Official Luthiers Forum!

I’m using EM6000 for the first time:) I’m following along with Lichty’s video on the topic, and feel things are going decently (well for me).

My question is though: how smooth should the coats lay down? Mine don’t seem to be laying flat, but are instead laying down in “droplets” ok that’s probably not the best description.. but it isn’t smooth.

It will sand smooth, so I guess that’s the ultimate goal.

At this point I’ve level sanded the first 3 coats.

The filler was epoxy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

What are you spraying with and what tip size?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

_________________
Insta - https://www.instagram.com/cbcguitars/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cbcguitars

It is an .8mm and is a cheap gun
I know cheap equipment can only yield certain results I suppose


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Well some of this was fixed by dialing WAY back the output and increasing my psi a little.
My biggest issue is my inexperience


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Glad it's working better now. For waterbourne, IMO, you do need to try to get it to lay as smooth as possible. Doesn't have to be perfect, but sanding lots of orange peel out of waterbourne finishes can affect the appearance. I can't give you technical theories as to why, but in my experience, it looks different. I normally use nitro lacquer and have never worried about orange peel, it has always sanded evenly and easily.

I have never used EM6000 but I've sprayed both the old StewMac waterborn and KTM-9. I cut my lacquer 10 or so percent with DA, it seems to help it flow. After cleaning my gun with warm water I run a little DA thru it and leave some in the cup. The next time I'm ready to spray I do a mist coat of the DA, dump the cup and put in the finish, then spray away. Before I did the alcohol mist I would get some witness lines, doesn't seem to be a problem now. I think the alcohol helps the new coat burn in, somewhat like nitro.

Don't know if any of that is right but its working for me.

I use EM6000 and have for as long as it has been available. I have a good gun (Asturo ECO/SX-no longer available) and use a 1.3mm tip. I can spray a nice, smooth, wet coat. It looks qute uneven during the drying process but returns to smooth and glossy when dry. Mine is a conversion HVLP gun. It sprays best with 42psi input pressure and the fluid dialed back to a bit over medium. I started with a cheap Grizzly gun—the orange peel would sand out but the pattern was always visible in the finish even when it was perfectly leveled and polished, so getting it right in the beginning is well worth it. I have been tempted to get the Grizzly gun out again to see if I could dial it in given what I know now, but I have never wanted to know enough to take the time to do it. I believe in good guns.

One of the reasons my Asturo gun works so well for me is that it only requires 6cfm from the compressor. Some of the good guns require 13 cfm—my compressor won’t do it. If either my gun or compressor dies, I plan to call Homestead and get them to advise me on a good turbine system.

I like the EM6000 for a lot of reasons. I have tried other waterbornes and always come back to the EM6000.