Spray gun bargain

[crispy critter]

Re: Spray gun bargain

I must say I bought one also.....works great.

[ROllerton]

Re: Spray gun bargain

Mine came today, its pretty nice. For the price, its pretty darn nice!

Gonna give Tucker some racing stripes with it this weekend!

[mhorowit]

Re: Spray gun bargain

I must say I bought one also.....works great.

Since these things didn't come with any instructions, can anyone point me to instructions on how to set it up and use it? - Mike

[mulwyk]

Re: Spray gun bargain

Mike:

Go to autorefinishdevilbiss.com and click on "Repair Information" . There you can download their "Spray Gun Troubleshooting and Maintenance Guide". Practice spraying on cardboard until you get a nice pattern.

Bob Gustafson

[Acroeric]

Re: Spray gun bargain

I just bought one. . . . . . .

[mhorowit]

Re: Spray gun bargain

I just bought one. . . . . . .

I'm reading what I can find on the Inet about HVLP sprayers.
How will you supply air to yours? - Mike

[41TCraft]

Re: Spray gun bargain

Keep in mind that you will need lots of air for any HVLP set up! Many times the normal air hoses/compressers are just not large enough for HVLP use due to the limit of CFM they can deliver. Even an expensive HVLP will not work with most compressor setups and or 1/4 inch I.D. hoses that will work with a pressure gun.

[mhorowit]

Re: Spray gun bargain

Keep in mind that you will need lots of air for any HVLP set up! Many times the normal air hoses/compressers are just not large enough for HVLP use due to the limit of CFM they can deliver. Even an expensive HVLP will not work with most compressor setups and or 1/4 inch I.D. hoses that will work with a pressure gun.

That must be why I'm seeing mention of turbines and blowers - Mike

[41TCraft]

Re: Spray gun bargain

If you don't have an adequate compressor the turbine based units could be the way to go. If you look at the turbine-based units the air line is large to accommodate the required CFM. I purchased a gravity feed HVLP gun ($200.00) that my local GMC paint guy said he uses. It is a knock-off of the more expensive guns like SATA ....etc.. He uses it for his job as the lead painter for the dealership. I spent lots of time debating the pros and cons of HVLP vs. pressure guns. I did have some experience with pressure guns but was looking to save money on paint due to less over spray, better transfer rate with HVLP. The project was my completed RV6 and I was going to use a PPG base/clear coat system that was going to be about $2000.00 to $3000.00 in paint costs. The gun I bought was a conversion gun. This means that it is an HVLP gun set up for use with a compressor vs. turbine.

To correctly set up an HVLP conversion gun the pros use a calibration tip to adjust the supply so that the pressure out of the gun is in the 6-10 psi range with the air supply being used. If your supply lines are small or long the CFM will not be enough to correctly atomize the paint. What happens is you tend to increase pressure to get a spray that appears to flow correctly. If you were to place the calibration cap back on you would probably find that the tip pressure is now beyond the defined HVLP range max of 10 psi at the tip. You have now just tried to turn you HVLP system into a not so good pressure gun.

Here are the things I found with my research and trial and error.
1. None of my local paint professionals really liked HVLP vs. pressure guns if they started with pressure guns.
2. Most made the change due to local EPA issues and management pressure for lower cost paint jobs (less paint)
3. One used the HVLP for base coat (atomization not as critical on base color) and switched to pressure gun for clear coat
4. I tried for about a week to get the results I wanted with the HVLP gun before I determined the length and I.D. issues of my air system might not be delivering enough CFM to the gun
5. I switched back to pressure gun and was able to get things the way working correctly.

There is a different technique with the HVLP vs. pressure guns. You need to be closer to the surface and move much faster with the HVLP system. I know some guys that have used the HVLP system in our VANS RV Club with good results. Most used a turbine system and had not used a pressure gun before so no different habits to break.
There was an article on the Internet about a paint shop where an EPA rep went into to "convert" them from the traditional pressure system to HVLP. The conclusion was that it took about 2 weeks for professionals to get comfortable with the HVLP system and that the painters beloved the results where satisfactory with HVLP but a good job done with a pressure gun was better than could be achieved with an HVLP.

For me the pressure gun worked better but I amy have not been able to get the system set up correctly. If I were to use an HVLP again I think a system with a turbine would eliminate some of the set-up issues and you would be able to talk to a manufacture rep if you had questions

Paul

[crispy critter]

Re: Spray gun bargain

I have heard all this before from auto body shops.I really like the HVLP guns for big open areas.I DO use mine straight from a 30' 1/4" I.D. hose on a 2 stage compressor and about 8-12 lbs going throught the gun.The trick is to have 2 regulators,one with a water serperator(mounted on the wall about 10-15 feet from the compressor) and a second one attached to the gun.I use about 25-30lbs at the seperator/regulater #1(comming out of the compressor)and 6-12 lbs at the gun depending on what type paint I'm using,temp,humidity,etc. Sometimes it works good at 6lbs,I have only once had to use 12lbs but I later found drugs in my gun.....8 lbs seems to work good in most cases.

[Len Petterson]

Re: Spray gun bargain

The airline thingy is a airfilter. #1. Put in a regular air filter at the conection to the gun, LARGE size, if you have 1/2" line or smaller go to a large size 3/4 or 1". 1 quart in bowl size or larger, not one them what holds 1/2 cup.
2#If you still get water in the line go to a Coascolating Filter after the first one.
And if you have the airline piped in and it comes up the wall and down the other side of the shop, or something like it,
Install a TEE in the end of the line and come of with a horizontal line and when the air filters.
On the vertical end of the TEE put a "increaser" a Coppling for example from 1/2" to 1" or larger and
a 18" to 24" long length of pipe with petcook "Valve" on the bottom for drainage. Drain it regulary as well as your tank at the compresor and you have lot less water in the lines.
High humidety in the air and your paint job get ruined, the air filter are a sheap Insuarance. For the filters go to a Parker Store or a local industrial supplier. Or good hardware store if they know what you talking about.
It work like this:In the compressor the air is heated by the compresion and in the airline it coles of and the coleing causes condensation.
Happy painting = painting without water in the air.

Len Petterson

[Marv]

Re: Spray gun bargain

I bought one to. Its not a HVLP gun. It is a gravity feed paint gun. I have a Devilbiss HVLP gravity feed gun and they have a diffent type of fluid nozzle, and all the HVLP guns I have seen has HVLP on the handle. This paint gun is the same as a Devilvbiss at Lowes for $60.00 . The gun seems to be fine, its just not a HVLP. Marv

[mhorowit]

Re: Spray gun bargain

I bought one to. Its not a HVLP gun. It is a gravity feed paint gun. I have a Devilbiss HVLP gravity feed gun and they have a diffent type of fluid nozzle, and all the HVLP guns I have seen has HVLP on the handle. This paint gun is the same as a Devilvbiss at Lowes for $60.00 . The gun seems to be fine, its just not a HVLP. Marv

Could you describe your set-up from beginning to gun? - Mike

[Marv]

Re: Spray gun bargain

I have a 6 hp. 2 stage air compressor which shuts off at 175 lbs. I have a 1 inch high pressure hose from the air tank to the pipes on the wall . I have the regulator on the wall outlet and a filter. My air hose , which is 1/4 " connects there. On my various paint guns i have a filter where my air hose connects to it. The compressor came from Farm & Fleet several years ago. Marv

[Marv]

Re: Spray gun bargain

I have a 6 hp. 2 stage air compressor which shuts off at 175 lbs. I have a 1 inch high pressure hose from the air tank to the pipes on the wall . I have the regulator on the wall outlet and a filter. My air hose , which is 3/8" connects there. On my various paint guns i have a filter where my air hose connects to it. The compressor came from Farm & Fleet several years ago. Marv

Sorry Mike, my hose is 3/8 not 1/4 and the pipes are 2" black pipe with drains below each connections.