[NotAnArtist]

The best way is to use a big fat tip like a 421 on really low pressure like 500psi and really close to the surface just to squirt paint on the fence then back brush.

517 is what I have.

 

[NotAnArtist]

Spraying stain on shared fences wouldn't be the first place I'd suggest learning to spray exteriors. That stuff can float for quite a while, especially if your technique is lacking. An overexaggerated angle downwards while spraying will help. I'll typically use 100' sheets of 6mil plastic clipped to the opposing sides, sometimes raised up by paint poles bungeed to the fence boards, spring clamps to keep it taught, #30 roof felt on the ground, old crappy carpet runners on top of that to soak up the paint. I don't care for shields when I'm having to also backbrush, since it makes for too much picking stuff up and putting it down, and you're almost always more fixated on the shield positioning than making sure you're spraying exactly where you should. Stain on shields have to be wiped off constantly as well, and the whole thing makes for a messy and slow process IMO. I know some people love shields, and that's pretty much all we used for the 1st 8 years I painted, but rarely do I bust out a shield nowadays.

I'm already a decent interior sprayer. I've always avoided outdoors for obvious reasons, but this job was going at a snails pace. First time outdoors was a very pleasant experience. I contained the overspray and got a good deal done. Today was a little gusty so I brushed a second coat on what I sprayed yesterday which went incredibly fast considering the stain the homeowner wanted me to use is more like paint. 8/10: would do again under the right conditions.

 

[NotAnArtist]

That's why we just squirt paint on to the surface, not using the sprayer to atomize. We called it the never ending bucket.

That's what I did. Low pressure squirting and back brushing.

 

[NotAnArtist]

Great job for a jet roller setup. I bought one for doing walls but tried it on a fence last year on a whim. You can move real quick spraying and back rolling with a 9 inch by yourself. I think that's actually what it was born to do.

I'll have to look into that. Thanks for the tip.