Recommend me an HVLP gun

[Jrboulder]

Ok so I'm stupid enough to paint my car in my garage, but I'm not stupid enough to use an $11 gun from harbor freight.

My compressor is 5hp 125psi

I will be shooting single stage acrylic urethane white and maybe 2k primer

Really this will only be used a couple times at most so I'm not going to spend $500 on a spray gun for a $500 project. $100 or less would be great.

Thanks!

[962porsche]

for HVLP you will need every thing right from you air supply to the gun HVLP so that would be air lines and fittings cuppler every thing of your HVLP will not work as it should .

you can get a ok set up from autobodytoolmart.com in the search window put in # 0382 .
it will have a primer gun and the gun for your top coats along with a mini gun .
the intern that is working here now just bought the kit 3 or 4 weeks ago i was braking his balls about it but it's not all that bad of a kit for the price 139.

you would not want to really spray any top coat over a non hardened under coat so you will really want a primer with a hardener so primers like lacquer primers are out . for your primer you will want a gun with a 1.7 to 1.9 tip .

[armandodiaz]

I purchased the StartingLine Gun Spray System, by DeVilbiss, I believe I paid $200 for 3 guns with a case. I wanted to stick with a name brand and couldn't afford the FinishLine Guns.
Haven't used them yet, but if things go as planned I will break them in, within the next month.

Purchased them @ tcpglobal.

[gjmascoli]

"My compressor is 5hp 125psi"

You really need a lot of CFM for HVLP gun, like 10+ CFM, right? Isn't the CFM and the storage tank size (60 Gal) really critical for painting?

[962porsche]

cubic feet per minute is not so much what the tank size is as the amount of air your air system puts out .

[Jrboulder]

Thanks guys!

I ordered that set 962 suggested.

[T77911S]

i was looking at maybe a little nicer paint gun and a very cheap primer gun, like this one.

Sharpe Finex FX3000 HVLP Paint Gun

i am only doing 2-3 panels on my mercedes and then paint my 88 325is.

any thoughts on "disount body parts" for a hood, fender, bumper cover for a 2000 e320 with 170k miles on it? its still a good car. i dont think i want mercedes parts just because of its age and it may get wrecked again, but i dont want panels that dont fit. the price is very good here too.

[DGriz]

While you can spray with a small compressor (I have) you're not going to get great initial results. I tried, and after a few attempts was told that to shoot with an HVLP gun I needed a compressor capable of producing 9+ SCFM at 45 PSI. Lower than this just did not work.
I did upgrade my compressor to a large vertical tank unit, and my results improved greatly.
That being said, I have a few caveats for you:
1. Some may argue, but a hobbyist value price gun - when properly tuned - will spray nearly as well as a unit costing hundreds. Take the time and waste a little paint in tuning your gun well prior to spraying your car. The results will be worth it.
2. If you want a mirror finish, plan to sand & buff out the paint's imperfections. You'll end up with dust or runs that you'll need to repair. Use a good quality base coat / clear coat system (with compliant primer) and perhaps spray an extra coat or two of clear if this is your first time. Read up on wet sanding & buffing - technique is important. You can do both by hand, but mechanizing if you can is easier. Good luck!

[armandodiaz]

Here's a link to some great how-to videos... (no affiliation, just happen to come across this on the net)

Auto Body and Paint Training Videos

[johndaroza]

Binks 2002 presser pot gun can be bought for $100 on Craigs list. Not HVLP but it is a hell of a gun to shoot paint and it will do all your job with two tips.

Buying one used you may need to get rebuild kit $95 it's worth it!

If you use one of these you'll know why I like them.

The only gun I have seen that is as good is a Sada gun and there $600

[IMR-Merlin]

Make sure to have a water separator if you live in humid climates also.

[Ken911]

Originally Posted by 962porsche

for HVLP you will need every thing right from you air supply to the gun HVLP so that would be air lines and fittings cuppler every thing of your HVLP will not work as it should .

you can get a ok set up from autobodytoolmart.com in the search window put in # 0382 .
it will have a primer gun and the gun for your top coats along with a mini gun .
the intern that is working here now just bought the kit 3 or 4 weeks ago i was braking his balls about it but it's not all that bad of a kit for the price 139.

you would not want to really spray any top coat over a non hardened under coat so you will really want a primer with a hardener so primers like lacquer primers are out . for your primer you will want a gun with a 1.7 to 1.9 tip .

So what would be a step up from this set?

[962porsche]

Originally Posted by Ken911

So what would be a step up from this set?

the set of guns ?
your still dealing with HVLP so you should get a HVLP hose and fittings also for the guns to work 100% as they should . you can get away with some HVLP guns and not having to have the hvlp hosing and fittings but i do not know if this set will work on regular standard hose sizes ??? i only used it on the shops HVLP setup .

[drcoastline]

962 is the man. Take his advice over mine all day long. That being said I recently purchased a 3M accuspray system. I use my 6HP Craftsman 30 gallon compressor. The only thing I purchased that wasn't in the kit was the inline moisture trap from Harbor freight for $1.99. This does have consumables so there is a cost to using the gun.

[Ken911]

Originally Posted by 962porsche

the set of guns ?
your still dealing with HVLP so you should get a HVLP hose and fittings also for the guns to work 100% as they should . you can get away with some HVLP guns and not having to have the hvlp hosing and fittings but i do not know if this set will work on regular standard hose sizes ??? i only used it on the shops HVLP setup .

yes the guns. I know i have also have work to do on the air supply. Since I will be urethane paint do i really need to worry about a dessicant? or should it just be filtered?

[Ken911]

So i have an old truck i was planning on painting. The 930 i was just going to strip and do most of the body work. I was planning on painting the 930 with epoxy primer after stripping and cleaning it well then have someone with actual skills finish it up. Thats why i wanted to get a full set and not just whats needed to prime the 930. Thought I would offer that info so you could understand what I really needed. The pick up needs no body work but a complete respray. remove old paint and surface rust primer, base coat and clear coat

[Dpmulvan]

You also need to research moisture and how to remove it. Biggest mistake I see is people adding a trap right next to the compressor. Compressed air needs to be cooled before you can remove moisture.

[Ken911]

urethane paints use water as a catalyst. So i was thinking water isnt much of an issue unless it's litterally running out of the air hose.

[962porsche]

this is just one of the things moisture in the air supply will or could do to your paint job and it could ruin all your hard work with money spent .


moisture is just EVEL !

this 69 camaro i'm restoring had little bumps covering the hole car you could hardly see them but i had a feeling right off when i 1st looked at it was going to have to be stripped down to bare metal because of moisture in the air supply from the guy who painted it 15 years ago .

sure as hell the minute i started to strip off the finish i had nothing but this to deal with ( see photo) .

one problem with moisture is not just that it will make the finish delaminate later on but the moisture will rust the metal too .
then think about what it does to your air tools !

i'm not a big fan of using the little screw on types of air filters but some people like them and they are better then nothing . they are low cost and they do kind of work . your best bet is to get a wall mount unit that will remove the moisture and all the crap from your air supply . yes they are costly but 300 plus dollars is far better then have to redo your work later on .


another problem with the finish that was on the camaro was who ever did the car didn't use a e-type primer for adhesion between the filler primer and the metal substrate so you can scrape the primer off with your finger nail in many places .

[Ken911]

ok thanks! So is there a little better version of the guns i should consider? i was thinking in the 3 to 500 range price wise but only if the quality backs up the price.