What paint gun?

[Guest]

I've done the prep work on the tank and body parts and thinking of doing the top coat and the clear coat now. Have the decals/transfers as well.

I'm tossing the idea of buying a paint gun to get a nicer finish.

I'm wondering what sort of paint gun to buy. I'm not likely to use it very often but also want to stay away from poor quality products.

I've found what is called a "touch up" gun with 200ml can and 1.4mm nozzle, work pressure 45psi (not sure what this is in US measurements). Would that be suitable you think? I'd like to use a two-pack clear for a durable finish.

Any tips most appreciated.

 

[Guest]

 

[posplayr]

Well Ed will be along soon to offer an alternate opinion (he does use a touch up gun though), but I have been using this particular model from HF. I have 4 of them so I can cyle through if one starts to spurt. Proper cleaning is essential.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92126

I think the specs are virtually what you quoted. I also mounted a quick release coupler and a guage at the end of the hose and no more pressure issues.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=36797

Results here.

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=151859

P.S. one little tip I use is to wrap 2 flat rubber bands over the top of the cap (including the vent hole) so the top doesnt come off or drip out.

 

[Guest]

is the clear coat on those pics a two-part mix?

yeah, the gun is on the budget side and i'd be paying probably twice as much for the comparable product here... it doesnt specify the size of the nozzle though

 

[Ogri]

If you want the best, SATA.
If you want a good gun for little money, DeVilbiss Finishline.

 

[posplayr]

If you want the best, SATA.
If you want a good gun for little money, DeVilbiss Finishline.

I have one, but not a big enough compressor

 

[madjack57754]

Buy the best gun you can afford. Next to good prep, I consider the quality of the gun to be most important. You will not be sorry you spent extra on a higher end gun, but you will be sorry if you cheap out and don't like the results. Binks, DeVillbiss, Sata, 3M/Grecco are all good equipment. Eastwood sells gun kits for the home shop. Don't forget the local pawn shop for decent equipment.

 

[Hitman Customs]

I use an Iwata LPH 400 but its a $450 gun. It also lays clear out like glass. Its important to have a nice gun for clear so it flows out correctly without running or an orange peel effect. Think of it this way, if you mess up the clear, you will have to do it all over from scratch!...not fun.
All I can say, buy a nice gun and practice! You will thank yourself in the end. Hope this helps.
I also have DeVilbiss guns, for the money, they are nice too.

 

[Guest]

thanks guys

i've browsed those brands and i see that some guns are listed as suitable for automotive clearcoat and some don't specify this.
could someone explain me the difference or tell me what the minimum requirement is for a gun to handle the two-stage clearcoat?

 

[Nessism]

thanks guys

i've browsed those brands and i see that some guns are listed as suitable for automotive clearcoat and some don't specify this.
could someone explain me the difference or tell me what the minimum requirement is for a gun to handle the two-stage clearcoat?

Two stage clear coat tends to be thick so you need a tip large enough to spray it - at least 1.0 for a touch up gun. Primers tend to be thick too so again, at least 1.0 for a small gun since the fan pattern is not so wide. Pros never use the same gun for primer and clear so if you get one of those budget guns, get two.:evil:

I have both a Sata Mini jet and a DeVilbiss suction feed spray gun and both work great. The gravity feed guns are nice since they waste less paint but I love that DeVilbiss gun too. I've never messed around with the super budget guns but I've heard lots of good things about the Astro brand of knock-off spray guns - they make a nice Sata copy that is reputed to work very nicely.

 

[srsupertrap]

Touch Up Gun Tip sizes

Touch Up Gun Tip sizes

Due to the internal workings of mini guns you have to convert the full size tip set into a minigun tip set. Meaning Miniguns operate with smaller tip sizes. i.e. if the paint manufacturer recommend as 1.4 HVLP gravity gun - I convert that into a 1.0 Mini gun and it will work properly. Primers often uses 1.7 to 1.8 HVLP which require a Mini tip size in the range of 1.4 to 1.5​

 

[ukilme]

I have used the Campbell Hausfeld spray gun-you can get at Home Depot. And it lays clear nicely to the point I could get away with not cutting or polishing.

I also have used a Porter Cable mini gun to spray the color coats.

Hands down the more expensive guns will be better but if you just doing a daily driver and the odd jobs. Then the cheaper guns does not do a bad job.

Whatever gun you get, practice shooting with it on scrap pieces of metal or a junked tank

Here is a bike I did with the mentioned guns:

Here is a helmet:

This helmet was cleared with Nason 476 and was not cut or polished. The clear was shot with the CH gun with a 1.4 tip which to some people is to large. But I like it verse a 1.2 tip. If you are getting just one gun to shoot everything then make sure to get lacquer thinner to clean the gun thoroughly between the base coat and clear.

 

[posplayr]

This is not the one I used, but the easy of use is one of the main benefits.

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/techinfo/HVLPspraygun.html

 

[rustybronco]

yeah, the gun is on the budget side and i'd be paying probably twice as much for the comparable product here... it doesnt specify the size of the nozzle though

Psyguy,

you haven't listed your air compressor spec's are and that "may" limit the gun choices that you will be able to use.

you "can" use a compressor that is a little to small in comparison to a guns air requirements. you just have to spray a bit, let the compressor recover it's pressure and continue on with your spraying. using a gun with an air requirement that's to big for the compressors output, may not be a problem with the small parts normally found on a motorcycle. but if you have plans for a bigger painting project in the future, that will be a problem. so be very careful when you select your guns, keeping in mind the size of the air compressor at hand.

based on my experience, I would recommend a tip size selection of 1.3-1.4mm for most home users.

I'll give my opinion on a low air requirement gun, that "should be" of good quality and a relatively low price in a few moments.

this one>>>> http://www.astrotools.com/viewprod.asp?id=173

or this mini gun>>>>> http://www.spraygunworld.com/products/Astro/Astro Pneumatic - AP4020.htm P/n 4020-1 (1.0mm tip) P/n 4020-12 (1.2 mm tip)

 

[Guest]

thanks guys for your input

good point about the compressor! i think i'll either hire one or buy second hand but make sure it's at least strong enough for the gun i'm going to get if not stronger.

with regards to guns, it seems that cheaper guns don't necesarily differ from the more expensive ones in specs, so i assume the difference would be mainly in the quality of the parts?

i'm thinking of buying a gun in the range of $100 or so and practice on some junk bits first before i decide to give it a go on the bike parts

any further tips welcome

 

[Suzuki_Don]

PSYGUY,

I am watching this link closely. I need to paint my tank, ducktail and sidecovers. All the info from the guys on spray guns, compressors is very helpful. I will try out my technique on the sidecovers as they are a bit rough and have hand painted badges on them (not by me).

I am waiting to see if there is any tips to be given on paint selection, preparation between coats and adding hardener and other stuff to the paint. Also mixing of paint would be useful to know about as well.

Anyway just watching and waiting.

 

[Nessism]

Psyguy,

or this mini gun>>>>> http://www.spraygunworld.com/products/Astro/Astro Pneumatic - AP4020.htm P/n 4020-1 (1.0mm tip) P/n 4020-12 (1.2 mm tip)

That's the one I'd get if you are on a budget.

 

[rustybronco]

with regards to guns, it seems that cheaper guns don't necesarily differ from the more expensive ones in specs, so i assume the difference would be mainly in the quality of the parts?

any further tips welcome

Psyguy,

They differ greatly in the design and in the machining of the parts.

most "good" knock-offs are just that, ripped off copies of proven designs. spray guns are just another example of you get what you pay for. that's not to say you can't find a good spraying, low buck knock-off, but you will have to wade through all the so-so imitations. it's not an easy thing to do.

put a knock off in the hands of a "good" painter (I didn't say professional) and they will get the most out of it. put a good gun in a amatuers hand and they might be scraping paint off the floor.

all-righty then, on to the main point, tips...

the first thing you need to find out is, what materials are available to you. then find out what tip size the paint supplier recommends to use with those materials. next, see what size compressor you can lay your hands on. then and only then, begin dissecting what gun will fit your requirements.

and, as it was stated before... practice-practice-practice.

http://autobody101.com/download.php

***edit***
the gun I use is an Astro EVO-4014. It doesn't hammer paint on, but it sprays nicely. I have heard they changed the tip design on the EVO series, so I don't know if the newer ones spray as well.

 

[Macguyver]

Guns, lots of guns.

Guns, lots of guns.

How convenient, I just got back from a paint training course that touched on sprayguns quite a bit.

IMO, the Devilbiss Finishline is a much better gun than it should be for the money. It comes standard with either a 1.2 or a 1.4 tip depending on the package you buy. Either will do the job of spraying primer or topcoat.
This is the gun I would buy (if I had to buy my spray guns, that is.).
Most painters use it for a primer gun with the 1.4 tip, but it is a very easy gun to use/clean, and gives great results with a little practice.

STAY AWAY FROM THE DEVILBISS PLUS GUNS! They are terrible build quality, poor quality control, and have serious corrosion issues when using with waterborne paint.

BTW after June 18th this year, suppliers will not be able to purchase non-compliant solvent borne materials anymore. They will be able to sell off remaining stock until Dec. 18th 2010, so if you do paint a fair bit and have a favorite solvent borne product, check with your supplier to see if it is V.O.C. compliant.

If it is not, it may be worthwhile to stock up between June and the end of the year, at the very least, check stock of your favorite solvent borne product with your supplier, and maybe reserve some for yourself.

Otherwise, get ready for low-V.O.C. compliant solvent borne, and water borne paint, primers, and clearcoat. I sprayed a fair bit of the new PPG stuff in the last couple of days, and the new "one visit" clear is amazing! EC700 is the stock number for it. Two coats is all that it needs. One medium coat with a 25% overlap, then immediately recoat with a medium-heavy coat, 25% overlap, to make it look how you want it to look when cured. Done. Super easy, polishes beautifully, amazing results.

I also would stay away from knock-off guns since the fan of the spray is almost always non-symetrical, so when you are spraying it is easy to put runs (or flow-indicators) on the paint job because the material is not being applied evenly.

The SATA line of guns are all excellent guns, debatably the best in the market right now. Pricey, and high quality. Stainless internals so it is waterborne ready right out of the box. If I had too much money to spend, I would have a SATA, or a Tekna, which are the main competitor to SATA, but at only 2/3 to half the price of the SATA.

The only reason most pros use two different guns for spraying primer and paint is the tip size. I use a 1.4 tip for primer, and a 1.2 for basecoat/clearcoat with a different air cap. I could use the 1.4 for clear, but I would rather put on a little bit less than a little bit too much in one pass. Just means you need to slow down a bit when doing the pass.

Even if you do get runs in your clearcoat, just wet-sand them out with 800 or 1000 grit, polish, and you are done.

Make sure your compressor is up to snuff, and you are using high-flow couplers. 98% of paint match and application problems are caused by inadequate air equipment. If your compressor is not able to keep up to the gun, then go buy a few $20 portable "air pig" tanks used to fill up flat tires, and daisy chain them together after the compressor, and before you spray gun to buffer the drop in PSI caused by heavy drops in pressure. Should be enough volume, even with a smaller compressor, to get a consistent coat of paint. Just make sure you let the pressure in the tanks get all the way back up between coats.

Hope this helps,

 

[rustybronco]

I also would stay away from knock-off guns since the fan of the spray is almost always non-symetrical, so when you are spraying it is easy to put runs (or flow-indicators) on the paint job because the material is not being applied evenly.

Hope this helps,

Normally I would agree with you, but there are a few good knock-offs out there that spray well enough for your average back yard painter. http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showpost.php?p=536187&postcount=1