Pros/Cons on Types of Paint Sprayers

[ol trunt]

Steve, I like a guy who will think out of the box! If it was me, I'd give it a try. The gun won't care where the air flow comes from and the numbers you gave pretty much ad up. Give it a try and let us know what you learn.

Many tool rental outfits rent air compressors. That may give you another option. I know for sure that once you get used to using a HVLP you'll never go back to a conventional gun again. Jack

[TAOLIK]

Thank you Doctor Science, I learned a lot of good info from this.

Originally Posted by ol trunt

Hello All. Doctor Science here.

Just a quick note on HVLP spray guns.

1) HV stands for high volume of air through the gun--at least 10CFM to produce a decent paint job.

2) LP stands for low pressure at the spray tip--about 40 PSI max.

3) The HVLP spray pattern (fan or cone) is about 1/2 the size of the old fashion spray guns (think Binks with a #10 nozzle) therefore they are much slower to use. However, they produce nearly twice the application area of the older guns and way less than 1/2 the over spray. BIG savings on paint.

4) Gravity feed HVLP guns are much easier to keep clean than conventional siphon feed guns.

Conventional spray guns rely on high air pressure blasting very tiny droplets onto the surface being painted. The droplets splat our flat against the surface generating many even smaller droplets which are then swept away by the air flow as over spray. Sort of like a cow peeing on a flat rock.The HVLP with its smaller cone and lower pressure uses energy imparted to rather large droplets of paint. Each droplet receives a "spin" as it emerges from the gun so that when it hits the surface it spreads by centrifugal force and produces almost no over spray.

On to spray guns. I have one very high quality HVLP (Accuspray at $600) which I use only on jobs where the value of the vehicle is at least ten times that of the gun. I also have two Harbor Freight guns, one large and one small. I use the large one (20 oz. Professional HVLP Gravity Feed Air Spray Gun ) for finish work not worthy of the Accuspray and the smaller one only for primer and I am sorry to have to admit that both those HF tools are satisfactory.

When it comes to spraying paint, practice makes perfect. To that end, fill whatever gun you plan to use with water and practice spray patterns against a nice sun warmed wall--you will be amazed at what you can learn!

I guess the take away from all this is that you will save several times the cost of a basic HVLP gun with material savings on a project the size of a bus.

Jack

[DoubleO7]

I like to know the paint has been scrubbed into the surface.
Not just misted at and hope it sticks and stays.
That's why I use a paint pad, you can feel the little bristles shoving the paint into the surface.
HooYah !!!

Still good enough for a bus!

[karrlot]

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

I do not quite understand the last part. Some of us (in the Pacific North Wet) are meterologically challenged and don't understand the "sun warmed" part.... Though it only rained here twice last week. Once for four days and then again for three days.

I'll try to explain it to you in terms you'll understand:

Sometimes you are driving around, going your usual 5mph over the speed limit. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, you are blinded. There is a light so bright you fear the end is here and He is calling you home. After a few seconds you realize the light is coming from the pavement. . There is so much light reflecting off of the wet pavement that no one can see. All traffic slows to a crawl. The traffic report calls it a "sunshine slowdown". Luckily that horrible light is gone in a few minutes. Life soon returns to normal and once again you can drive and resume normal outside activities in your plastic coat and boots.

That chaos was caused by a celestial body called the sun. It is actually a very close star.

It's hard to believe, but most people live in a place where they are exposed to the horrible phenomenon practically year around. They get no reprieve from the beautiful grey rain makers. They have to put creams and ointments on there skin. They take their own shade with them. They use hats and umbrellas to hide from the sun.

In addition to causing humans to turn red and brown, the sun has a unique ability to heat things up. So much so that the water on the ground just disappears! Once that happens the objects it lights up actually heat up. Not so much that they will catch fire, but enough so that we refer to them as "sun-warmed".

I hope this helped. Let me know if I can answer any other questions for you.

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by karrlot

I'll try to explain it to you in terms you'll understand:

Sometimes you are driving around, going your usual 5mph over the speed limit. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, you are blinded. There is a light so bright you fear the end is here and He is calling you home. After a few seconds you realize the light is coming from the pavement. . There is so much light reflecting off of the wet pavement that no one can see. All traffic slows to a crawl. The traffic report calls it a "sunshine slowdown". Luckily that horrible light is gone in a few minutes. Life soon returns to normal and once again you can drive and resume normal outside activities in your plastic coat and boots.

That chaos was caused by a celestial body called the sun. It is actually a very close star.

It's hard to believe, but most people live in a place where they are exposed to the horrible phenomenon practically year around. They get no reprieve from the beautiful grey rain makers. They have to put creams and ointments on there skin. They take their own shade with them. They use hats and umbrellas to hide from the sun.

In addition to causing humans to turn red and brown, the sun has a unique ability to heat things up. So much so that the water on the ground just disappears! Once that happens the objects it lights up actually heat up. Not so much that they will catch fire, but enough so that we refer to them as "sun-warmed".

I hope this helped. Let me know if I can answer any other questions for you.

You obviously an person of great wisdom!

Or..... You have lived in Seattle.....

Either way, thanks for sharing that. We all got a good belly laugh

[karrlot]

Actually, it's both!

[ol trunt]

Oh my got! we have yet another doctor science! Never mind the sun, I'll still paint your bus with a mop and for only $5500 plus paint and fines (if any). If you want the paint job to last I can't stress how important the prep is--that and the fact that your new paint job will never be any better than the last one unless you remove all the paint and start over. But then, I'm preaching to the choir! Jack

[Geo Jeff]

I have painted the last two house boats I have had over about 15 years. both rolled with rustoleum. The oldest one still looks sharp and my newest one was 3 years ago this march and it looks brand new still. We rolled them and with that rustoleum you get good coverage self leveling no runs. were not allowed to spray in the marina so we had no choice but to roll. after doing it twice both paint jobs up close look sprayed.
Most people don't realize lowes can take white rustoleum and tint it any color as well. A few years back my dad bought a enclosed trailer for his new Monacao pusher rv. We had lowes color match his rv and we taped off the same design and sprayed it with a normal car paint gun. it looked amazing as well. You need a coat after the last coat that looks good I found for coverage on dark covering colors.
I painted my hovercraft with it as well and it adheres to fiberglass so good and not affected by salt water in any way.

[Dapplecreek]

Originally Posted by Geo Jeff

...You need a coat after the last coat that looks good I found for coverage on dark covering colors....

I just want to make sure I understand you here: You're saying,

"If you have a dark color...
and you cover it with another color...
paint it and you might need more than one coat for it to look good...
and when it DOES look good, give it one more coat."

Is that right?