Eliminating Shadow Lines Inside Door Panel Crevices

Lower the gun pressure to reduce spray turbulence. July 9, 2005

Question
I'm looking for a way to eliminate lighter shadow lines along the inside profile of Shaker and raised panel doors. I've tried reducing my shading stain and increasing the number of passes, but I end up with pools of pigment. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Forum Responses
(Finishing Forum)
From contributor R:
Not sure if this will help as I use toners rather than stains.

I set my hvlp (SATA) so it produces a small spot pattern - about a half inch diameter. Then I reduce the pot pressure and cfm so I don't run when I spray vertically on paper. Then I spray the toner into all the inside edges. Finally, I spray the entire piece. One spot pass is usually enough, unless I'm doing a dark finish.



From contributor H:
The lighter areas in the corners are due to the turbulence, which is preventing the pigment from reaching the tight corners or crevices. Try turning down the air pressure and adding some finish to give the spray a little weight behind it. Follow that up with your stain on a 1/2 inch brush when all else fails.


From contributor C:
I have found that the first and best way to avoid shadows in shaker doors is to spray the face first and the edges second. Also, make sure that your stain is not so strong that you can't spray it wet. As for the Devilbiss VTX, it is a very good gun for spraying stain on wood and it will help with shadows.