Paint Gun Recommendations

[SLK001]

Somehow I can't imagine the irony of paying $500.00 gallon or more for automotive paint and shooting it with a $25.00 spray gun.. Maybe that's just me... But then again the price of spray gun cleaner may be more than the Harbor Freight gun soon... May have to rethink this...

I would agree if the $25 gun didn't perform perfectly.

Also, when I plan on spray painting, I allot 50% of the time for spraying and 80% of time for gun cleaning.

 

[MikeInOr]

That's a nice looking gun. I like the extra tips and nozzles. I wonder if it is like the HF model where is says that it is a HVLP gun, but then requires ~70 psi to operate.

One tip that I'll offer, is to completely dismantle the entire gun and clean/lube all the parts. My HF gun had "run on" spray from the trigger sticking. A good cleaning and some silicone lube fix its operation.

I am pretty sure I wasn't using that much pressure but I just adjusted the gun to get the spray I wanted and didn't look at the setting on the pressure gauge. I was spraying a Rustoleum marine paint on and exterior door. I wanted the bigger nozzle for the thicker paint.

 

[Larry$]

and some silicone lube fix its operation.

Be really careful about getting silicones anywhere near a painting area. They cause fisheye and are nearly impossible to get rid of. Never use "fisheye preventor" it perpetuates the problem.

 

[Larry$]

the HF model where is says that it is a HVLP gun, but then requires ~70 psi

An oxymoron! (Marketing BS!)

 

[woodchucker]

Be really careful about getting silicones anywhere near a painting area. They cause fisheye and are nearly impossible to get rid of. Never use "fisheye preventor" it perpetuates the problem.

well not really, if you have a fisheye problem it prevents it. But that gun will only work for fish eye preventer..
In refinishing you run into that problem a lot. Pledge has silicone, and many people use it. if you have scratches in the finish it gets into the wood and the only way is to use a fish eye preventer. I mark the gun and it only gets used for that going forward. I hate the fact that I found out too late about that, because I would use Pledge on my motorcycle after a friend recommended it for the tank... He said, it's great leaves no white wax marks... DOH.

 

[Larry$]

All true! but do you want to contaminate your gun, forever? So now you need another gun. Been there done that.
Your hands can carry silicone from one surface to another. A long time ago I had a job to refinish an expensive dining table. Turned out it had been practically soaked in silicone polish and various waxes. It took me a month and many trials to finally over come all the contaminates. Scratches through the finish are a bear. I didn't use fisheye preventor on that job. Total strip with multiple solvents. I'd never do that again.

 

[woodchucker]

All true! but do you want to contaminate your gun, forever?

yep, but I use the HF guns these days. They are way better than my old binks guns at delivering paint. I love the gravity feed. So I mark it for fisheye.
I have guns marked oil based, alcohol based, water based. Just make it easier to not cross contaminate for any reason.
In the old days I had one touch up gun that I used for fish eye killer.

 

[jbltwin1]

Used to use the expensive SATA hvlp guns in the body shop (still have them) and they are wonderful for high metallic BC and clears but painting solids, I use my HF gun. Bought it figuring for the $20 or so it cost me, I'd use it once and throw it away. Sprayed so good I cleaned it out and use it now for a lot of stuff. The only thing I DON'T like about it is the screw on lid. Get crap on it and dry the least little bit and it's a PITA to get off. Prefer the push on lids like SATA uses. Mike