Spray gun recommemdations

Glenn Brooks

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Nov 14, 2014
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Hello all,

Iam looking for a low end to medium cost spray gun to paint my old Farmal Cub tractor, some machine tools, AND, ideally do some small paint jobs around the house. For example, I would like to spray paint the front door to get a better finish than brushing can accomplish. House paint, even for trim is fairly thick viscosity. Enamel or poly urethane seems to be a lighter viscosity.

Is there anything sold by Harbor freight that might do a variety of paint jobs, half ways decently?

If not, what other brands do you recommend?

Don't want to spend $500 for a high end airless, but don't mind spending reasonable bucks for something that will do a good job...

Thanks
Glenn
 
Devillbis starting line gun kit great entry level gun.comes 2 guns,cups,tips cleaning brushes,around 150 bucks,I do strictly automotive finishes,but you can spray anything through them might have to thin a little.comes with 1.8mm tip which is used for primer and thicker filler primers should work for house paint.harbor freight is junk,some people say they can get the guns there to work great after they tinker and take them apart and "improve" them but why do that when something very affordable will work out of the box.finishing line gun is even better but not needed unless your painting cars.
 
So I have a few different HF guns, and they do a great job with thin stuff, but not latex, or heavy enamels. They must be thinned.
Now if you want a really great deal on an HVLP setup, consider this. On sale for 299. You would have to change tips.
http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/earlex-hvlp-sprayport-1.aspx
They have them too. Low to no overspray, everything you need and a two stage turbine.
 
My set worked right out of the box. I have sprayed auto paint rust-oleum clear urethane. Now I would not attempt to paint a show care with them put for 39.99 with a coupon. Does every thing I need. Put if the devillbis is in your budget by all means.
 
I used a Princess Auto (Canada's Harbour Frieght) HVLP gun for years. Think it was a pack of 3 for $75. Couldn't complain about them at all. Had to spray some water based varnish so thought I'd treat myself to a mid quality Devilibus. Its beautiful to hold, the fit, finish, an balance is incredible. Not sure it sprays any better but it feels so much better that I probably do a better job. Guess it does have a better pattern when you flair out the spray.
Go HVLP, they use half the paint the old high pressure guns did as its not all used in over spray.
Greg
 
I'll second (or third) the cheap HF gun. I bought one (they even have disposable paint cups for it) and it sprays great. I've used some fairly high dollar spray guns for auto work over the years and didn't expect the results I achieved with the cheap HF. The entire gun was less than a tip for a high price gun. I also have an airless setup, but for enamel on metal you need a HVLP gun. I'd recommend a enamel (farm store or rustolem from the big box store in quart or gallon) and thin it. Multiple 2-3 lighter coats will dry faster and avoid runs. Last finish coat the thickest but be careful and avoid runs that can be hard to avoid with thin paint. Rustoleum and most of the other enamels un-thinned can take forever to dry completely hard especially in cooler weather. It's frustrating when you can still press a thumbnail and dent the paint after weeks. In colder months or in very high humidity it will seem to never get dry/hard. I've tried a number of different thinners. Standard "paint thinner" provides the least "drying" option. Naptha will work well during moderately warm to warmer temps (I'm in Arizona) but in cooler temps Acetone provided better drying and application thinning. I've painted in winter months thinning close to 50% with acetone and had very good results and a long lasting, durable paint job for cheap. Naptha and about a 3-2 ratio (3 parts paint, 2 parts thinner) is what I've found to be the best all around mix for me. There are quite a few web sites that discuss thinning options and proportions. There are also drying and hardener adatives that work well but aren't a necessity unless you have some very specific drying and coating requirements. Good luck!
 
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I have a lot of paint/spraying experience. You will never get one gun that will spray it all. Siphon guns will never spray thick latex paint unless it is heavily thinned, which will compromise its durability. A pressure tank will system will allow spraying paints with heavier viscosities, but will start to get pricy and the cleaning them is a chore. Airless will spray heaver latex if the unit is of sufficient hp., I'd say 1 hp. or larger, and those will get pricy as well. IMHO, spraying is not the way to go with latex house paint, the paint tends to just lay on the surface and not adhere well; the mechanical action of a brush gives a much better bond, by working the paint into the surface. a good method is to apply the paint with a roller or even spray, then brush it out with a good medium stiff paintbrush. If you want a better finish, add a paint conditioner like Flowetrol or even some dish detergent to reduce the brush marks.
 
For shop projects I been using the "El cheapo" HF HVLP gun for almost 20 years now. In the past I've used sharp, Devilibus etc. The inexpensive HF has shot primers, base coats, clear coats and hammer tone paints as well as epoxy self etching primers. I have three new ones on the shelf that have been there for years since my original still works well. Unless your painting automobiles save you money for tooling. For cutting paints, I use what the paint can suggest (lacquer thinner, xylene, minimal spirits etc.). I exclusively use lacquer thiner for gun clean up and always remove the air cap and stow it inside the cup with just enough lacquer thinner to keep it soaking (1-1/2").

For house paint, I brush, roll or use an airless sprayer.
 
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Thanks all for your excellent comments and perspective. My immediate problem, I think, is an unsuitable, new, terrible paint formulation. - Sherwin Williams 'Snap Dry' . So Iam going to fall back to a decent quality alkyd enamel or urethane for the front door and as several have said, go with a second gun for the automotive style paints (with a different paint vendor!) for my tractor and locomotive refinishes.

As a heads up, if you contemplate any paint chores around the house - DONT USE Sherwin Williams Snap Dry for door or Trim! Its claim to fame is it dries in one hour. Which it does. But they don't tell you it produces a horrible finish and each coat dries with a different hue - so you can't get a smooth finish or consistent results if you touch it up. In a moment of weakness, I took the sales person's word that this was the best paint in the store. Then after two attempts to sand off the mess, realized the paint does not flow out to create a smooth finish, and the rapid drying formula means every initial brush stroke becomes frozen in place as the co-polymers link up. Can't be smoothed out, as hitting the wet edge, or brushing over a painted surface turns the finish into something cottage cheese. This is the most horrible looking finish I've ever seen. Also, found the SW web site gives NO instructions or warning for preferred application techniques. (I think what she meant was that this is the most expensive paint in the store $22/quart $67/galeon.) Hence I was,thinking maybe spray it on. Now, just thinking about getting rid of the residue and trying again- with a different product.

Enuf rant. Now I have to go strip the door or try a primer to cover up what's left. I've already sanded it down twice. Life goes on- eventually, I hope.

Glenn
 
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