Paint sprayer advice needed

[70Mach1]

So my property is surrounded by a Northern White Cedar picket fence stained white. It's a lot of fence, and when we bought the house three years ago, the fence was already at least 5 years past needing to be replaced. I've been trying to tackle it one panel at a time, when I can, during the warmer months. But it's slow going, as I've been brushing on the necessary two coats of stain (using this one from Behr). This year I'm thinking a sprayer would speed things up (ya think?). But I know diddly about sprayers and could use some recommendations for an electric model that would be good for applying stain. Budget: under $200.

 

[driz]

So my property is surrounded by a Northern White Cedar picket fence stained white. It's a lot of fence, and when we bought the house three years ago, the fence was already at least 5 years past needing to be replaced. I've been trying to tackle it one panel at a time, when I can, during the warmer months. But it's slow going, as I've been brushing on the necessary two coats of stain (using this one from Behr). This year I'm thinking a sprayer would speed things up (ya think?). But I know diddly about sprayers and could use some recommendations for an electric model that would be good for applying stain. Budget: under $200.

I bought a cheap Walmart Wagner 6 years ago. It’s not worth spit for latex but works well with stain. It’s too slow for deck boards but oh boy on the uprights you’ll love it. Even berries forThat cursed Lattice work. That’s where it really excels you hit it At an angle back-and-forth. You’ll waste a lot of stain but you’ll get a large chunk of your life back. I sure wouldn’t do it another way again.
Those wagners are pretty easy to take care of to compare your automotive paint gun type. Just twisted open unscrew the air And pull out the air nozzle And wash it in mineral spirits or whatever then or you have and appropriate. These aren’t full of tiny orafices to plug. Big and friendly with no tiny springs and parts. When clean toss it in the box for next time.
The one I have has no fan adjustment which is really no big deal. Just use distance to change things around, it’s not very hard to do. Turn it sideways and move faster for the uprights.
Oh before I forget it does come in handy when you’re painting the top surface of the deck. I use mine in conjunction with the roller. I turn the air cap sideways making sure that the paint tube inside is pointed towards the bottom of the container as it tipped. I go all the way along one section of the board on a sharp angle then Back again along the other side . After doing a few boards like this in a section I hit them with the roller. Works great and saves a lot of backbreaking brushwork on the sides. It is however way too slow for the top so roll it on thick with a 3/4” roller and soak ie well.


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[astroracer]

Brushing is the way to go. The wood is going to soak up the paint while brushing, that is why two coats are required.
Spraying, the stain goes on, essentially, dry. The wood cannot soak it up so you are just spraying the surface, not allowing the wood to soak up the stain. The sprayed surfaces will start losing the stain in a year or so. Ask me how I know...
Mark

 

[jonshonda]

I would think spraying the stain out then back brushing or using a roller after spray would work?

I have a graco Magnum X5 that I like a lot, for big jobs around the house. It moves a ton of paint in a hurry, so you can't lollydag around.

 

[The Cobbler]

roller to apply & then and back brush it would my try

 

[astroracer]

I would think spraying the stain out then back brushing or using a roller after spray would work?

I have a graco Magnum X5 that I like a lot, for big jobs around the house. It moves a ton of paint in a hurry, so you can't lollydag around.

Like Driz said, spraying wastes a lot of stain in overspray. If you are going to "brush it" anyway you are not saving anything by spraying it first, time or material...
Mark

 

[70Mach1]

Thanks. I'll **** it up and keep on brushing.

 

[driz]

I found that if you really want to do it I he hard way don’t use a brush use a roller and brush at the same time. I like the tiny ones not much larger than your finger.
Even when I use the gun I like to have the 3” brush in reach or the other hand using them together. On lattice though I’d never brush again. A little wasted paint is a small price for my sanity.


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[Miss the Pontiacs]

My fence was made of Cedar and sucked up stain like a sponge. Brushing would have taken forever. I even tried a roller but that didn’t work very well. But I do have a compressor and an automotive pot sprayer. Yes I was continually filling the pot but that was much easier than dipping a brush continually. The sprayer to deliver the product and a brush in the other to Work it in.
I had worked at a paint recycle and gathered all the semi transparent stain I could get my hands on. Had about 30 cans lined them up from light to dark. Got a 5 gallon pail started with one can from both ends mixed and continued this way until I had pail full. Once I was down to about 2 gallons I continued the process until I had another full pail to apply.
The colour was about the same from the beginning to the end. If it did change the change of gradual and never noticed.

 

[OKDave]

For staining wood outside, you can use a garden sprayer (hudson sprayer). Make sure and use oil base stain, and not a water base. Start on some panels that are not super important, and figure out the point that it soaks in but does not run everywhere. Spray the rest right up till where it will not soak anymore (but stop just shy). As with all paint, more light coats are better then one heavy.
The cheap garden sprayer will eventually gum up and get to nasty, but at $10 it is a consumable.
Dave