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Thread: HVLP Sprayer

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    Houston
    Posts
    241

    HVLP Sprayer

    I finally spent a decent amount of time with an HVLP sprayer that I bought last year. (Thank you for encouraging that, Mr. TenEyck). The results weren't pretty at first, but there were moments where it was magical.

    I can see now that I want to do a lot of spraying in the future.

    I would like to get a higher quality set up. I would spend more time with this unit, but the needle got stuck when I tried to disassemble it and I bent it, and they don't seem to sell replacement parts for this model (I bought it at a clearance sale for damaged merchandise, so the fact that it worked nicely for a while was okay).

    How does one go about selecting a decent quality spraying set up for a hobbyist who just builds furniture?

    I am not intending to spray anything oil based, nor latex paint, and probably won't spray anything larger than a dining table. People keep talking about water based pigmented lacquers, and I might want to try that.

    I will want to be able to spray at my house and at a warehouse that is available to me, so it needs to be portable. My only use for a compressor is for a pin nailer and filling tires, and my Senco is about 1.5 cfm, so I am thinking a turbine might be the way to go.

    I saw that Prashun looked at options and then bought the Fuji Mini Mite 4. Is that a ridiculous start for someone who has only sprayed a few things but knows that it is going to be happening a lot from here on out? I don't want to get a system that has features I would never use, but I really don't want to get something I am likely to outgrow in the next year or two.

  2. #2
    It’s not ridiculous to start there if you are ok with the price. The compressor based units will give you more control over air flow than this hvlp. However it hasn’t been too much of an issue for me.

    . I went hvlp for the exact reason you mention: Portability. I hear that a finer finish can be had with a compressor set up. That said, my finishes with this unit are great (read good enough for me) for the waterbased finishes I have sprayed.

    Save some money in your budget for the 3m pps cup system …
    Last edited by Prashun Patel; 12-20-2021 at 9:00 PM.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    WNY
    Posts
    9,645
    If portability is a requirement, then your decision already is made. If you want to spray pigmented lacquer, etc. you need at least a 3 stage and better still the 4 stage turbine like Prashun has, or equivalent.

    On the other hand, if you spray only in your shop you can get beautiful results with a $25 HF purple gun. And you can even put a pressurized PPS cup on it with the correct adapter and another, low pressure regulator. All you need is a compressor that can output at least about 8 cfm at 40 psi, two regulators, and an air/water filter (probably super important in Houston). That gun will only last a couple of years with regular use, but it cost less than a steak these days, so.... But if you want to buy one and done, there are plenty of options like Iwata and others.

    Your choice. No right or wrong here, only what best suits your needs.

    John

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