Anyone used the new HVLP Turbo paint sprayers?

[MarcDeSoto]

I'm getting to point on my 48 Desoto where I'm going to start shooting some primer.  I took auto body and paint classes back in the 1980s and painted two or three cars with acrylic enamel with a hardener back then.  I decided on maroon for my car and painted the rims and the firewall that color.  I changed my mind on the color choice though, so I'll have to paint them again.  I did all my painting with the conventional high pressure siphon spray guns back then.  I just bought a super cheap HVLP kit for just $90 bucks at Harbor Freight.  It's just for painting fences and maybe I'll try shooting some auto primer with it.  It's just a single stage unit, but this demo on Youtube looks promising.  There are better kits of course for around five or six hundred.  Also I included an old 1988 pic of me in my car showing my painting efforts with the maroon paint.

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

far from new...…..and way far from good.....this was introduced back in the 80's   was ineffective overall then and I suspect it to as much now...our paint shop experimented with it...was rated inferior quickly....they disappeared quickly

[kencombs]

There are some high quality Turbine units now, but are near 500 buck.  I had one of the best back in the 90s.  Apollo 3stage, good gun etc.  But, they all have one near fatal flaw:  they put out heated air.  With most auto quality paints, that causes dry spray issues.  And, they are slow, just not enough paint output to allow you to keep a wet line all the way around a car. 

 

That said, for primer it may be good enough, at least for all but the last coat since most of it is sanded off anyway in the leveling process. 

[MarcDeSoto]

So does that mean it's better to use an HVLP gun with a conventional air compressor?  My air compressor is fairly small with a 29 gal. tank.  It puts out 16.4 CFM at 40 psi and 15.7 CFM at 70 psi.  Would that be good enough for spraying auto primer on my car?  That part about it puts out heated air sounds like a recipe for orange peel.  Marc.

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

read the specs on your compressor, all I have seen come with a rating sheet for the tools they can operated given the PSI and CFM requirement per tools.   a true HVLP is built to only displace 10PSI at nozzle...

Edited July 5, 2019 by Plymouthy Adams

[MarcDeSoto]

Well I think from what Adams and Ken have said, I'll forget about buying a better turbo system and just get a good HVLP gun to use with my air compressor.  I'll just use the turbo cheap kit for spraying the fence, etc.  Thanks, Marc.

[LazyK]

This is what I use  with a 5hp 65 gall tank

The 3M™ Accuspray™ Spray Gun features a black composite* body, 13 scfm (370�5 L/min) air consumption, 1/4” (1/4” BSP) air inlet and 20 psi (1�4 bar) maximum inlet pressure with full trigger pull **� This spray gun is for use with compressed air systems�

https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/1278977O/accuspray-one-spray-gun-system-flyer.pdf

about $200.00 list 

Edited July 5, 2019 by LazyK

[rallyace]

I agree with Plymouthy  In the 80s I designed industrial paint systems. HVLP was fine for surfaces where a high quality finish is not expected.  It was not as effective on intricate pieces. Just as quickly as HVLP came into vogue, industry found that powder offered a lot more options at a much lower overall cost, the primary advantage of powder was that its overspray can be recycled, liquid sprays cannot.

 

[Dave72dt]

Do you intend to spray the final color or just primer?  The reason I ask is unless you intend to spray numerous vehicles or spray on a frequent basis, the cost of a high end gun for a one time deal doesn't make a lot of sense.  Any number of kits are available in the 200 and under range that will give you a  color gun and a primer gun, maybe even a touchup gun.  You can spray primer through a color gun but it goes so much better through a primer gun.  Unless you're a pro or have a trained eye, you probably won't  the notice difference in application between the lower end and higher end guns.

 

 

[Sam Buchanan]

The path to a nice paint job involves water, sandpaper and knowing how to use a good buffer. 

Edited July 7, 2019 by Sam Buchanan

[MarcDeSoto]

I just want a factory type paint job.  All they did was shoot alkyd enamel on it and bake the body in an oven.  I realize I can't do that, so I just want to get as close to that type finish as possible with acrylic enamel and hardener.  

 

[Frank Elder]

Maaco offers an enamel paint package and throws it in heated room when they are done..........

[Dave72dt]

I sprayed the color on a 48 Dodge 12-13 years ago in an acrylic enamel w/gloss hardener in the owner's shed.  Bodywork was real rough and owner was tired of sanding and beating out dents, just wanted it in color.  After the closing the estate, it's back out and still shiny so you don't necessarily need to bake it to make it look good.  This time of year almost any shed or garage will get hot enough to imitate booth heat.

[Frank Elder]

Could you imagine shed painting a car in hours before daylight in say the Arizona desert in mid july......then leaving it to bake for a week or two in 100 plus.....I'd like to see that myself.

[Plymouthy Adams]

1 hour ago, Frank Elder said:

Could you imagine shed painting a car in hours before daylight in say the Arizona desert in mid july......then leaving it to bake for a week or two in 100 plus.....I'd like to see that myself.

 

Hey Frank...be the dream...time to move and experience this for yourself.....

[Frank Elder]

I had that dream in Yuma and ElCentro painting Imron on A-7 attack planes and trainers....we painted at night [70-80]so the paint didn't turn to powder before it hit the aircraft during the 110 degree days of summer.....lol, a little exaggeration!

No paint booths in those days, just a big curtain on rails to section that end of the hangar off.

 

[Oswardteam48]

HVLP are superb.  I recently purchased Tacklife SGP15AC Hand Held Electric Spray Gun,Got suggestion of it from this guide. It works well for me.

This spray gun has three different spray nozzles for making various spray patterns and designs. This feature makes the Tacklife eligible for home appliances, wooden items, car parts, and many more professional chores.

The spray coatings have no brush mark on them and hence provide smooth finishing. It also has a 5.9-feet long hose for working from a long distance. 

I am woodworker and i have a car also. So it works like champ for both. 

There are plenty of things that come with this device, such as a cleaning needle, three spray nozzles (2.5 mm/2 mm/3 mm), canister, cleaning brush, user manual, etc

That's my view on it.
 

[Adam H P15 D30]

Ironically the $15.00 purple gun from Harbor Freight sprays as well as most high end HVLP guns.  Toss it when you're done.

Some panel doors I sprayed with the HF gun, outside too.  That's rustoleum paint also....

 

EDIT:  I just saw this is an old post....  Oh well, I fall for it sometimes too.

Edited September 29, 2020 by Adam H P15 D30