June 15th, 2018 by
Most people know that a paint sprayer is a quick and easy way to paint your fence, but there’s so much more you can do with a paint gun! If you get the right paint sprayer, it can be used to spray all kinds of paint onto a massive range of indoor and outdoor furniture. Spraying your furniture with a new coat of paint is a great way to breathe new life into old, tired items and revitalise your home and garden. Unlike a brush, using a sprayer doesn’t take much practice to make sure you get an even and professional-looking coat of paint every time! Upcycling old furniture like this has never been more fashionable, so read on to learn everything you need to know to get started!
Choosing Your Paint Sprayer
The Mylek RAPID+ works with all oil-based and water-based paint We recommend using the versatile and effective Mylek RAPID+ paint sprayer. Mylek is a reliable name in DIY tools and appliances and has a history of producing simple yet versatile products that can do many different things. The RAPID+ can work just as well with oil-based and water-based paint, staining oils, and varnish, so it can spray metal, plastic, or wood furniture quite easily. It’s also small and light enough to manoeuvre around your subject easily and features 3 spray patterns so you can reach every nook and cranny.
Step 1: Practice Makes Perfect
We recommend reading our guide on getting started with a paint sprayer and getting a bit of practice in if you’ve never used one before. This’ll give you the basics, which is all you need to start painting your furniture in amazing, even coats of paint!
Step 2: Clean Your Paint Sprayer
Make sure your paint gun is cleaned out before you start properly spraying your furniture. After you’ve been using it, the paint gun’s nozzle can become clogged with dried-on paint and bits of dirt. This is another useful feature of the RAPID+ - it comes with a free cleaning pin for you to clean out the nozzle of your paint sprayer after every use. As with all paint sprayers, if your nozzle becomes even slightly clogged, it’ll start to spurt paint unevenly and it can even damage the sprayer if it gets bad enough, so this is definitely something to monitor.
Step 3: Set Up Your Area
Make sure you cover up the area you'll be painting in, especially if you're indoors Whether you’re painting indoor or outdoor furniture, we recommend spraying it outside wherever possible. This will mean you don’t have to worry about splashing paint anywhere, and it’s much easier to clean up if you do. Make sure you put plenty of newspaper or plastic sheets around your piece of furniture and weight them down if you’re not sheltered from the wind. If you’ve got a bit of space in your garage or shed, these make great sheltered spots for spray painting. Just make sure you’ve covered everything off with tarp, plastic, or newspaper. Also, remember to wear some protective clothing and a face mask! If, for whatever, reason, you can’t move your desired piece of furniture outside, naturally, you should make sure the area is completely covered in protective sheeting or newspaper first! You should also make sure the area is well-ventilated. Keep a door or a window open while you’re spraying.
Step 4: Paint Stripping
If the existing paintwork on your piece of furniture is worn or flaky, you might need to do a bit of sanding or paint stripping first to make sure you’ll be painting on an even surface. After all, you can’t expect to get an even coat of paint if the surface you’re painting on isn’t even in the first place! Strip off your paint using the appropriate paint stripper if it’s flaky metal paint, or sand it down if it’s a wooden surface. If there are any chips or marks on your furniture, now is a good time to fill them using some filler.
Step 6: Primer
Primer helps ensure an even coat of paint People always forget the primer – don’t join them! Primers are a plain coat that goes under your main colour coats, and they make sure your main coats are smooth and even. Look at what colour you want your finished product to be and choose the right colour of primer based on that. Generally, you want your primer to be a slightly darker shade than the coats that’ll go on top of it. Mix your pain to the thickness you want. The Mylek RAPID+ comes with viscosity measuring jugs that will help make this easy for you. Always be sure to give the paint a stir to clear out any lumps or air bubbles that can ruin the even coverage of your paint. Once you’re happy, load it into your paint sprayer! Make sure you get paint into every nook and cranny of your furniture, and spray from top to bottom to avoid runs. You’ll find a paint sprayer will give you a much more even coverage than a brush would, and you don’t have to worry about leaving brush marks!
Step 7: Mask and Paint!
Once your primer is dry, mask off any areas you don’t want to paint if you’re going for a pattern. Then you’re good to start painting! Remember to stir the paint well and get the thickness of the paint right for what you want. To test it, dip a stick into the paint and lift it out. Watch how the paint drips off the stick. It should run off smoothly, like honey or cream. Make the paint thicker or thinner by measuring it in your viscosity jugs before you start. Paint using the same techniques you did when priming the paint. Remember it’s better to do several thin coats than one thick coat. Thin coats will dry quicker and you can always top them up with another coat later on. If your coat is too thick, it’ll take ages to dry and will be at risk of runs or dirt disturbing the even surface of the paint!
Step 8: Finishing
Spray painting can breathe new life into old, worn-out wooden furniture If it’s wooden furniture you’re painting, make sure you finish off with at least one coat of varnish once the paint is dried. This will protect your wood furniture from damage and stains in the future. The RAPID+ can spray varnish, too, so use it in exactly the same way you would while painting to get your ideal finish.
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