Best spray gun for $500 or less?

Any questions about tools or supplies. Post your compressor/gun questions here.

User avatar

Site Admin
Posts: 3450
Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2003 3:02 am
Location: New York
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 10:26 pm
65fastbackresto wrote:...was wondering what this means, "7E7 HE Air Cap (RP compliant, non-HVLP)"


First let's make sure we know what HVLP means. It literally stands for "High Volume, Low Pressure" -- meaning an HVLP gun typically consumes a greater amount of air (CFM) than a high pressure or reduced pressure gun, and since it sprays at low pressure (e.g. 10 PSI at the air cap), the paint has less tendency to bounce off the surface of what you are spraying and into the air. Our friends at the EPA like that, since it meets their air quality specs.

The Tekna with the 7E7 cap manages to be EPA compliant without being an HVLP gun. HE means "high efficiency", which is why it meets EPA air quality requirements - it gets more of the paint onto the car and less into the air. RP means "reduced pressure" instead of "low pressure". Many guys find that easier to dial in for clear, compared with a true HVLP gun. It's also a little less demanding on your air compressor.

-Chris

User avatar

Board Moderator
Posts: 9878
Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:40 pm
Location: ARIZONA
PostPosted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 10:36 pm
I am still waiting to see someone post a project painted with the Tekna.
1968 Coronet R/T


ACTS 16:31



Settled In
Posts: 86
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2011 11:12 am
PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 10:52 am
Thanks for getting me straight on the air pressure thing, I never really thought about not having enough air to operate the gun correctly, but it makes more sense now that you explained it. I`ll have to pay more attention to the cfm requirements of the guns I`m looking at.

Somebody is just about gonna have to talk me out of the Tekna copper though, I haven`t heard anyway say anything bad about them yet, and they sell them right here on this website which means someone giving me advice is probably also making money, thats a win win in my book.

Ok I just noticed the Tekna copper says 13cfm requirement, with my 11.5 at 40lbs is this a good idea?

User avatar

Site Admin
Posts: 3450
Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2003 3:02 am
Location: New York
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 11:27 am
I think your compressor is going to struggle with that gun. Usually compressor specs are slightly over-stated, and gun air requirements are a bit under-stated so you could be dealing with a bigger gap between supply & demand.

I appreciate the sentiment on the sales through the site here; the margins are razor thin on these guns and inventory carrying costs are significant, so trust me I am not in this for a lifestyle upgrade ;-)

Much more important that you find a gun that you will be happy with. The Tekna is a great gun but it needs to be matched up with an appropriately sized compressor.

If you are doing an overall car with that compressor I'd say no more than approx 9 CFM air requirement on the gun. Maybe the Astro EVO-4014 is worth checking into.



Settled In
Posts: 86
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2011 11:12 am
PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 12:43 pm
Dam I wish I had went the better compressor now, I never seen this coming.

Tell me this, if I bust my sprays apart, like do the body (roof, cowl quarters, and rear), then the doors and fenders another day, then the hood, trunklid and small parts, would the Tekna be suitable? Or is it just not gonna work right at all? I hate to sound stupid but I`m am so scared of cheap guns right now that just trying another one sounds scary to me.

User avatar

Site Admin
Posts: 3450
Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2003 3:02 am
Location: New York
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 1:53 pm
Sorry about your comp dilemma and if you asked about it here I must have missed it.

Short painting sessions that don't give the compressor enough time to heat up and start condensing a lot of water in the lines will certainly help. I wish I could guarantee success but there's a lot of factors at play.

Here's a simple example: Even the smallest CFM compressor, if it could charge up a 60 gallon tank to 120 PSI, if you did something silly like set the low pressure cut-in switch on the motor to around the PSI of the gun (let's say 25PSI) -- you'd get almost 30 seconds of spraying time with that gun before the compressor would turn on.

I think I could get a fender into one coat of base or clear in 30 seconds ;-)



Settled In
Posts: 86
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2011 11:12 am
PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 2:23 pm
LOL, I actually per Barry at **********`s recomendation I have 120 lbs running all the way to the gun, I regulate the pressure at the gun, which keeps the compressor from cycling so much. I also ran about 40 feet of 1 inch pvc across the walls and ceiling before it gets to the filtration system, which keeps the water out of it (water dont go straight up very well). I could, in just a few hours, have 100 feet of hardline running before it ever got to the filter, zigzagging up and down the wall in the process to keep the water on the compressor end of the room. Does that sound like it might fly? The Tekna says 9cfm to 13cfm, and if by doing this extra work (maybe upgrading filter system too).

I did not do enough research on the compressor before I bought it obviously, but I`m stuck with it now. I wasn`t even on this site then or I would have known better.

I am going to have to listen to people that know more about this than I do, so please any information will be appreciated. I just want to be able to spray and if it looks like crap it be my fault, not my equipments.

User avatar

Site Admin
Posts: 3450
Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2003 3:02 am
Location: New York
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 3:31 pm
Of course; Barry's recommendation is correct -- I was just giving that example so you could get a sense of how much "run time" you'd get out of a 60 gallon charged tank.

Definitely, anyone else who has had experience in using a smaller compressor to do a car a panel at a time, it would be good to hear from. I know there are others out there...



Top Contributor
Posts: 1665
Joined: Mon Oct 04, 2010 11:31 pm
Location: Northeast
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 7:07 pm
With my Plus gun, (Rated 9.5 cfm) I can just about get one coat on a 62" x 63" hood using a 30 gal. 8 cfm @ 40 psi. compressor. Using a Tekna with the RP cap and a comp rated for 11.5 cfm @ 40 psi, you might be able to paint panel by panel without much of a problem. However, due to unforeseen possible variables, I wouldn't swear to it.

User avatar

Board Moderator
Posts: 9878
Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:40 pm
Location: ARIZONA
PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 8:42 pm
Sounds like he should by the DeVilbiss Plus gun and not have any worries. :allgood:
1968 Coronet R/T


ACTS 16:31
PreviousNext

Return to Tools and Supplies

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 21 guests