What spray gun do you use? (1 Viewer)

[Jukelemon]

I am thinking about setting up a paint booth. A crude one but something that will allow me to paint panels. I have heard nothing but excellent comments on the Central Pneumatic 43400 series. Any comments/suggestions? The "booth" will more than likely be in my garage. Anyone do this?

As well, painting tips e.g. nozzle, compressor size. Thanks.

 

[swank60]

If you aren't spraying big, big areas, you could get a gravity feed sprayer (cup on top) - that's what I've got, and though I don't paint that often, it's really nice. You use a lot less air pressure (you're not trying to suck paint up into the needle assembly - gravity does it for you) I think the one I have is a Porter Cable unit - I got it at either Lowes or Home Depot for about $50.

I also chose the gravity feed gun because my compressor is a low volume unit - it's a pain in the butt (when it re-starts, it kicks off the breaker in the house...) so the lower CFM requirment was perfect for me. When you go to buy, consider your CFM requirements vs. your CFM compressor output.

If you've got a Harbor Freight Tools close by (and I'm guessing you do by your mention of Central Pneumatic) you can get a big, upright, high-volume compressors for like, $200. Only drawback is that they reqr' oil & maintenance - and who knows how long they'll last. I'd go cheap on the compressor though, if possible, but I'd spend the bucks on the gun. As long as you can regulate the pressure coming out of the compressor, you're good to go - once you get to the gun though, you're going to want the best you can afford.

 

[Pin_Head]

I have shot a lot with an old "Binks" cup style spray gun, but the new high volume low pressure (HVLP) guns will put more paint on the metal with less overspray. You will want at least a 5 hp, 30 gallon compressor, but you can do with less. You just have to wait for the compressor to catch up, which is annoying. More important is having dry air. Compressed air will have water vapor and it will mess up the finish. Get a 10 foot coil of half inch copper tube, put a compression fitting on each end, put it in your cooler and cover the tube with dry ice. Just using a water liquid trap won't cut it.

Plan on spending about 10-20 times more time on surface prep than spraying.

Be sure to practice a smooth steady motion keeping the gun straight and the same distance from the surface. You can't wave it around like a fairy wand.

 

[Archengine]

Since your so close to my house, you could borrow mine, its a Craftsman Pro unit built by DeVilbiss. Nice gravity feed system, and a lot cheaper than buying your own. Besides, it's a good reason to check out your truck. I won't be using it for atleast a month or so. As for a paint booth, I cleaned my garage, swept the floor, and mopped it, then hung 5 mil plastic sheets all around the area to eliminate the dust issue, cost 5 bucks for the painters sheets. Paint job came out nicely, not superb, but it will get all scratched up anyway.

 

[Jukelemon]

Hey Arch, thank you very much. I have a compressor and the gun that many rave about is on sale at HF for 39.99. Usually it is 69.99. I have seen some pics of work and it is quite impressive. There is really very little to repair on my 40 minus a section of the cowl and a section on the hood. I am going to farm that out I think.

 

[Radd Cruisers]

Sata is regarded as one of the best guns out thier, I like the Binks gun for the fact you can purchase the refillable bag inserts that cut down on cleaning.

Rob

 

[Poser]

Love my Sharpe primer and main guns, not HVLP, and the 2 Quart pressure pot works great for painting out of position...

Good luck!

-Steve

 

[The Dude]

My gun of choice at the moment is a DeVilbiss GFG-517. It is a top feed conventional spray paint gun. I like using the top feeders for the ability to spray one once of paint. With this current gun you can run liners in the aluminum cup or 3M makes a nifty attachment to use plastic cups. I like both set ups. Like most tools, you get what you pay for.

Like others have said, make sure you have clean air. I run filters/water traps at the compressor, at every outlet on the wall, and on my paint gun.

My favorite gun is from Satajet with the digital read out, but they are pricey.

 

[cruiser_guy]

Your painter crapped out on you too!! So did my daughters We were ready to bring it in in a week or so and now we need to either do it ourselves or face a $1200 bill I'd like all the info possible on setting up the garage as a paint booth as well as compressors and spray guns.

Anyone in the Vancouver, B.C. area that could help us out?

 

[Degnol]

I've got a gravity feed gun and a suction feed " touch up" gun for the little, hard-to-reach areas. You will need a filter/water separator, close to where you are using, not close to the compressor. Wet the floor and DO NOT PAINT AT NIGHT. Bugs love light and wet paint. Invest in a good respirator, mine is a 3M, about $35.00. Use a catalyized paint.
I bought mine from an O'Reilly's. $50 including hardner/reducer, DuPont Nason. I went with acrylic enamel, cheap, spot repairable and polishable. Mine spends most of the time in the garage, but you can clearcoat it for UV protection.
GL
Ed

 

[haystax]

On a similar (kinda) note, can a siphon feed gun be hooked up to a pressure pot?

 

[Degnol]

A pressure pot has the air line coming to it and pressurizes the pot, of course, and has two lines leaving it, one paint and one air to atomize the paint. You carry the pot on one hand and the gun with the other. The big advantage is the gun portion will spray in any direction including upside down and you don't have all the bulk of the typical suction gun, or for that matter gravity gun.

 

[pvaman]

OK so i'm getting mentally ready to paint my truck myself...in the garage. I've got a fairly decent Devilbiss suction gun ($120 10years ago). Is this OK...vs these new HVLP guns?

 

[haystax]

Thanks Degnol, so will any pressure feed siphon gun work with a pressure pot? I have the pot but need another gun with bigger tips/needle to handle Zolatone and Durabak. Not sure what to look for on E-Bay and such. thanks. (Sorry for the hijack)

 

[Steve C]

If you use a paint that can be sanded and buffed, you can fix all kinds of problems after the paint cures. I juste painted the back of my fj-80 in my garage using ppg dcc acrylic urethane. The paint went on with a 30 dollar gun. lots of orange peel, etc. the next day I wet sanded with 1500 grit using an rubber erasor as a sanding block. buffed with rubbing compound, and it looks very good.

Make sure you use the right respirator though.

 

[Degnol]

You can spray thick undercoating type stuff with a Schutts gun. Actually you can make one. Go to a bodyshop supply kinda paint store. I sprayed my Dupliclor liner(which IS paintable, BTW) with a Schutts(pronounced Shoots, dunno 'bout my spelling) that I borrowed from a friend. It will "splatter" finish thick crap, kinda like the cottage cheese finish on ceilings. I think they will sell you that gun with the Duplicolor...cheep.
HTH
Ed

 

[cavsfj40]

i like the devilbiss OMX gravity feed gun and the sata. pressure pot is nice, especially if you run a hose that iis long from the pot. you only have to drag around 2 hoses and the one can be an el cheapo vinyl line. As for making a booth, use plastic sheeting stapled across the rafters in your garage. hang sheets on 4 sides also. The static in the plastic actually helps cut down on overspray since it kind of collects on the plastic, plus you can test you patterns on t. My father and i painted our mustang this way when i was younger and there was no dust in it at all. i mean, it was pretty near perfect, and he did his mg this way and it came out great too. USE GOOD PAINT!