Spray Paintguns OT

[55 Fargo]

Hi all, yesterday I bought a 3 piece paintgun set from Princess Auto, it's a Canadian chain store for discount tools as well as brand name tools, something like Harbour Freight stores.

I bought a 3 pc hvlp spraygun set, you get 2 paint guns, a 1.4 tip, and a 1.7 tip, plus two 1 quart aluminum cups, and a regulator with gauge, all for $55.00 regular $120.00.They only need 7 to 9 cfm at 40 psi to run, well within my compressors reach.

Now I know these guns are cheap, they seem to built half-decently well, and will find out soon how well I can lay out paint with them.

My other paint gun is also a cheapy, it's an HVLP 1.4 finishing gun, but was like $50.00 , it can lay out paint no too bad.

I bought the 2 gun set mostly for the 1.7 tipped gun, I hope I will be able to shoot my thick 2 k urethane high build primer with it.

I was wondering if any of you guys have used the cheap paint guns with success.

I reall would like to buy the Devillbiss, Finishline Paint gun, but it's like $250.00 bucks here in Canada..thanx Fred

[steveplym]

I bought the devilbiss starting line kit from Eastwood. It was a similar set. I've also used the cheap guns as well. They work just as well. In my opinion for primer any gun is fine as you are going to have to sand it anyway. Final finish is where the rubber meets the road.

I did paint my old truck with a $25 gravity feed gun about 10 years ago. Put down a very nice paint job.

This is the kit I purchased. Around $150 from Eastwood. I've heard from other guys you can get them for a bit less.

[Joe Flanagan]

I shot epoxy primer on my car with an ultra-cheapo gun that came with my Campbell Hausfeld compressor. It did a good job but the innards went bad pretty quickly, even though I cleaned it well after each use. I recently bought an inexpensive HVLP gun made by Astro, which I will try to use to finish the epoxy, shoot the high-build, and do both the base coat and clear coat. I can tell you that I used a cheap gun with epoxy with good success. How it will work for the other stuff remains to be seen. Like steveplym says, the final finish is the final test. I'd love to get a DeVilbiss, but they're pricey. Maybe I could justify it if I had six restos lined up, but I don't. Maybe after I retire.

[55 Fargo]

Hi Steve the starting line kit is about $200.00 here, so about the same when you figure in Canadas inflated prices.

I have read the finish line lays down paint really nice, and the starting line not quite as good, but still good. I donn't know if I believe that or not, I think it all depends on the person setting the gun, mixing paint and spraying, so the startingline may be just as good as the finishline.. So i believe you when you say you have good results with a cheaper gun.

I may buy the startingline set if it also goes on sale at my local NAPA.

[steveplym]

Yeah the gun is only about 25% of the paint job. Then you have the quality of paint your using, the quality of your bodywork and primer, and the gun settings as well as the painters technique and control.

Plus if you get a bit of dry spray or orange peel just sand and buff it. I always put a little bit more color on just so I can have a little more to sand off if needed. Mistakes happen as you probably already well know.

[55 Fargo]

I shot epoxy primer on my car with an ultra-cheapo gun that came with my Campbell Hausfeld compressor. It did a good job but the innards went bad pretty quickly, even though I cleaned it well after each use. I recently bought an inexpensive HVLP gun made by Astro, which I will try to use to finish the epoxy, shoot the high-build, and do both the base coat and clear coat. I can tell you that I used a cheap gun with epoxy with good success. How it will work for the other stuff remains to be seen. Like steveplym says, the final finish is the final test. I'd love to get a DeVilbiss, but they're pricey. Maybe I could justify it if I had six restos lined up, but I don't. Maybe after I retire.

Hi Joe, I have a cheapo gravity feed HVLP gun with a 1.4 tip, it shoots enamel, primers, and even tried high build 2 k urethane primer in it, all spray well with the exception of the high build primer, which is too thick for a 1.4 tip.

I always take my sprayguns apart and clean and lube them after everytime I spray something out of them.

I think the cheap guns will work well, the high end expensive guns will no doubt atomize and lay paint out better, but for our once in a while purposes these sprayguns should suffice.

I go to this other website, and the guys buy Iwata, high end Sharpes, and Devilbiss guns, a little rich for my blood, and my occasional use for a spraygun.............Fred

[Merle Coggins]

I always thought Binks guns were the top of the line... and well out of my price range.

I bought a pair of Astro guns as a package deal when I was getting to that part of my truck project. I think they were around $120 for the pair. As I recall one has a 1.9 tip and the other is smaller (1.6 maybe?). I used the 1.9 and sprayed a lot of epoxy and urethane primers. It seems to be OK for the novice like me. I even sprayed some color with it, on the insides of some panels, but my Imron paint was kind of thick. Even at that I got a decent coat.

When I was ready to spray color on the rest of the front end of the truck I switched to the smaller tip gun, and also thinned the Imron with the recommended reducer, at the recommended ratio. Apparently it was still too thick and I couldn't get the paint to flow through the gun well. It ended up spraying dry and giving me an orange peal coat. I wasn't happy, but I didn't have time to redo it. I was in a rush to get 'er on the road. One of these days it'll get redone.

When it came time to spray the bed I used the larger tipped gun that I had used on everything else. I also thinned the paint a bit more. I was quite happy with the results.

I don't think there was anything wrong with the smaller tip gun. I think the industrial Imron was just too heavy for it.

Bottom line... I'm satisfied with the Astro guns.

Merle

[55 Fargo]

Yeah the gun is only about 25% of the paint job. Then you have the quality of paint your using, the quality of your bodywork and primer, and the gun settings as well as the painters technique and control.

Plus if you get a bit of dry spray or orange peel just sand and buff it. I always put a little bit more color on just so I can have a little more to sand off if needed. Mistakes happen as you probably already well know.

Ain't that the truth, I may have my topcoats done by a friends brother, he has a Devillbiss Finishline gun,he is also a very good painter, but a not so very good bodyman.........PS but more than likely I will shoot my own topcoats, my friend kinda said this, oh you don't want to experiment with the car, with the cost of paint and all, and you would have to sand it all off, if it didn't come off right. I figure, I can get it right, that some things could be corrected, and the worse case scenario, sand it down, and re-paint, I am not afraid to do things myself

[55 Fargo]

I bought the devilbiss starting line kit from Eastwood. It was a similar set. I've also used the cheap guns as well. They work just as well. In my opinion for primer any gun is fine as you are going to have to sand it anyway. Final finish is where the rubber meets the road.

I did paint my old truck with a $25 gravity feed gun about 10 years ago. Put down a very nice paint job.

This is the kit I purchased. Around $150 from Eastwood. I've heard from other guys you can get them for a bit less.

Steve, how do the cheaper guns compare with the Startingline Guns?

What are the obvious differences between a cheap gun, and a better quality gun?

The truck you painted with a cheap spraygun, how did the final topcoat finish turn out, was it Enamel, Urethane or BC/CC paint?...Thanx Fred

[55 Fargo]

One other thing baout these cheaper HVLP guns, there operating pressure is 30 to 45 lbs, but the pressure is not reduced to 10 lbs at the cap like the expensive guns, not sure how they are HVLP at 45 psi, conventional guns use 45 to 60 psi.

I phoned the retailer and of course they have no answer.

My other HVLP spraygun has an operating pressure at 15 to 40 psi, and I generally paint at about 30 to 40 psi.

Wonder how they claim this is HVLP, it's supposed to be 10 to 15 psi out of the cap for HVLPs. I do not have a lot of overspray or bounce from this gun, so maybe it's a kinda HVLP.........Fred

[steveplym]

The cheaper gun I used was a conventional gun. Ran at about 45psi and sprayed single stage enamel. Paint laid down great with that gun, but due to being conventional did have to worry about dry spray as the overspray was much more than a HVLP.

I run my HVLP gun at around 20-25psi. It sprays better than my cheaper gun and has much less overspray. Best way to find out how it will spray is to experiment. First time I painted a car I used a siphon feed gun that had a large cup. If you weren't careful when painting a hood, roof, or decklid you could get the bottom of that cup in the paint. Plus you always had paint leftover.

If I were you I'd start priming and experimenting with the guns you have now. You can always find a small piece on your car and paint it with the gun once it is prepped and ready. That will let you know how the gun will work and you won't find out halfway into a paint job. When I paint I try to take as many panels as I can off and paint them seperately. I also try to paint the car in sections, especially if it is a big car. Cuts down on the chance of overspray causing dry spray on fresh painted parts.

[55 Fargo]

The cheaper gun I used was a conventional gun. Ran at about 45psi and sprayed single stage enamel. Paint laid down great with that gun, but due to being conventional did have to worry about dry spray as the overspray was much more than a HVLP.

I run my HVLP gun at around 20-25psi. It sprays better than my cheaper gun and has much less overspray. Best way to find out how it will spray is to experiment. First time I painted a car I used a siphon feed gun that had a large cup. If you weren't careful when painting a hood, roof, or decklid you could get the bottom of that cup in the paint. Plus you always had paint leftover.

If I were you I'd start priming and experimenting with the guns you have now. You can always find a small piece on your car and paint it with the gun once it is prepped and ready. That will let you know how the gun will work and you won't find out halfway into a paint job. When I paint I try to take as many panels as I can off and paint them seperately. I also try to paint the car in sections, especially if it is a big car. Cuts down on the chance of overspray causing dry spray on fresh painted parts.

Hi Steve, thanx for the reply. I have shot a lot of different paints from my one gun, I think the new gun(s), should be similar. I have done a number of test shoots, I can get the paint on pretty decent.

I plan like you suggested to paint sections, doors, hood trunk off car, then shoot the remaining together.

I am using single stage enamel paint with hardener, so hopefully I can pull it off, should be, if notmy Buddy's brother will paint it.........Fred

[Young Ed]

Guys have you had issues with the colors not matching doing it in stages like that? I thought I read somewhere it was better to get everything ready and then do it all at once

[55 Fargo]

Guys have you had issues with the colors not matching doing it in stages like that? I thought I read somewhere it was better to get everything ready and then do it all at once

Yes this can be a concern, with differeing paint lots, mixing etc. A lot of guys do sections however with no problems.

One of our members did his truck in sections, he then put the truck all back together, and shot on a final coat for paint for continuity.

I am not 100% sure which direction I will take, but for sure it will be fun, and hopefully not too hideous..........Fred

[Young Ed]

I have learned for sure to do all panels alike. I have a friend with a 39 dodge truck thats approximately cruiser maroon. His first painter did part of it and then dropped the ball and never worked on the truck. He eventually fired that guy and took the rest of the truck elsewhere. We are pretty sure the one guy used gray primer and the other black because you can tell each piece

[steveplym]

The only problem I ever had with color matching when painting a veh with panels off is on pearl colors and metallic colors. Most solid colors that come out of the same paint can match well. Especially when dealing with single stage enamel.

I've painted 3 cars this way and it is the easiest way to paint an entire car in my opinion and I haven't had any color matching issues. This was using single stage enamel on two of them and basecoat clear on the other one being the Plymouth.

[BobT-47P15]

Every time I see the heading of the post, I want to read it

Spray Penguins......

[Norm's Coupe]

Guys have you had issues with the colors not matching doing it in stages like that? I thought I read somewhere it was better to get everything ready and then do it all at once

Ed,

This car was painted in pieces. Then after painting it was assembled. You can't see any difference when looking at it. Belongs to my brother in law. He did the painting his self.

[Frank Blackstone]

You guys seem to know about painting so I'll ask this question. I am considering doing one of my rides in lacquer because of the ease of spraying and the ability to touch up digs in the future. As I have been told I would need a booth for drying and have to use a hazardous catalyst if I did enamel. I have been told the enamel is un retouchable but I don't know why. Any opinion is welcomed. Frank

[Niel Hoback]

Can you still buy lacquer paint?

[Young Ed]

I believe you can but i think its illegal to spray. You could do a roller type job

[Joe Flanagan]

I think Jim Yergin did his car in lacquer paint. Check with him.

[55 Fargo]

You guys seem to know about painting so I'll ask this question. I am considering doing one of my rides in lacquer because of the ease of spraying and the ability to touch up digs in the future. As I have been told I would need a booth for drying and have to use a hazardous catalyst if I did enamel. I have been told the enamel is un retouchable but I don't know why. Any opinion is welcomed. Frank

Frank, Dupli-color is a Lacquer based paint system I believe, dries fast but is hardly a 10 coat Lacquer paint job that is wetsanded between coats.

Hobbyists can still buy Acrylic Lacquer to the best of my knowledge, it's still used in other industries to some degree.

Acrylic Enamel can be sprayed without hardener, if your worried about ISOs, but use a good respirator and take OSHA ,NIOSH, precautions.

You can use accelerators in Enamel to speed drying, I would use the Hardener however for beeter protection and durabiliy, painting 1 car is not so bad, it's when you are doing several on an ongoing basis, that you would need a special paint booth, and an Air Fed Respirator.

Why can't enamel be touched up? It's not like BC/CC, where you need to clear a whole section if you you need to touch up an area.

The ISOs, in 2 K Urethane can be deadly, and can certainly cause health problems, if you spray with ISO containing materials, all skin should be covered, gloves, head covered, a brand new Charcoal repirator, for 1 use only, a good fit on your mask, air supplied repsirators are the optimum for 2 k urethane use. HVLP spray guns also keep the overspray to a minimum, there is a lot more paint on the car, rather than a cloud in the air.

Epoxy primer, laquer primer surfacer, polyester super build filler primers,acrylic enamel paint without a catalyst, are all ISO free, but the solvents are a super health hazard too, make no mistake about that, why do you think some of these products are being phased out.

Good Luck Frank

Here is the link for 1 lacquer paint supplier http://www.paintforcars.com/acrylic_lacquer_paint.html

[Norm's Coupe]

I believe you can but i think its illegal to spray. You could do a roller type job

I believe it's only illegal for shops to spray lacquer paint. A person using it for a hobby at home can still use it, and spray it, if he can get it.

[BobT-47P15]

To be totally safe, maybe one day we'll be painting our cars with

watercolors like the kids use in school.

Mine was done in acryllic enamel.....it can be touched up if needed.