Spray Finishing Made Simple (by Jeff Jewitt) – Book Review
- Title: Spray Finishing Made Simple
- Author: Jeff Jewitt
- Publication Date: 2010
- Cost: $18.15 (at time of review) from Amazon.com.
- Overall: (4.0 of 5.0) Good. The book provides an overview of spraying a variety of finishes with both compressed air and turbine HVLP equipment.
- Link To Amazon: Spray Finishing Made Simple: A Book and Step-by-Step Companion DVD
Overall
I have two years experience spraying with HVLP gear and I own three setups (Graco, Fuji and Devilbiss). The first two are turbine systems and the second is compressed air. For individuals with no previous experience in the painting world the initial learning curve can be VERY steep. This book is a fantastic primer and overview to spraying some of the more common finishes using both compressed air and turbine based HVLP guns. The book is a little light on some of the newer finishes and only briefly touches on Cab Acrylic and Pre-Catalyzed Lacquer since they are commercial finishes and are harder to find.
Even though I’ve been spraying for a couple of years now I learned quite a bit from Jeff. This book is best suited for someone new to the world of spray equipment and techniques. Please note the book does not cover airless sprayers, the type of spray system that you would use for spraying large amounts of latex paint.
Things I liked:
- The companion DVD. There is nothing like watching someone do something to truly understand how it should be done. This is a fantastic resource. I watched the DVD first, and then I read the book. Not a recommendation but it worked for me.
- Spray Booth. This book provides you a plan to build your own spray booth and discusses spray booths for flammable finishes too.
- Overview of Equipment & Setup. This is all covered in chapters 2 through 5. The learning curve is very steep for novices but chapters 2, 3, 4 & 5 will get you 80% of the way there.
- Specialty Finishes (Toning & Sprayable Wiping & No Wipe Stains). I wish this section was a bit more detailed. I have been struggling with specialty finishes however this book gave me some new ideas on how to approach them.
Thing I didn’t like:
- Commercial Finish Overview. I understand that commercial flammable finishes like Pre-Catalyzed Lacquer and Cab-Acrylic are tough to find unless you happen to be close to a Sherwin-Williams Commercial paint store. I wish Jeff had spent a bit more time helping the user understand what’s out there. He does provide some brief explanations of lacquers but this section is not detailed enough.
It is a great book. You should enjoy reading it and referencing it. Happy spraying and let me know if you have any questions.