HVLP Sprayer

Soo I went out and bought me a fancy HVLP sprayer from HF 44677. Thought I could get started with its and down the line upgrade if needed.

Its probably a stupid question but..... It tells me to clean out the gun after spraying. But if I have a poly going down and its a 2 hr dry b4 sanding and adding another coat am I to clean the gun out each time? I like 3 coats of poly sometimes....

Can the poly Or stain sit in the gun till the job is finished without damage?

Of those who have one, how long have you let the poly/stain sit during a job.??

Mike:

when I use my spraying equipment I empty the cup into a temporary storage container after the coat I am applying is complete. I then pour some solvent (either water, alcohol or « varsol » - based on product used) into the cup and « flush the gun for a few seconds. Wipe out the cup and wait until the next coat is ready to be applied.

I thourougly clean the gun at the end of the day.

I have learned the hard way that leaving products in the cup will lead to replacement of parts - sometimes expensive ones!

Enjoy your new tool,

J

Makes sense.

Thanks for the input. Its a 100.00 sprayer but still like to not destroy it hahahah

I leave non-catalyzed finishes in the gun/cup between coats. I clean the air cap and wipe the nozzle tip clean. I only clean the gun/cup at the end of the day. Never had a problem, including with the purple HF gun which is not even rated for WB products and that's all I spray.

John

John,

I like your approach; easier than what I have been doing. Thanks for sharing.

J

I leave mine in the cup for a day or two until I have a couple coats on each side. But don't leave it in much longer than that

I definitely leave it in the gun until the end of the end of the day cleaning. Sometimes the finish hardens over the nozzle between coats and I just scrap that off with a utility knife. I should also say I spray mostly waterborne, never sprayed oil-based poly.

I'll leave my guns loaded for the length of the job whether that be an hour or a week. I do thoroughly clean the top and air nozzle after every spraying session and regularly during longer sessions. Of course, the rules change for two part finishes.

Many folks will keep a gun charged for multiple coats during the day. I only clean once a day unless I change to a different finishing product. It's a little harder to do with slow drying finishes like oil based varnishes, however, since you can only get a low number of coats in during a single day. If that's what you mean by "poly", keep in mind that spraying oil based finishes can be a "thankless" task because of the large amount of very sticky overspray that results. These finishes are best hand-applied, IMHO. Spraying is ideal for fast drying finishes like water borne products and shellac. (as well as solvent based lacquer, but that shouldn't really be used unless one has a proper spray environment.

My poly is water based. Project will hang on wall and not have a lot of handling so to speak. Ill do the coats today then wash out the cup and do it again tomorrow. Only so many coats in a day lol

Thanks for all he input. Much Appreciated!!!!

ca you please post a review of this sprayer? I am looking for a cost effective sprayer and this seems to be the best bang for the buck. thanks

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jon Steelman

ca you please post a review of this sprayer? I am looking for a cost effective sprayer and this seems to be the best bang for the buck. thanks

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It works "OK". A single stage HVLP turbine so not a lot of umph behind it. If you spray thin coatings like shellac, dyes (although its needle/nozzle choices are a bit large for dyes) or thin the average water-borne product to its maximum allowable level, it will work fine.

With respect to the cleaning between 2-4 hour uses, it really isn't necessary except to use a rag with the appropriate solvent and clean the nozzle and air cap thoroughly. And if you want to speed up cleaning of the cup, think about using the cup liners (HF does sell some and for the most part, they work fine).

A similar rig was sold through Rockler and a few other places (Canadian Tire I think).

It is loud compared to my 4-stage HVLP and I have MUCH more flexibility in the more heavy-duty unit. But for $100, I don't think you can go wrong if you learn to live within its limitations on the viscosity of fluids it can spray. It does come with something similar to a Ford #4 cup so learn to use that an calibrate your results.

I left the poly in all day until I finished up my 3 coats. This is my first sprayer so I do not know a lot about them other than what I have read. But.. I like this unit. get a 20% off and its 95.00 out the door.
Everything was in the kit with no missing parts. Pull it out, pour in your media plug it up and pull the trigger.

Easy to clean. I would buy again.