Thread: Paint Guns

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What kind of paint guns are the best for primer i.e. HVLP or Conventional and what size needle/nozzle and does brands make a difference

Thanks

more important is getting the" feel" for whatever piece you decide on. I have only ever used the craftsmen model guns. I know they are not the best but they suit my needs well. I can paint well enough to be comfortable doing my own stuff but wouldn't want to do a friend's car solo. I would definatly stay away from the el cheapo sets

Originally Posted by 1972chevy

What kind of paint guns are the best for primer i.e. HVLP or Conventional and what size needle/nozzle and does brands make a difference

Thanks

Wouldnt that also depend on the state you are living in??HVLP in a proper spray booth in California?or am I reading too much into the environment issues you guys have there??
All I have ever used is cheaper gear,but as tudorkeith says,you get a feel for whatever you choose..2mm nozzle is cool for primer.I use 4mm to spray gelcoat..

I use cheap guns for primer and save the better ones for topcoats. I have had really good luck with the "purple" gravity-feed guns from Harbor Freight. If you forget and the primer gets hard in the gun, you don't feel so bad about losing a $19 gun... I have also sprayed basecoats and clearcoats with these same guns occasionally and had decent results, but if you do a lot of painting a higher quality gun is worth the investment.

I bought six of the "purple" guns on sale once for $9.99 each. Of those six guns, one turned out to be a dud. It leaked paint around the flow rod and sprayed a lopsided pattern. The other five have been good ones...

Most primers will shoot well thru an HVLP with a 1.6 or 1.8 tip... The Hi Build primers that use a catalyst will need a 1.8 or 2.0 tip.

In addition, it will also depend on how often you think you're going to do this. If you're only going to spray your own stuff once, just about anything that works will do. If you think you'll want to keep doing your own spray (assuming the enviro nazis don't get hobbyists banned from buying material), spend the money for hvlp. Anyone who's used a siphon feed gun has swept up a LOT of paint overspray from the floor, not so with an hvlp. They pay for themselves over time by comparison.

I just finished priming and painting the frame and suspension on my new build and used (for the first time) a hvlp gun. I was shocked at how little paint I used to do the job. Almost all of the paint went on the project and very little anywhere else

Check out the Sharpe Finex FX300. I have one with 1.4 tip and love it for all around use. I've used several other guns of lesser and much greater price and always come back to this one. terrific value at around $90.00 most places online.

Lot

One important thing to look for is the recomendations of the pait/primer manufacturer. A gun with 1.5 tip is a good all around size. I used cheap guns for years but wound up treating them that way..so I spent a lot of time sanding because my guns sprayed like crap from being dirty! I bought a Sata KLC-b 8 yrs ago, its was Non-HVLP and has a 1.3 tip since at the time i was using Standox NonStop primer and Optifll sealer, which are thin and spray very smooth. The gun lays out primer like glass! But now I am using PPG K36 which needs a 1-4-1.5 gun. Sata handles it ( with thinner) but after spraying i have to totally tear it down and scrub it to death with a brush to get it clean, also it plugs up very easily in warm weather!) I bought a set of 3 Devilbiss guns from the Cornwell man, one of em is a primer gun, HVLP Finishline with a 1.8 tip, yes the big tip sprays good, but a little TOO good, I have to cut my material back to keep it from looking like undercoat and causing extra blocking time! But for priming large areas or on something requiring a LOT of build( Like what everybody does on here!) it works great. As mentioned above, a Sharpe Finex is a good deal, thats what Im getting next

I'm no big Sata fan for all the reasons you mentioned, NC.... Couple years back Spray Tech (CHR member) talked me into getting an Iwata---I use it strictly for CC and man, do I love it!!!!! It is without a doubt hands down THE BEST gun I have ever shot with.....

And I will also grudginly admit that I still use my old DeVilbiss HVLP for BC.... Like me, it's old and worn out but we seem to work well together!!!!!

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

I'm no big Sata fan for all the reasons you mentioned, NC.... Couple years back Spray Tech (CHR member) talked me into getting an Iwata---I use it strictly for CC and man, do I love it!!!!! It is without a doubt hands down THE BEST gun I have ever shot with.....

And I will also grudginly admit that I still use my old DeVilbiss HVLP for BC.... Like me, it's old and worn out but we seem to work well together!!!!!

i had one of the first devilbiss hvlp guns i have had binks 69.62.7 etc and sharpes775.998.cobalt over the years so i try the hvlp guns devilbiss came out with at the time i was using a JGA and like it .i have had the mbc but the hvlp devibiss that thing would shoot paint out the cup if painting tops roof hood trunk . i use it for a hammer went back to my JGA or my sharpe guns and have a german gravity feed gun OPTIMA for primer great gun . i still have my Sharpes and my JGA if i need to shoot some thing i use one of them not hvlps but i used them every day when i left painting and used a sharpe gravity feed gun when i painted the rims . i think there was a gun called a geo hvlp gun i was look at .they were pricy but i was not buying paint the boss was and he was not buying me guns

You'll have to come over sometime Pat and I'll have ya shoot some clearcoat with that Iwata!!!! Everytime I use it I think I should send Spray Tech a spiff for convincing me to get it!!!!

I use a DeVillbiss Finishline 3 with either a 1.8 or 2.0 nozzle for primers, including 2K, lacquer(seldom use that suff any longer) epoxy and polyester.

My Iwata LPH400 w/1.4 nozzle - it only see's BC or CC. That has to be the best gun I have ever used. I've shot paint with as low as 10 psig for spotting in but usually only use 16-18psig for normal paint. There is virtually no overspray which means you are saving money by not having to use as much paint - and when a quart of DuPont or PPG are in the $150 and up bracket, that can be quite a savings on a big car.

I see that some use the HF 43430 'purple' gun. These are a marginal gun at best with some of them needing as high as 45-50psig to atomize correctly. With inlet pressure that high, the overspray is horrendous - I used one for a while to do some priming - it's amazing how many places no where near the car have permanent gray (epoxy) speckles. But with that said, they can produce a good paint job with the right combination.

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

I'm no big Sata fan for all the reasons you mentioned, NC.... Couple years back Spray Tech (CHR member) talked me into getting an Iwata---I use it strictly for CC and man, do I love it!!!!! It is without a doubt hands down THE BEST gun I have ever shot with.....

And I will also grudginly admit that I still use my old DeVilbiss HVLP for BC.... Like me, it's old and worn out but we seem to work well together!!!!!

I LOVE my Sata guns, but the primer gun is gettin a lil old, and a rebuild kit is more than what I paid for the gun to begin with! I HAve a Jet90 ( Stil my all time fave) for base and I HAD a RP for clear, which was excellent but I wasnt doing any painting and one of our prep guys wanted it real bad....
Last pint job I did was an MG 4 yrs ago, all 3 satas performed excellent and the car still looks awesome
I only used one Iwata, but ti was 16 yrs ago when I first started and it was the "shop gun" and got no love, but everyone was stil spraying with Devilbiss( actually the Mac Tool branded ones!) Siphon fed guns! Ive been exposed to Satas everywhere Ive worked since until the job Im at now, Our painter uses a Sharpe Razor clear gun and swears by it and one of the other body techs does custom work on the side and wil only use an Iwata, dont know which model though! So if i start painting again9 either at work or on my own projects0 I'll definitly be more open-minded about new guns!

Well Dave , thanks for the Kuddos , I think the Iwata'a are the cats meow , have 5 of them and use them all day long for 4-5 years now with no problems .
They are more for production painters , but will make a beginner better then using a cheaper gun .
But if your only going to do a project once and never use it again , I would not invest in a $400 gun .
I have used about every gun on the market and still have most of them gathering dust in my garage .

But an HVLP would be the choice of a gun , is because of the transfer ( more goes on the car instead of in the air ) . But make sure your compressor can handle a paint gun as they suck alot of cfm .

SprayTech