HVLP?

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Cope

Fusing with fire
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Hey folks. Im looking to buy a spray gun for my shop. We mostly do fab work but we also do rust repair, ect. Right now we dont really paint. It either gets sent out for paint or its rattle can/brush. I would like to start spraying things and need advice on buying a spray gun.

99% of what I spray would be semi gloss epoxy black. Nothing fancy just something I can learn with. I painted a few cars when I was younger and they came out ok so I have some experience but that was a long time ago.

My budget is cheap. Maybe 500 if its really worth it but less is better. I have a large compressor and a nice water removal system. (Desiccant?) can) and a few regulators so I think Im set on that end.

Anything you think I am over looking or should be looking at?

Thank you again for all your time and advice.
 
Gravity gun. Makes any monkey look like a pro, myself included.
If i could see, the clear coat on my Fargo would have turned out way better.
Mine was princess auto,similar to harbour freight.
 
Think about getting a gun you can grow with. Check Eastwood, they have a good range of choices. Once you get started, painting will become more of your workload.
 
I agree with doug. Ive been doing bodywork and paint for almost 20years. Save your money and go get a harbor freight gun. For the money its worth it. Dont spend a bunch on a gun until its necessary or u get better and feel confident. I have a couple thousand in sata and iwata guns. I still use my harbor freight guns for priming and some single stage stuff
 
I bought the Iwata HVLP kit 9276, it comes with a 1.3, 1.5 and 1.8 mm tips. Good for just about every material.
Your work is only as good as the equipment you use.
I learned that years ago when my uncle loaned me his Binks syphon gun after struggling with a cheap Craftsman.
 
.I've been digginng the 3M Accuspray for a while now. I have not used it for clear yet but I think Ill give that a whirl on this old truck where the paint cant be seen. It has multiple tip sizes too and the tips are disposable. I've been spraying Rapture truck liner through the 2.0 tip. You have to use 3M PPS disposable cups with it. Kinda spendy way to go if you are a non production shop. I reclean the tips a few times but it's nice to be able to just toss it in the trash sometimes too. Like when the primer starts kicking in the gun or that nasty bedliner.
 
I am picky about tools. I was once an ironworker and we never bought or used cheap or “Chinese” tools. Our fab shop typically used DeVilbiss guns such as the Starter Line models. They needed to spray a large amount of fab work and do it and be done with it. I was recommend visiting your local auto body supply shop for their advice for your needs.
 
.I've been digginng the 3M Accuspray for a while now. I have not used it for clear yet but I think Ill give that a whirl on this old truck where the paint cant be seen. It has multiple tip sizes too and the tips are disposable. I've been spraying Rapture truck liner through the 2.0 tip. You have to use 3M PPS disposable cups with it. Kinda spendy way to go if you are a non production shop. I reclean the tips a few times but it's nice to be able to just toss it in the trash sometimes too. Like when the primer starts kicking in the gun or that nasty bedliner.
The savings in time and money in cleaning this gun is amazing. I spray the parts with brake clean and toss the disposable paint container which is pennies. I'm not a professional but I think does an amazing spray.
 
The Iwata LPH400-LVB is a really good gun, once your done, you should be able to resell it to recoup some of your money back.
 
I have the Devilbiss Finish line kit. It's a regular gun and a touch up gun. Both lay paint down pretty nice.

Being in Cali, you will probably end up having to spray water based paint at some point. Make sure you get something that's compatible.
 
I think my $12 Harbor Freight gun is awesome! I even went and bought a few more of them so in case I can't get them clean I just throw them away and grab another one... For 200 bucks just by 15 of them and throw it away after you're done painting it's still cheaper than buying rattle cans...
 
Whats the compressor rating for a HVLP gun to do serious work? I see the HF turbine HVLP gun. looks like a Wagner power painter with a vacuum hose on it. Does that even work? Its just that its included turbine compressor would save you some coin if you didn't have a 30 gallon 12CFM compressor. I already have a HF gun and a 20 gallon Craftsman compressor, maybe 6 CFM?
 
Some are rated at 12.4CFM @ 26psi and some rated at 12.4CFM @ 36psi.

Most ratings depend on the manufacture.
 
Whats the compressor rating for a HVLP gun to do serious work? I see the HF turbine HVLP gun. looks like a Wagner power painter with a vacuum hose on it. Does that even work? Its just that its included turbine compressor would save you some coin if you didn't have a 30 gallon 12CFM compressor. I already have a HF gun and a 20 gallon Craftsman compressor, maybe 6 CFM?

Don't buy that Harbor Freight turbine thing. I did, used it just fine for one project, and midway through project 2 it literally caught fire.

HVLP guns want a lot of air. My Devilbiss calls for 12 - 15 cfm. My 5hp Craftsman compressor can't keep up.
 
The reason i bought this gun, or i should say similar to this gun
6BBF7DC9-4F38-4623-B735-4F5517B975B0.png
was reccomended by my buddy the body shop owner. Less airbourne paint. Puts more paint on the work and less in the air.
The painter at the same shop has production guns, but has used the el cheapos too. Dialing in for a perfect pattern, thats where the difference is, and air consumption.
 
Go ahead a be a big spender and buy a $40 gravity gun and screw horrible freight. TCP Global or Summit etc. Get the right size tip for whatever primer, check the tech sheet for what you will spray, probably an epoxy, maybe a 1.8 to 2.0 or so.
 
[QUOTE="flingdingo, post: 1973652674, member: 50259"...
HVLP guns want a lot of air. My Devilbiss calls for 12 - 15 cfm. My 5hp Craftsman compressor can't keep up.[/QUOTE]
exactly.....so just wait for it to catch up?
 
Cope has a shop, I'm sure he has plenty of air..
PXL_20210730_190905843.jpg

Cheap Harbor Freight compressor with cheap Harbor Freight gun and $10 a pint rustoleum from home Depot mixed with 20% acetone...
 
This is sounding better and better. I figured everyone would say "you gotta spend XXXX to get a decent gun and everything else is garbage."

I am glad to hear a cheap gun will suit me just fine.
 
This is sounding better and better. I figured everyone would say "you gotta spend XXXX to get a decent gun and everything else is garbage."

I am glad to hear a cheap gun will suit me just fine.
If you're just priming or painting frames and hard parts a low budget gun will be fine.
When you start shooting metallic you may find different.
 
If you're just priming or painting frames and hard parts a low budget gun will be fine.
When you start shooting metallic you may find different.
I agree if you're going to start painting cars for a living or even paint a car I would probably shoot for something a little better but just doing brackets and core supports and stuff like that that's really not going to get buffed and polished for the most part one of these guns is going to work perfect.
Again I watched a lot of you boob videos and the one I like best was the guy that used the home Depot oil based industrial Rust-Oleum and 20% acetone...
After I used it I swore I was never going to use a rattle can ever again. I mean $10 for a pint of that paint mixed with 20% acetone I'd go through five cases of rattle cans.. the coverage is way way better as well... Now I still do some things with rattle can that I can only get the color in..
But if I would have had to have rattle can that entire bottom of that truck cab it would have been a couple six packs of cans...
 
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