Tips for spraying Duratex?

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Mark Coward · #1 Post by **Mark Coward** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 2:55 pm

I'm interested to hear any tips/advice on spraying Duratex. I remember some old posts, did a search and couldn't find them now. I just popped the cherry on my new Harbor Freight hopper gun, things are working ok just wondering what other tricks I might learn.....do you thin it with water, how to use the resin sand texture additive?

#2 Post by **Bill Fitzmaurice** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 3:22 pm

I used to thin the first coat, but with the newest formulation that's not required. Do the first coat with a fine nozzle for color, then go to successively coarser nozzles for more spatter. If you use the beads just mix them in as recommended and spray. Beads are especially nice to hide grain with softwoods, not really necessary for that with birch unless you wan a non-skid finish.

AntonZ · #3 Post by **AntonZ** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 3:22 pm

On the same subject: does anyone know if "hopper guns" are available in Europe, if so where do you get them and what are they called? I have never run across anything affordable yet. What I did find are machines used for finishing drywall and concrete walls, they are way beyond a DIY budget.

#4 Post by **Bill Fitzmaurice** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 3:25 pm

AntonZ wrote:What I did find are machines used for finishing drywall and concrete walls, they are way beyond a DIY budget.

That's what they're normally used for here as well, I guess you guys haven't opened up the goods pipeline to China yet.

Mark Coward · #5 Post by **Mark Coward** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 3:38 pm

Bill Fitzmaurice wrote:I used to thin the first coat, but with the newest formulation that's not required.

I just figured that out the hard way, I thought I remembered Bruce saying he thinned with water. I tried it, just a little water maybe 10/1 at most, and made it really runny. Also, make sure the nozzle is attached before you fill the hopper with paint .... I now have a nice big blob of duratex on my patio

#6 Post by **Bill Fitzmaurice** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 3:51 pm

Mark Coward wrote:I now have a nice big blob of duratex on my patio

Easier to paint the whole patio than to get the DuraTex off.

bgavin · #7 Post by **bgavin** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 8:56 am

Not me. I have not applied Duratex yet. I picked up the gun for a good price, but am concerned about a huge mess from overspray, and what I have to install as a paint booth to shoot outdoors. We are in the ferocious heat season now, so I'd have to shoot before 0800 to avoid the heat.

I've learned to apply carpet in a professional manner, so that will suffice for the moment. It is VERY time consuming.

#8 Post by **Bill Fitzmaurice** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 9:53 am

There's not that much overspray with DuraTex, due to its water base and high viscosity. It's nothing at all like typical spray paints that fog and drift forever.

LelandCrooks · #9 Post by **LelandCrooks** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 10:07 am

At most the drift from overspray is a foot or two. I spray outside most of the time. This winter I made a very primitive booth from scaffold and .99 drop cloths. As far as fogging or a respirator they're unnecessary. It's not at all like spraying paint. Very much like shooting drywall mud, just less messy.

Tim A · #10 Post by **Tim A** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 11:10 am

bgavin wrote: am concerned about a huge mess from overspray,

Don't be.

bgavin wrote:and what I have to install as a paint booth to shoot outdoors.

Like Leland, says, or one of those cheap resuable blue poly tarps. That's what I use. In fact, last time I put the tarp over the picnic table, set the cabs on it and sprayed out in the yard with no backstop or makeshift booth of any kind.

bgavin wrote:We are in the ferocious heat season now, so I'd have to shoot before 0800 to avoid the heat.[

I wouldn't worry about it. Duratex even recommends hot dry weather, and more heat for faster curing. It doesn't 'flow out' like paint, quite the opposite.

Get some Duratex and a piece of scrap plywood and try it. It's not as technical as it sounds.

Mark Coward · #11 Post by **Mark Coward** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 5:55 pm

One thing I meant to ask, with the Harbor Freight gun there is some air blowing out all the time......it seems to work ok, but is this normal? I've not used a hopper gun before, and the manual doesn't say anything about that. The manual does say to remove the "cup" and turn it upside down and fill from the small end, which is obviously wrong as the hopper only has a half lid, lol

Tim A · #12 Post by **Tim A** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 7:44 pm

It's a 'constant bleed gun'. Some paint guns are like that too. It's normal.

Yeah, the instructions that come with it...shouldn't.

bgavin · #13 Post by **bgavin** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 8:06 am

All these comments sound encouraging for the back yard Duratexer.

Tim A · #14 Post by **Tim A** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 8:15 am

What sucks is I'm going to have to figure out a place to do this in the winter. My work area in the basement is so small I'm not sure I could spray down there at all. Winter builds may be limited to carpet, or a free black latex paint finish to get them through until spring when I can spray outside.

The first cabinet I sprayed was in the garage, and the one thing I noticed was a lack of light. If I ever spray in there again, I'm going to set up my par cans on the towers so I can see what I'm doing.

Minus the gels, of course!

bgavin · #15 Post by **bgavin** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 8:18 am

I have nowhere to build during the winter at all. They don't speak Basement in Kaleeforneeah. I sure do miss the old house in Colorado Springs... 4 car garage, full basement, two story. We got 1200 square feet here for the same money.