - our art center uses a spray gun (industrial spray gun ) to spray ceramic glaze on pottery; the man that does it most of the time that has the information is never there when I am and I can't get much information on how it is done - or I guess answers to the main question I have. I want to "layer" paints....but what I am wanting to know, I don't currently have a spray gun and need to go buy one at harbor freight; but I am just planning on using food safe underglazes like Mayco stroke and coats or Duncan concepts....but do you have to water the glaze down to get it out of the nozzle and to spray evenly and consistently? I don't want to copy this image - but this is kind of the effect that I want to do - layer paint, then splatter things on it..... but cann anyone give me advise on using a spray gun tool? thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pompots Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 You can do wonders with a spray gun, the underglaze from the bottle will go through the gun easily no need to thin, but the consistency of the underglaze is going to be determined by the effect you are trying to achieve. If you want washes like, to build up the glaze then you need to thin the undergalze with water, in my opinion it is best to have the glaze thin and build up to what you want it to look like. the glaze from the bottle as is will give you a much thicker application and you might get a very solid enamel like finish with no depth. Make sure to wear a proper respirator when spraying your glazes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 There is a lot of talk about paint in above two posts-terms like enamel belong to paint-have the paint this means paint What I think you both mean is GLAZE unless I missed the whole concept. For glazes you can thin them down a bit and use a paint spray gun with good results For paint you do not need to thin very much Lets get these terms straight There have been many threads on spray guns -do a search on that topic-the harbor frieght guns work fine. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 It depends entirely on the glaze and the spray gun as to whether or not you'll have to thin the glaze to go through the gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cstovin Posted August 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 yes, thank you-- I mean GLAZE, GLAZE, GLAZE....lol - thank you!! The stroke and coats are kind of thick to begin with is why I asked; they seem to kind of want to "cake" on a regular paint brush when I try to use them as is.....thank you all - I did go buy a paint gun at lunch - so will try it and see how it works!! thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Idaho Potter Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 If a commercial glaze is produced for brushing on pottery, it has a compound added to it that thickens it so you can brush on without too many problems with brush strokes showing. If you are using it in a spray gun, thin it down--even if you have to apply several coats. Also, don't let the glaze dry in the spray nozzle. Have another container of water that you can quickly attach and run water through the nozzle (edit: after you are through spraying the glaze). And yes, please, it is underglazes and/or glazes--not paint. Underglazes should be well mixed and thinned to the consistancy that will give you the coverage you desire. Again, don't let the nozzle dry out--rinse well (I keep a cardboard box to the side with crumpled up newspaper to catch the rinse. Shirley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigich22 Posted August 21, 2013 Report Share Posted August 21, 2013 I have been working with a paint spray gun for a little while now and here are a few insights that I can share with you. Glazes are a suspension of abrasive materials which means that spraying glazes will be rougher on the gun then spraying paint would. So if you are going to buy a gun harbor freight is a great way to go, the guns work well enough, and you won't break the bank if you wear it out. Experimentation is key to getting your desired results. Chances are you will have to thin your glazes to spray them and you will have to get a feel for how thick you will need to apply them. Spray technique can affect your results; air pressure, angle of spray, and distance from your work can all make a difference. So test, test, test and record your results. Lastly and what I think to be the most important, have good ventilation. You are aerosolizing the glaze and you would be surprised just how much you could breath in. If you don't have access to a spray booth then a respirator is a must, they are not that expensive and you can pick them in any number of places, I got mine at the NAPA around the corner from my house for about $20. All that being said, have fun spraying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OffCenter Posted August 21, 2013 Report Share Posted August 21, 2013 Maybe I don't have a clear idea of what you're doing but from the pic in your original post and the fact that you're using commercial glazes that are for brushing, an airbrush may work better for the detail work you're doing, but if you need spray guns, Harbor Freight not only makes cheap guns (which is a good idea for the reason nigich22 gave), but they make a great all-purpose sprayer that doesn't need a compressor for $120. For two guns and a detail gun the best deal I've found and the set up Steven Hill recommends is http://www.tcpglobal.com/itemdetail.aspx?itemno=TCP+G7000. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alienor Posted August 21, 2013 Report Share Posted August 21, 2013 could you tell me more about this spray unit. i don't understand the statement that it doesn't need an air compressor. how does it get the air for the spraying. and also if i do decide toget the tcp global spray guns what is the air compressor that is recommended to go with it? <Harbor Freight not only makes cheap guns (which is a good idea for the reason nigich22 gave), but they make a great all-purpose sprayer that doesn't need a compressor for $120.> thanks for the help eleanor a. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted August 21, 2013 Report Share Posted August 21, 2013 The sprayer Jim refers to is a high volume low presure sprayer.They sell tham at harbor frieght I use it every salt fire-It nosisy but works great. It has a air hose and sprayer unit all in one.no compressor needed. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wadar Posted August 21, 2013 Report Share Posted August 21, 2013 I've used hand held airless sprayers that work ok, but they are noisy, at least they were back when I tried them. That may be what OffCenter is talking about. For the TCP global guns what you need is a compressor that meets the specs of the guns; "Operating Pressures of 29-50 PSI, Air Consumption 3.5-7.1 CFM", from the website. The cubic feet per minute requirement is what is most important, almost any compressor will deliver 50 psi, but if it were a tankless one and couldn't provide that much air you would get a pulsating effect; very aggravating. If I am going to spray, which means clean up afterwards, I usually wait until I have a good number of pieces. That means I will be spraying for a while, so I want to have a compressor that can keep up. The one I use at home has a ten gallon tank and it works fine. On the subject of spattering: in an earlier incarnation as a scenic artist on movies, I used to take the air cap (that's the first part to come off when you cleanup) off of the spray gun to spatter paint. Having been reminded of this I think I'll try it with glaze. We used to use a pressure pot but it should work with a gravity feed gun as well. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OffCenter Posted August 21, 2013 Report Share Posted August 21, 2013 could you tell me more about this spray unit. i don't understand the statement that it doesn't need an air compressor. how does it get the air for the spraying. and also if i do decide toget the tcp global spray guns what is the air compressor that is recommended to go with it? <Harbor Freight not only makes cheap guns (which is a good idea for the reason nigich22 gave), but they make a great all-purpose sprayer that doesn't need a compressor for $120.> thanks for the help eleanor a. Mark and Wadar have already answered your questions. Here is the sprayer with the built-in compressor: http://www.harborfreight.com/high-volume-low-pressure-spray-gun-kit-44677.html. You could also search the forum for threads about spayers. This has been covered many times before and there's lots of info there. I've posted this info about Harbor Freight and TCP so many times they should me on their payroll. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted August 26, 2013 Report Share Posted August 26, 2013 this sprayer is simple, washing it consists of spraying clean water through it. yes, it needs a compressor. the brand name is EZE TB_10P SPRAY GUN made by chick tool company in shelbyville, ky. it cost $30 and the bottles are sold separately. Do not buy bottles unless you test them with water. the lids do not fit on some of them. put half a bottle of water in the jar, shake it and see if it leaks. some do, some do not. i hope Chick tool has fixed this problem. a file on the ends where the spray comes out fixes any funny shaped spray patterns. it takes a pretty big lump of something to clog it up. no thinning of glazes needed USUALLY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.