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We’ve Taken A Giant Step Towards Making Finishing Easier
First, I want to wish a very happy holiday season from all of us at TheFinishingStore.com, to all of you, our great woodworking family and friends! To our friends old and new, welcome to our new updated and redesigned TheFinishingStore.com website. You’ll see some things are the same: quality products, tips, articles, and specials all in one place. But we have made the site easier to explore, and added features that give you more product details and information, more directly. Each month we open our virtual doors to more and more woodworkers, metal workers, car customizers and scores of other finisher, and now on our user friendly site, you can choose to view products by brand, or category, or best sellers. You can compare items, create an account and even have a wish list (the holidays are coming.) Plus, you’ll be getting first rate tips, in depth information, more videos and ideas.
We are pleased to be a big part of the eve- growing finishing community. Please check back with us often as new articles, products and special offers are posted.
Bill Boxer
Sr. Vice President and COO
Apollo Sprayers International, Inc.
[email protected]
Making the Right Decision on Big Ticket Finishing Items
When you are shopping for a new piece of equipment it is often hard to decide exactly which brand or model to buy. Various brand and models appear to have similar features while some functions are unique to a particular brand. The buyer has to decide which of these features are absolutely essential, which are useful upgrades and which fits their budget. A good way to shop smart is to know all the features you want ahead of time and then find the right machine.
A lot of you out there are considering whether you want to enhance your finishing capabilities by purchasing an HVLP system. There are many factors to consider. Make the right choice and your work will look terrific, and you’ll be able to accomplish more quality work in less time. So here, you need not only to compare features and benefits found on HVLP systems, but also to consider the uses you have for such a system. If you are a hobbyist occasionally spraying stain and finish, you might not need all the features. If you are spraying higher viscosity coatings, or you are in production, many of the features will benefit you. Knowing what you need and how much you can spend helps you find the right equipment. We’ve prepared a useful checklist of features and benefits to help you make an informed choice.
| Feature | Benefit |
| 2, 3, 4 or 5 stage motor | More stages mean more power. More power means greater access to higher viscosity coatings |
| Lightweight Hose | Less operator Fatigue |
| Sure flow lined hose | Enhances airflow by absence of inner ridges |
| Multiple air vents | Cools the motor and increases motor longevity |
| Quick change airfilters and pre-filters | Ensures cleaner unrestricted air all the time. Reduces motor wear |
| Docking station | Holds gun safely for storage or transportation |
| Multiple guns capacity | More powerful machines allow multiple users |
| Precision pressure control system (PPCS) | Displays atomizing pressure that us accurate to 0.10 PSI, controls motor speed, voltage and amperage worldwide. Adjusts automatically for altitude and barometric pressure, assuring precise atomizing pressure anywhere in the world |
| Precision FreeFlo® Filter warning LED | Indicates when a filter is restricted |
| Rugged Steel case | Proper space around the motor, keeps motor cool |
| Marine grade stainless steel gun parts | Longer lasting parts, no chance of interactions with coatings |
| Color coated air caps | Easy to identify for quick changes |
| No “o” rings | Our tolerances are so precise that we don’t need troublesome and frequent changing “o” rings. |
| Lightweight aluminum pressure die cast gun body | Easy on the finishers, balanced for comfort |
A Great New Tool with a Weird Name
This is a great new tool for finishers with an HVLP system. The Blow Off Tool runs from your turbine system and is incredibly useful. You don’t need the compressor. Just quick connect it on to your air hose. The turbine blows clean, warm dry air, free from the oil and water that might be in the air compressor lines. It’s great for blowing off parts when machining or dust during the finishing process A little extra advantage is that you save on electricity by running a turbine instead of your air compressor.
New Entry in the Apollo Power Series: 22% More Power in a 5-Stage
If you want all the power of a Power Series turbine, 5- Stage but without the 1050VR’s LCD read outs and variable speed function, then the NEW Apollo Model 1050 is perfect for you. The 1050 has the same 5-stage motor as the extraordinary 1050VR, the same award-winning Apollo 7500 Spray Gun – the AtomiZer™, and the Handi-Hold® Spray Gun Docking Station to store, hold or transport your spray gun safely.
The 5-Stage Turbine gives you 22% more power. Pair it with the atomizing perfection of the 7500 spray gun and you get easy access to so many different coatings such as: solvent-based materials: enamels, stains, lacquers, polyurethanes, catalyzed finishes, conversion varnishes and linear polyurethanes. The 1050 also delivers superb results with waterborne coatings, latex (emulsion) paint (using Floetrol® or similar flow additive) and specialized materials like faux paints and gelcoat.
So save a bit of money, get all the power and the best HVLP spray gun in the world and spray a perfect finish every time with a NEW Apollo Model 1050.
Finishing by Flexner: 23 Terms Every Finisher Needs to Know
As with any technical field, understanding the terminology of finishing is critical. It’s also critical that we all mean the same thing with the terms we use.
Each month Finishing Expert Bob Flexner provides an array of invaluable tips and tricks. Check out this month’s tips and browse through his library of articles and tips. Click the links below :
How to Drop Some Big Hints for Holiday Gifts!
Here’s a way to guarantee that your family and friends get you something you really want for the holidays: use and share a Wish List at TheFinishingStore.com This is how easy it is to use the new Wish List function on our site. Just create an account which takes a minute at most, and then log in. Go to “add a wish list” and save it. Then add as many products as you would like to see as holiday gifts. Finally, click to share the wish list and it you can send it to anyone you think will be glad to know what gifts you have in mind. It is really simple, really smart. Happy holidays!
Woodworking Clubs – Where Gifted Woodworkers Meet
Whether you are doing woodworking for the joy of doing it, or because it is your profession, it is always beneficial to meet like-minded people to share ideas and enjoy their company. There are hundreds of woodworking clubs with a wide range of programs, from speakers, discussions, sharing ideas and techniques, field trips to visit individuals and shops and a host of other fascinating experiences. Some of the clubs arrange discounts on supplies. Many of the clubs participate in outreach programs such as Habit for Humanity and wooden toy programs for children. To help our readers connect with the clubs in their area, our new website has an up-to-date list of woodworking clubs across the country. You’ll find it under Education at TheFinishingstore.com
So click on the websites of various woodworking clubs. They vary as far as information offered. Many of them post photos of stunning projects. There are ideas and techniques, sometimes classified ads, and much more. Even better, if you are not a club member, you might find one that tempts you to join. We make an effort to keep this list up to date, if you are a member and see that our information could be more complete, please contact us and let us know.
Mike Anderson, our Director of Education, often is the guest at the various woodworking clubs. Mike does a great seminar on finishing and coatings. When Mike visits, he also offers special club prices on Apollo Sprayers and other products. If you are a club member and would like more information about Mike’s program, please contact him at
ma*******@hv**.com
.