Paint Gun Recommendations?

Does anyone have any recommendations for a decent quality HVLP gun? My Harbor Frieght model bit the dust, and I have never had very good experience with it (it may very well have been the user). I am thinking < $150 if possible, and it would like something nice enough to shoot both primer (SW P60 - G2) and interior paint (I 'm not dumb enough to try and paint my exterior).

Also, can anyone recomend the proper tip size for primer vs paint? I see 1.3 and 1.4 as being very common.

THanks,
Scott

Vaper Titan 4 piece kit

Our local auto paint chain (Auto Color) carries a 3 gun set made by Vaper that's REALLY popular. I picked a set up for $99 and had great results with it. It comes with two bigger guns and a detail gun.

I was ready to buy a more expensive setup but they said they've heard no complaints from this low cost solution.

I see Northern Tool carries it.

Harbor Freight HVLP

tx_jayhawk said:

Does anyone have any recommendations for a decent quality HVLP gun? My Harbor Freight model bit the dust, and I have never had very good experience with it (it may very well have been the user). Thanks, Scott

Click to expand...

What H-Freight model did you have. HVLP (purple) gun. I have one, not used for a finish coat yet. Got it on sale, but now they are $30. I it's a copy of an expensive German paint gun. Many of the conventional high end suction guns work well (non HVLP). HVLP came about from environmental requirements for commercial operators, not that they give better finishes, I could be wrong. I know a pro painter told me he preferred non HVLP guns and got better results with them, but suppose you get more waste and over-spray, which adds cost, since paint is expensive. (**There are NEWER conventional suction guns that are easier to use and use less air. Check out web site below) You can get top of the line Pro HVLP's for $200-$500 of dollars. Some high end guns need a big compressor and tank, plus air dryer for good results. There are also good pro models that use less air but still need 3.5 HP or more (real 220V motor HP not 110 V Sears HP). ANY PAINT PROS OUT THERE? How are the Harbor Freight HVLP guns ($60-$15)?

High end spray gun web site: http://www.spraygunworld.com/
(sale on a DeVilbiss, 800# should have good info on model to buy)

H-Freight (china made copies):
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=91009
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=91079
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=90977
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=47016

If you are going to paint the whole plane you may consider one of the HVLP systems that has it's own air-supply. They cost around $500-$600.
http://www.axispro.com/
When I get ready to paint I was thinking of buying one. Once done I could sell it. They are sometimes combined with HOBBY AIR for respirator. If spraying you should use a forced air mask to protect yourself from the paint for health reasons.

George

**Reduced Pressure Guns are the newest technologies and are great for people with less air. Reduced Pressure guns utilize less air than HVLP guns, but newer modern technology produces the same transfer efficiency and low overspray of HVLP guns.

The benefit of RP guns are that they have a similar feel of "strong pressure pushing back against you" as tradition conventional guns. They therefore have a lower learning curve over HVLP guns if you are familiar with traditional conventional guns. TP likes Reduced Pressure Guns because they tend to atomize better than HVLP guns while providing the same transfer efficiency and similar over-spray to HVLP guns.

I have the Citation HVLP system. It has the gun, with the turbine for painting and the turbine for fresh air and a half mask and all the hoses. It is a bit pricey at 900 bucks, but it does a great job. So far it's done three planes without a problem. I added tyvex siutes and a tyvex hood and lense protectors. The gun that comes with the system sells for about 400 bucks and has a really nice controllable spray. The fresh air is a must when using polyurethanes and epoxy paints.

Roberta

tx_jayhawk said:

Does anyone have any recommendations for a decent quality HVLP gun? My Harbor Frieght model bit the dust, and I have never had very good experience with it (it may very well have been the user). I am thinking < $150 if possible, and it would like something nice enough to shoot both primer (SW P60 - G2) and interior paint (I 'm not dumb enough to try and paint my exterior).

Also, can anyone recomend the proper tip size for primer vs paint? I see 1.3 and 1.4 as being very common.

THanks,
Scott

Click to expand...

Scott,
Try www.spraygunworld.com they have almost everything, and have some great specials from time to time. I have ordered the new SATA reduced pressure high volume gun on the recomendation of several of my friends that paint professionally. Not cheap though! Check the specials for a quality primer gun.
Rotary10-RV

fwiw
friend of mine is a large dealer for commercial paint shop equipment. sells everything/seen everything. HVLP is overkill and actually harder to paint with for novices. HVLP is for commercial shops to meet EPA.

www.spraygunworld.com is excellent resource. Devilbiss Finishline set is good value/good quality (see below). SATA is the best.

conventional guns are HP (high pressure)...lots of overspray & waste

best setup are the new "RP" (reduced pressure) guns....falls between conventional and HVLP....much easier to use and less expensive than HVLP yet good finish quality and lower waste almost to HVLP levels. also requires less compressor volume i.e. no need to buy a turbine if you have a decent size compressor (get an air dryer!)
--> CFM is the most critical spec when match guns to compressors...PSI at the cap is less important

bottom line...you get what you pay for. BUT there is a limit for the novice/hobby painter, i.e. best guns don't mean best finish b/c technique counts for a lot.

if you plan to shoot 2-stage or metallic paint, spend the $$ for better gun than if you go 1-stage paint. 2-stage (base/clear) is much less forgiving.

my friend recommends using a cheaper gun for primer and heavy stuff (prime/fill) but NOT for finish. buy a better 2nd gun for finish. said best bang for buck for 1-time airplane paint job is prob DeVilbiss 2-gun FinishLine III set around $250...primer gun w/1.8 tip and finish gun w/1.3 tip. Also look for rebuilts from body shop supply. Those guys trade in guns like underwear, although they usually buy the most expensive stuff.

as a general rule: the cheaper the gun, the more time you'll spend sanding/buffing (assuming your painting technique is ok)

pro (cost PER gun)
+$500: SATA (most paint shops; the RollsRoyce of paint guns)
$450: Iwata
$350: Binks
$300: Accuspray

hobby (cost for 2-gun sets)
$250/350: DeVilbiss III
$150: Devilbiss II (also Craftsman)
<$100: HF and other clones.

paints:
DuPont (except Imron) or Sherwin Wms are more forgiving/decent finish quality
--both are excellent for cockpits/interiors

PPG or Sikkens best finish but harder to work with
--PPG better at temp extremes/cold climates
--Sikkens better for hot climates.

me: SW interior; PPG 2-stage exterior; rebuilt RP guns; 5hp shop compressor w/dryers; turbine breather

hope this is helpful

If you're going to be painting the whole plane, shop around and get a good deal on a professional level gun. They DO spray better than most of the knockoffs, parts are readily available, and when you're done you can easily sell it here or on Ebay for close to what you have in it. I had a FinishLine for a while and it was ok. I also had a Binks conventional for a bit, but they both SUCK compared to my SATA. Think of it this way: If you spend $100 on a cheapy you might be disappointed and you're definitely out the money. If you shell out 3 or 4 hundred for a used SATA it'll work perfectly and you'll be able to recover all your bucks when you're done.

Steve Zicree
RV4 finishing

After painting a few ships and a couple of cars in past, I decided to get a good gun for the finish paint (PPG Concept) on my One Design several years ago. The paint shop felt that German Sata was the best, so I went online and found a number of paint supplies sites, primarily for auto painting.

I found a good deal on a Sata RP (referenced earlier) at about $275 which would probably be more now. The RP is good since it is a little higher pressure that the HVLP models (better dispersion of the paint) and is allowed here in Texas.

I think the RP is a fine gun and gave me a more consistent result that the HF and Sears (Devilbiss) models I had used earlier. Obviously good support equipment and good technique are important too.

And besides, after spending $50K or more on the project, the price of a good gun doesn''t seem not out of line...

Link to a pix of my One Design (now in S. Africa):

http://www.dr107.info/graphics/deene1.jpg

Deene.

If find SATA guns way over priced. They don't really spray any better but cost twice as much. For $100's less you can a top of the line Devilbiss or Graco that is damn nice. A good low dollar gun that is very top quality is the Devilbiss JGA. About $170 with the cup. You can spray everything with it from a small part to a 747. They have never let me down. Oh, and rebuild parts are cheap and easy to come by.

http://www.devilbiss.com/if_01_display.asp?prodid=JGA-510&prodname=JGA Manual Spray Gun

These are good also.

http://www.graco.com/Internet/T_PDB.nsf/SearchView/XTSeries

3M spray gun that is made by Graco.

http://products3.3m.com/catalog/us/...us_aad_3_0/command_AbcPageHandler/output_html

If you have the money or just like cool tools the 3M PPS paint cups are the way to go. They let a gravity fed paint gun spray upside down and clean up is a breeze.

That 3M PPS system looks awesome! It would sure make me a lot happier... I hate the cleanup of the gun cup and mixing cups, and I really like the fact you can spray upsidedown with them.

I just primed all my wing ribs this past weekend, during which I used about 5 mixing cups because I had to mix multiple batches of primer (PPG DP48LF). I started cleaning the cups but ended throwing them away, realizing I was cleaning $.50 cups with $.50 worth of lacquer thinner.

For you spray experts out there... I am currently using an HVLP touch-up gun with at 1.0mm tip (for epoxy primer). I have been thinking about picking up a second gun as mine has started developing issues. Is the 1.0mm tip size good, or would a different size (e.g. 1.4mm) be better for my purposes?

I used a 1.0mm in my HVLP gun using Aerothane polyurethane. It was fine for me. If you like to lob on more paint, a 1.2 mm is OK. For the heavier primers, the 1.4 will work well.

JMHO

Roberta

Graco

As mentioned above, used/rebuilt Graco RP guns are also an excellent option.

Sorry, I don't mean to hi-jack this thread, but in my search for a new spray gun, I came across a used Citation HVLP system on eBay. I Thought maybe someone here might be interested.

The listing says it was used to paint only one airplane, but there sure seems to be a lot of overspray for just one plane.

It looks fine for having shot one plane. You should see mine. That's a great rig especially if you can get a deal. It sells for $900.00 new. The top feed cup is one I would have liked.

JMHO

Roberta