Recommendations wanted on what spray gun

[Mark Gibney]

I have a Goldenstar spray gun (conventional, with the hoses from the separate container for the lacquer) with a 1.4 tip.

I'm thinking of getting a gravity fed gun, and one that has different tip sizes - I'd like to spray dye in alcohol, for instance, and as far as I know I can control the spray better with a tighter tip. I do not have a lot of experience, so while a pro can probably do good work with any tip, that's definitely not me.

What brands do you recommend I look into?

Second question - does each manufacturer make proprietary threaded tips for their guns, or is it possible that I can buy "after market" tips for the Goldenstar gun I have?

thanks for any advice you have, Mark

[John TenEyck]

I think the gun you have now is a pressure feed gun. Going to a gravity feed will waste less finish and make clean up easier, but you will need to use a larger N/N compared to a pressure feed gun for any given finish. Getting a gun with a range of N/N is a smart move as it will allow you to spray a greater range of products. On the other hand. You could just buy a few low cost guns, each with a different N/N, and cover the range of products you want to spray that way. There's no right or wrong way to go about it. I've never used a really high end gun, so maybe I'm missing something, but I've never had trouble getting really good results from a low cost gun, and I mean HF level low cost. I'm sure high end guns use better materials and will spray longer before needing a rebuild, but unless you are a pro earning your living with one they are overkill IMO for a hobbiest.

Anyway, I would look at Qualspray http://homesteadfinishingproducts.co...ray-hvlp-guns/ and DeVilbiss FinishLine guns https://www.autorefinishdevilbiss.co...spray-gun.aspx Both brands are mid level and perform very well with most woodworking related finishes.

Second question: I don't think N/N sets are interchangeable from one manufacture to another, but I could be wrong.


John

[Tom M King]

The gun I end up reaching for, more than the others, is the 3M gun with the interchangeable/disposable plastic tips, and was made for the 3M PPS system. The "tips" come in boxes of several for about six bucks each. Cleanup takes almost no solvent, if using solvent based finish. The tips are easy to clean, but if you toss the six bucks for some use, all you have to do is wipe off the end of the needle.

Some turn their noses up at it because of the plastic body, and plastic nozzles, but it really can do a good job.

For a small gun, I really like the Iwata LPH80.

[Mark Gibney]

John, Tom - thanks.
A friend was telling me today how much he likes the HF guns.

Thanks again.

[Kevin Jenness]

C.A. Technologies makes some nice guns. I recently got this kit https://www.airspraytech.com/H2O_CPR...-cpr-g-pps.htm and it is a step up from my Qualspray LVLP gun in terms of atomization and fan control.

[Wayne Lomman]

Low cost guns are generally OK. They mostly cut costs by using cheaper materials and knocking off a proven design. My home shop gun is a direct Iwata copy but the fluid tip metal is so soft the spanner flats are close to had it. It doesn't matter because I don't use anything abrasive through it.

As an opposite example the shop guns are Graco Airpro. They are expensive but they have to withstand constant use, abrasive pigments and high solids (85%) coatings. They have readily available spare parts for when they need a rebuild.

Most guns are uniquely designed and machined unless you get a knock off like mine. Iwata parts fit - I raided parts in an emergency once - but why put in a part that costs more than another cheapy? Best to get either a series of guns with different size tips or a gun that has the range included as a kit. I never bother with different tips and still get excellent results but if different tip sizes help, by all means get them. Cheers

[Jim Becker]

I recently bought the Qualspray gun setup that John mentioned to up my game from my aged budget HPLV conversion guns. It's a good setup that will handle almost anything that one might want to use in a normal shop situation.

[Mark Gibney]

The Qualspray look very nice, looking online.
There's a place a few miles away that sells the DeVilbiss so I'll go by there today and check them out - it's nice to be able to put your hand on a tool before you buy it.

[John TenEyck]

Yes, the HF purple gun with a 1.4 mm N/N sprays dyes and other low viscosity stuff amazingly well. On sale for $10 it is a true bargain.

If you are lazy, the 3M Accuspray guns Tom mentioned are a great option. Even if you aren't lazy, actually. They spray amazingly well.

John

[Jim Tabor]

I bought a Fuji Mini-Mite 5 with a T75G gravity cup this past December. It's taken about four months to start to feel comfortable with it and learn the proper adjustments with different brands of material. A couple of problems I had was it comes with a nylon 600cc gravity cup without a lid gasket, plus I bought a spare, and both leaked around the lid. Fuji replaced them with the aluminum 600cc cup that is made with a gasket and so that took care of that problem. The other problem was my stupidity. The spare came from the factory with the pressure hose check valve installed backwards. That caused problems for about a week. Other than that it's a good system. I recommend Mike Smith of HVLPTEK.com if you need more info.

[Dave Cav]

Yes, the HF purple gun with a 1.4 mm N/N sprays dyes and other low viscosity stuff amazingly well. On sale for $10 it is a true bargain.

If you are lazy, the 3M Accuspray guns Tom mentioned are a great option. Even if you aren't lazy, actually. They spray amazingly well.

John

I have three of the purple guns and they work pretty well. If you look at them at the store I believe there are actually two models of the purple gun; the more expensive one has more holes in the nozzle cap. That't the one you want. If you get one, take the nozzle assembly completely apart and remove the needle as well as they often put way too much sealant on the threads and it can plug the passages. Also make sure you clean the gun completely after use, especially with WB finishes, as the guts will rust up overnight if you don't. I usually clean mine with hot soapy water, lay everything out on a paper towel to dry, and use vasaline on all the threads when reassembling.

For higher end jobs I use my Fuji gun.

[John TenEyck]

That's the one, Dave; the one with more holes in the air cap. Mine had a significant amount of sealant inside, too, which I found on initial inspection and dug out. I used mine for at least two years with mostly dyes but also some WB finishes. My process for preventing rust on the internals was to clean it in soapy water, reassemble the gun, spray it dry, and then dump an ounce or so of DNA in it and spray that dry.

I gave that gun to a friend who lives in Jamaica but I'll probably buy another one of these days.

John

[Phillip Mitchell]

I bought a Fuji Mini-Mite 5 with a T75G gravity cup this past December. It's taken about four months to start to feel comfortable with it and learn the proper adjustments with different brands of material. A couple of problems I had was it comes with a nylon 600cc gravity cup without a lid gasket, plus I bought a spare, and both leaked around the lid. Fuji replaced them with the aluminum 600cc cup that is made with a gasket and so that took care of that problem. The other problem was my stupidity. The spare came from the factory with the pressure hose check valve installed backwards. That caused problems for about a week. Other than that it's a good system. I recommend Mike Smith of HVLPTEK.com if you need more info.

How did you determine that the nylon gravity cup was leaking? I just got a Mini Mite 4 with the same T75G gun and nylon gravity cup and was wondering about how well that lid/seal will hold up over time without an actual gasket. With mine, when I unscrew it to re-fill finish I get an audible pressure release so I'm assuming it's properly sealed, but I haven't tested further (brushing on soapy water ??) to see if it's perfectly sealed.

[Jim Tabor]

Phillip,
Both of the nylon cups were leaking material around the lid and running down the side of the cup. I also bought a 400cc aluminum cup, it also does not have a gasket. It leaked so bad that I couldn't even get the gun adjusted. After Fuji replaced them with 600cc aluminum cups that have gaskets I offered to return the leaking cups but they didn't want them back. I took the 400cc cup to Bumper to Bumper Auto Supply and got an "O" ring that fits the lid and that stopped the leaks. I plan to do the same thing with the nylon cups.
An added note: I also wanted a smaller 8 oz. cup but Fuji doesn't offer that size. I ordered one from Apollo that's aluminum, has a lid gasket, and is a perfect fit. Seems like gaskets are a simple fix. I will add that Fuji Tech Support was quick to send out replacement cups and they gave me a choice of 600cc nylon or aluminum. Everything is working great now and I'm very happy with the Fuji Spray System. The only thing I would do differently would insist that the T75G gun come with the aluminum cup instead of the nylon.