What if you could cut your finishing time by more than half, and get a super-smooth finish to boot? You can! Stow that brush, and enter the spray age with an HVLP low-overspray system.

If you never tried your hand at spray finishing, it has never been easier, cleaner, or safer - thanks to the high-volume, low-pressure (HVLP) sprayers.

Why spray? You complete more work in less time; benefit from fast-drying finishes that are far less susceptible to nibs from settling dust, such as water-base, lacquer, and shellac; and consistently produce smooth, professional results. And, as your spraying skills improve, you can use techniques like toning and shading (adding color between finish coats) that bring depth and sophistication to your finishes.

You could get those results using a conventional spray gun powered by an air compressor. But they operate at high pressure and create a hazardous fog over-spray. As much as 80 percent of the finish that leaves a conventional spray gun bounces back off your work piece, and winds up on every exposed surface, including the shop floor, walls, shelves, and tools making a big mess and reducing air quality.

HVLP sprayers, on the other hand, use a large column of air at low pressure to break up, or atomize the stream of finish leaving the nozzle into a fine mist. This method greatly reduces finish bounce-back, saving you both money and time cleaning up.

To earn the HVLP designation, a spray gun must transfer at least 65 percent of the finish to the surface, but transfer rates upward of 80 percent are possible. Therefore, if you are committed to going green, HVLP sprayers are more environmentally friendly because of the reduction in material waste and air pollution.