Thread: Low Cost HVLP Paint Gun Advise

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My preference would be the Sharpe Finex Fx2000 Full-Size Conventional Gravity Spray Gun with a 1.4mm Fluid Tip Set-Up, the reason is a 1.4 tip can be used for base coat & clear coat, some of your higher solids clears (euro clears) can be shot with a larger tip like a 1.5, but I prefer and now only use SPI clears and the 1.4 works well, a professional body man I know started using a 1.3 tip as he said it breaks up metallics better making a more uniform coat. I do use a Eastwood cheapy for heavy primer, for standard primer sealer I use my Finex, it doesnt hurt to have different guns for each material sprayed if you want to throw money at something, if the guns cleaned properly you will be ok, using for sealer, base & clears
My cleaning procedure, I learned this in a book,
1. Flush the gun with lacquer thinner first thing and I shoot some through the gun
2. Remove the cup and cover and clean with thinner, I use that term for lacquer thinner NOT Paint thinner. use a brush and run up through the bottom with thinner to clean the threads thats where the paint just now leaked out when you unscrewed it.
3. Remove the large thumb screw holding in the spring that exerts pressure on the needle, set them aside
4. Remove the needle & soak the needle in thinner while still cleaning
5. Remove the cap, soak in thinner while still cleaning
6.Use your wrench and remove the nozzle located behind the cap, soak in thinner wile still cleaning
7. You now have your gun stripped down bare, I take a round brush soaked in thinner run it down where the cup screws in, with a squirt bottle of thinner I squirt thinner through that opening while scrubbing with the brush, then go in through where the nozzle screws on with the brush and thinner and remove any evidence of paint (cant see clear coat!) take the squirt bottle and squirt clean thinner through the top letting it run out through where the nozzle screws on, all this is done over a small bucket where all the soaking parts are located in to save some thinnner.
8. Do not use anything on your nozzles or cap that is metal!! Use toothpicks soaked in thinner, take the nozzle and squirt thinner through it and with the tiniest barrel brush run it inside to loosen any paint, use the squirt bottle and squirt thinner through the back squirting out the front, use a soaked toothpick to go through every hole, install back on gun
9. Do the same, less barrel brush to the cap, scrub with a toothbrush shaped brush and use a soaked toothpick, clean final with squirt bottle of thinner and install
10. take out soaked needle, and wipe with thinner soaked rag, you can lube the needle back far enough with gun lube (I use vaselene) on the area that goes through the packing, do not get this on the tip where fluid flows over, usually back about 3/4" on most guns, it could contaminate your paint if put on towards the tip. install
11. put the thumbscrew on after adding the spring.
12. Install the cup

Setup
Set your regulator on your gun to recommended air pressure (maybe slightly higher, adjusted while pulling the trigger
Then with the air valve at the bottom of the gun screwed all the way in, squeeze the trigger for air and unscrew that valve until the noise doesn't change, you will find the spot where anything more sounds the same, stop there your pressure and volume are now set.
Dont leave to much tension on the needle till spraying, a good rule of thumb on setup is screw the needle thumbwheel all the way in seating it gently and unscrewing 2 1/2 turns as a starting point when spraying.
Adjust accordingly, my secret is so simple, I spray a test pattern at 6" back and 6" wide adjusting the fan (usually top knob)
to get the 6" pattern, the spray should be long a tapered like a cigar, not hourglass or sputtering (ALWAYS do this and correct if the needed) Your fan will be wider as you shoot further back than the 6" but its a safe rule. I then shoot a small panel, I use old metal file dividers they are metal and powder coated, I shoot the panel verticle, just about 10 minutes before I shoot my paint, if it runs wait longer or thinner coats, if it doesnt your good to go, on SPI clear just wait 30 minutes. I would rather run that test panel than my hood, I have almost never have had basecoat run, generally always clear if it happens.

Learn how to cut and buff, Sand with 1000 till flat then 1200 then 1500 and sometimes 2000. On compound I have found Meguiars 105 & 205 t work really well, cheapest walk in price is Harbor freight or offline instead of using literally 150 bucks worth of 3m's or somebody elses 5 compound high dollar process, 105 with wool bonnet, and then a blue foam bonnet with the same (I use oreillys house brand cant afford 3m anymore nor will I) then remove all traces of compound (I use Sprayway glass cleaner, my best secret from the SPI site, works as a degreaser, cleans awesome and smells even better, its aeresol and cheaper than crap) then I switch to another blue bonnet only used with 205 compound and the finish with a black foam bonnet, Ok this works for me and produces a literal mirror shine, no scratches and you can read your newspaper in it, Nothing great is done fast, remember that it takes time.
I have done this all by memory and just hit the high points but if it helps somebody great. I by no means am an expert here, it works for me very well I am sure some do differently but I have read these years ago and continue with great success and enjoy painting, I never feel outclassed at shows with paint at least. Shine can chime in hear anytime I have seen his painting and it looks great. Sorry for being so long winded. Best of luck Matt