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Help? Paint gun/compressor vs turbin
- Thread starter npowell
- Start date
lluciani
Active Member
Opinion on compressor/gun option
I used a gravity fed HVLP gun from Harbor Freight with automotive paint (PPG Concept). This gun/paint combination works OK if you use the maximum recommended pressure at the tip. I think Concept is a less viscous than the gun was designed for.
If you go with this setup you need to find a way to defy gravity to paint bottom surfaces. Fortunately for me, I did my RV8 while it was under construction so it was no problem putting the wings on a rotisserie (2 saw horses and some large diameter PVC) and raising the back of the fuselage to the garage ceiling.
I had to teach myself to paint. I made mistakes and had to redo most of the empennage. The often told advice that most of the work is preparation is very much true. Even so, I will do it this way in a heartbeat if I ever build another plane. The quality will not win awards at OSH but it isn't too shabby either.
Luis Luciani
RV8, N188LC
I used a gravity fed HVLP gun from Harbor Freight with automotive paint (PPG Concept). This gun/paint combination works OK if you use the maximum recommended pressure at the tip. I think Concept is a less viscous than the gun was designed for.
If you go with this setup you need to find a way to defy gravity to paint bottom surfaces. Fortunately for me, I did my RV8 while it was under construction so it was no problem putting the wings on a rotisserie (2 saw horses and some large diameter PVC) and raising the back of the fuselage to the garage ceiling.
I had to teach myself to paint. I made mistakes and had to redo most of the empennage. The often told advice that most of the work is preparation is very much true. Even so, I will do it this way in a heartbeat if I ever build another plane. The quality will not win awards at OSH but it isn't too shabby either.
Luis Luciani
RV8, N188LC
frankh
Well Known Member
I got great results
from the Harbor freight HVLP guns (both small and large sizes) and my finish was close to perfect..I used an oil free aircompressor and NEW hoses...If you have the slightest speck of oil you'll get fisheyes..Not nice!
Wind the pressure up to 45psi with the trigger pulled.
Practice on an old metal shelf to get the spray pattern and gun speed...it will be surprisingly slow.
mix the paint up a little bit thinner (just a touch) than the directions...I used Valspar polyeurathane.
Frank
from the Harbor freight HVLP guns (both small and large sizes) and my finish was close to perfect..I used an oil free aircompressor and NEW hoses...If you have the slightest speck of oil you'll get fisheyes..Not nice!
Wind the pressure up to 45psi with the trigger pulled.
Practice on an old metal shelf to get the spray pattern and gun speed...it will be surprisingly slow.
mix the paint up a little bit thinner (just a touch) than the directions...I used Valspar polyeurathane.
Frank
N916K
Well Known Member
DeVilbiss Plus
I am just about done painting my plane and I have been using the DeVilbiss Plus gun. It's made for lower capacity compressors and it atomizes great.
http://www.autorefinishdevilbiss.com/products.php?pg=1
I replaced the paint cup with the DeKups system. It's basically a baby bottle for the gun. It allows you to shoot upside down and it makes clean up so much nicer.
http://www.autorefinishdevilbiss.com/products.php?pg=149
I'm sure a good painter could use just about any gun, but for someone like me, the gun made a big difference. I've used a few and this gun is by far the best. Any flaws in my paint are caused by me, not poor equipment.
I am just about done painting my plane and I have been using the DeVilbiss Plus gun. It's made for lower capacity compressors and it atomizes great.
http://www.autorefinishdevilbiss.com/products.php?pg=1
I replaced the paint cup with the DeKups system. It's basically a baby bottle for the gun. It allows you to shoot upside down and it makes clean up so much nicer.
http://www.autorefinishdevilbiss.com/products.php?pg=149
I'm sure a good painter could use just about any gun, but for someone like me, the gun made a big difference. I've used a few and this gun is by far the best. Any flaws in my paint are caused by me, not poor equipment.
frankh
Well Known Member
There three HF guns
One is called a 20oz gravity feed gun for about $14...Even though it looks identical it is NOT and HVLP gun!
It is great for primer though.
Then there is the 20oz HVLP and the touch up HVLP...with about a 3oz capacity. These will cost between 45 and 65 bucks depending if there is a sale going on.
You will need both guns...The small gun is great even for surprisingly large areas such as the canopy and instrument panel.
20oz HVLP is used for the big stuff, wings, tail, fusealage
Frank
One is called a 20oz gravity feed gun for about $14...Even though it looks identical it is NOT and HVLP gun!
It is great for primer though.
Then there is the 20oz HVLP and the touch up HVLP...with about a 3oz capacity. These will cost between 45 and 65 bucks depending if there is a sale going on.
You will need both guns...The small gun is great even for surprisingly large areas such as the canopy and instrument panel.
20oz HVLP is used for the big stuff, wings, tail, fusealage
Frank
jmbrwn
Well Known Member
Thanks Frank...I think I know the one's your referring to.
Is this it?
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=90977
Is this it?
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=90977
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I don't believe that there is any difference in the end result. The turbine produces a high volume of air at an inherently low pressure. The HVLP gun for use with a conventional compressor has a regulator installed on the gun which provides a high volume of air at a low pressure to the gun. Preperation and following the paint system instructions are by far the most important part of a great paint job. You also need to protect your lungs and eyes by using a supplied air respirator.
Paint guns.
I would stay away from HF paint guns to use them for painting top coats. They are ok for primers and interior paint. I have a couple and the quality is poor and so is the painting with them I use mine for painting thinned down high build primers for fiberglass. The one I bought for top coats didn't work very well and the needle wanted to stick all of the time. When I painted my airplane we used a Sata Hi-jet. These are top quality guns and cost about 400-500 bucks. They will last a life time. Devilbiss makes a good gun. You can get an economy gun at the paint shop that are still good and better than HF in the 100 dollar ran. I would recommend the HVLP with the compressor, but make sure you compressor can keep up. I had to use two compressors with the Sata to keep the pressure at the tip up. Spend good money on water removal equipment also. If you want to paint upside down, use the PPS spray system. It used an adapter to screw into your hvlp gun. Then you ahve a solid cup with a liner and cap. You pour the paint into the line, put on the cap and click it onto the gun. It siphons out all of the paint and C/U is easy. Once you buy the system, it's cheap to get the liners. I use it for primer all the time. It's cheaper that using a lot of thinner to clean you cup and lid.
I have not heard much on turbine system. I know of one guy who tried it and did not like it at all. I know of several body shops and they won't touch them. It's probably best to stick with the stuff that all shops support as well as the paint companies.
I would stay away from HF paint guns to use them for painting top coats. They are ok for primers and interior paint. I have a couple and the quality is poor and so is the painting with them I use mine for painting thinned down high build primers for fiberglass. The one I bought for top coats didn't work very well and the needle wanted to stick all of the time. When I painted my airplane we used a Sata Hi-jet. These are top quality guns and cost about 400-500 bucks. They will last a life time. Devilbiss makes a good gun. You can get an economy gun at the paint shop that are still good and better than HF in the 100 dollar ran. I would recommend the HVLP with the compressor, but make sure you compressor can keep up. I had to use two compressors with the Sata to keep the pressure at the tip up. Spend good money on water removal equipment also. If you want to paint upside down, use the PPS spray system. It used an adapter to screw into your hvlp gun. Then you ahve a solid cup with a liner and cap. You pour the paint into the line, put on the cap and click it onto the gun. It siphons out all of the paint and C/U is easy. Once you buy the system, it's cheap to get the liners. I use it for primer all the time. It's cheaper that using a lot of thinner to clean you cup and lid.
I have not heard much on turbine system. I know of one guy who tried it and did not like it at all. I know of several body shops and they won't touch them. It's probably best to stick with the stuff that all shops support as well as the paint companies.
frankh
Well Known Member
HF GUNS ARE GOOD..
Not sure what your problem was but I have guys who've been painting for 20 years who swear the HF guns are the best they have ever owned...The plastic cup is cheesy but thats a mall price to pay for an excellent finish and less that $100 for both guns for a superbfinish is a steal.
Did you wind the pressure up to 45psi?...Much better.
Frank
Not sure what your problem was but I have guys who've been painting for 20 years who swear the HF guns are the best they have ever owned...The plastic cup is cheesy but thats a mall price to pay for an excellent finish and less that $100 for both guns for a superbfinish is a steal.
Did you wind the pressure up to 45psi?...Much better.
Frank
frankh
Well Known Member
YUP
Thats the one you want for the top coats....Remember 45psi when the gun is running...Set the spray pattern properly too.
Frank
Thats the one you want for the top coats....Remember 45psi when the gun is running...Set the spray pattern properly too.
Frank
Since the thread is still active I'm going to take a whack at supplying some information. To qualify under the term HVLP, air flowing through the Aircap must not exceed 10 psi. Generally speaking, HVLP turbine motors produce over 100 CFM at 3 - 8 psi. depending on the model of motor. Compare this to a typical high pressure set-up where 45 - 60 psi at 8 CFM would be the norm. HVLP turbines supply air at a much lower velocity producing a softer, easier to control spray. This allows you to lay the paint on gently and not blast it on. On the other hand HPLV, High Pressure Low Volume, needs high pressure being delivered to a gun that allows you to control the quantity of air passing the nozzle while still being able to produce high velocities. Most turbine type air supply systems are not much more than a squirrel cage fan when you look inside. Small cheaply priced turbines are the beast most people are familiar with mostly because of their price break. Problem is, the smaller units are prone to heating the air being delivered from the fan. Small turbines tend to run hot with most of the heat coming from the motor of the unit. Warmed air heats the material being applied causing flashing of the material being sprayed and can cause misery from problems associated with spraying half set material. I've seen people up the amount of material in order to try to combat this problem but doing so only creates a series of other problems. I suspect that this was the issue with the shop in reference to in another part of this thread. Some shops use a compressor to feed HVLP. Unless the compressor is large, eighty gallons or up being fed by a two stage compressor set to continuous run would be my choice, the air supply will quickly be used up. Using a compressor for obvious reasons also subjects you to water droplets in the air supply line unless a desiccator is used, I prefer a centrifugal type water removal system. Smaller compressors can be used but you're going to run them to death and they may not be able to keep up even at that. Although a compressor can be used I wouldn't do it, even though I have exactly the 80 gallon setup I've described. If I were choosing a system I would choose a turbine as the air supply. I have met several people along the way that have built their own turbines with superior results. Learning how to properly setup an HVLP gun is imperative to getting the most out of your gun and achieving professional looking results. For example, I have witnessed a contrasting color (Red over White) being shot with only a two inch piece of tape being used to mask off with and no visible over spray. How much work did that save?
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Frank, Don't take it personally, your plane looks great. The entire thread seemed to be void of information directed at the question though.
To make things even more clear I'll add this. I have never used an HVLP gun. Over the years I've been around a lot of industrial stuff and have gleaned a lot of information. Personally I have always used the old fashioned high velocity guns. I own three air brushes a pressure pot set up (DeVilbiss knock off that I love) and a couple of gravity fed guns one of which is a LVLP that I'm still trying to learn how to use. Will I ever use a HVLP? Maybe there are a lot of features going for them. As far as the manufacturer of the gun is concerned, Harbor Freight, DeVilbiss or generic Taiwan knock off I'd rather not get my dog in that fight. A guy can get used to anything and in most cases any spray gun gives better results than a paint brush.
To make things even more clear I'll add this. I have never used an HVLP gun. Over the years I've been around a lot of industrial stuff and have gleaned a lot of information. Personally I have always used the old fashioned high velocity guns. I own three air brushes a pressure pot set up (DeVilbiss knock off that I love) and a couple of gravity fed guns one of which is a LVLP that I'm still trying to learn how to use. Will I ever use a HVLP? Maybe there are a lot of features going for them. As far as the manufacturer of the gun is concerned, Harbor Freight, DeVilbiss or generic Taiwan knock off I'd rather not get my dog in that fight. A guy can get used to anything and in most cases any spray gun gives better results than a paint brush.
