Spray paint wardrobe doors .. advice needed

[Ellada]

I began spray painting three wardrobe doors with white matt spray paint. I haven't finished the first door and I've already used 9 tins at 6 quid each. There must be a cheaper and easier way to spray these wardrobe doors. I have seen spray guns for sale but what paint would I use? Most spray guns I've seen are advertised to spray garden fences and sheds, would I get a professional finish from one of those machines??

[Rob graham]

Most spray guns I've

I suggest that professional finishes are more down to the skill of the operator than the quality of the appliance. So therefore I expect you could get a good finish but it may take a bit to train yourself. I doubt if just blasting away with a brand-new machine would give you the results you wanted first time.

Rob Graham

[Richard]

Whilst I have a compressor, spray gun and all the kit needed to to such a job, cleaning up the equipment afterwards is a real pain especially for such a relatively small project. So provided the doors in question are basic flat panels, I would recommend using one of those 4" foam mini rollers and throwing out the used roller when finished. Should 2 or more coats be required, simply wrap the roller tightly in cling film to exclude the air and it can be re-used as necessary. Remember though to thoroughly clean away all grease and polish (=silicone) residues or the paint may not coat evenly. I have recently transformed my old white melamine kitchen units in this way using an oil based eggshell to great effect!

Good luck

Richard

[Ellada]

Cheers Rob

[Ellada]

Thanks Richard. I intended to apply a coat of primer using a 4" foam roller and then spray paint the rest. Is that a bad idea ? I don't really mind the idea of cleaning the equipment after as long as I get a professional finish. Could I get the same finish with a roller? What paint would I use with the spray machine? Do you have advice on what model spray gun I could buy?

Cheers.

Nick.

[Richard]

Possibly yes ! You have not said if these doors are plain and/or have a raised and/or embossed details Use primer if you like, but in my experience, provided the item has been thoroughly prepared, it may not be necessary. I still maintain that careful application with a roller should do the trick, with any decorative areas brush painted before rollering.

get a professional finish.

See above

model spray gun I could buy?

A reasonable 240v compressor and gun could set you back upwards of £125 An all-in-one hand held airless sprayer similar to a 'Wagner' may be from £25 + In both cases you will have to experiment paint viscosities, pressure settings, and above all your expertise in actually applying the spray of paint to the surface will be called into question! (As will your vocabulary when the paint starts to sag !)

Whatever you decide upon, stick to the same paint type throughout..........i.e.if you use a water based u/coat, use a similar finish top-coat etc....... (by the way, many of the aerosol paints are cellulose based and may well react adversely with acrylics or oil based paint surfaces) Above all, use a decent quality, high solid content paint.....not your run-of-the-mill cheepo rubbish on offer at most of the sheds. I would personally recommend 'Farrow & Ball', which funnily enough is now available off the shelf at Homebase.!!

Suggest you find an old piece of board as near as dammit to the existing finish of the doors in question and experiment.

Richard

[Ellada]

Cheers for that Richard.

Thanks.

Nick.

[shazzbat]

Since reading this thread I just can't get the Mr Bean method of painting the room out of my head. :-))

Steve