Can you Spray Clears with a Turbine HVLP system?

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 3:10 pm
Hello all, this is my first post and it might be a little odd, and a bit long. To start with, just assume that I am a nube, though I do have some finishing experience, albeit not automotive.

I restore bicycles, and have done many complete soup to nuts restores in my small shop ( garage) - I underscore small. For this reason I use a turbine sprayer system ("TItan" - model number escapes me, but it's an older model, got it years ago, like early 90's) I use a small touch up gun, suction type. It was the only HVLP turbine gun I could find in the smaller size. I use the smaller gun due to the size of the projects I do -bikes are small and you need to get into the "triangle" area. I do like gravity feed guns, but actually the cup gets in the way of the top tube and chain stays when I spray. I know I will be asked, but I can't re- call the tip size, it's not too big and it's not too small. I spray in a mostly non controlled environment. ( garage with the doors open in temps 60 - 70 low humidity where I live.)

I get fairly consistent results with this modest set up, I use base coat, clear coat systems. I usually buy the economical stuff or systems that sell in a quart size again due to the small projects (Sherwin Williams automotive products).- again I am not doing cars, bike surfaces are pretty small. I know this stuff isn't highly regarded but for bikes it seems really good.

One issue, that I wonder if any professionals could shed some light on, is orange peel and heavy texture. I have done some brief research and it seems most pro's indicate that you cannot spray clears with a turbine system, siting that you will not get the material to atomize properly, resulting in orange peel. The primer and base coat appear to spay on without this issue but the clear will go on kind of frosty then will "model" on the surface in an orange peel fashion when it sits for a minute or 2. If I increase the material volume it will reduce this a bit but it's too heavy and it can run or sag on such a small surface. If I increase the air volume then it goes on kind of "dry" and frosty with over spray marks. If I increase material volume with higher air volume it's generally too much material for the surface all at once..

So not that it's a big deal but as a result I have to wet sand. it can be a PITA, I always need to wet sand with 1500 or 2k -3k then cut with compound and polishing. Again the surface is not large but bike geometry is small and complex near the joints so I have to polish by hand in those areas as my small polisher (griots 3inch) will not reach all the areas. My system gets the results I want but it's a lot of work after I spray. I was hoping to reduce this complication..

Is this generally the truth about clears and turbine sprayers? is there any product/gear combination for turbine systems that would work better? Or is the best thing to do is expand and get a compressor setup ( realistically can't do this) and pull out my traditional spray gun?

I can live with this, but just wondering if there is any alternative, maybe there are too many variables here to answer this entirely and I understand if that's the case, just thought I'd ask.

any incites or advice is appreciated..

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 6:18 pm
I've been spraying automotive base/clear for 25 years now. I sprayed PPG 2021 clear with my hot rodded 2 stage back when it first came out. We are living in a more "golden age" right now of increasing stages and more powerful turbines with much better clean sheet of paper designed guns. I do car stuff as well as our in-shop production wood stuff currently with a 4 stage. I find little difference between the results I can achieve with any of the LVLP, HVLP, or other compressed air guns. For clears I still find an RP gun to be slightly better. A really good clear for turbines is sold right here on this web site, in my opinion. That would be the Tamco Universal Clear. I can spray it with no reduction just using the slowest activator. You initially do get some orange peel up front but it all flows out like glass in a few minutes. For just normal factory type coatings I don't even cut and buff it at all.
If you really want to stay with turbine spraying I would seriously update your system. With that old of a system you are probably back at a 2 stage system which was never intended to shoot automotive paints at all. My recommendation would be looking at a new Fuji 5 stage with their moveable cup gravity gun. That system is capable of handling almost any current coating, is extremely efficient, is quiet and is cooler running than old systems.
I think with a newer system and the right clear your "right off the gun" coating process would be enough.....
Oh, and I forgot to mention.....I do not use or recommend Sherwin Williams automotive paints for ANY turbine system. Not saying that can't be made to work but I would say it is THE most user unfriendly line of paints when it comes to teaming them up with turbines.
Metal, wood, fiberglass, we work it all... www.furniturephysicians.com We can restore the irreplaceable!

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 7:49 pm
Thanks Darrel,

yeah, I have a feeling my system is outdated and after I did some some searching I found the accolades on the Fuji 4 and 5 stage systems, ironically I believe I am using their touch up gun they sell.

I neglected to mention that I am using the medium speed catalyst and no reducer on the SW product. I have no loyalty there other than they are conveniently located and sell in quart size.

I'll paste a couple of images of the finished results I get from my restores, but again this is after much wet sanding, cutting, and polish.

thanks again for the advice..

J

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 10:58 pm
Nice bikes, very even coating.... Yes, I think you could easily get 95 to 98% of that look with just carefully matching up a more powerful turbine system with a better clear and the slowest activator. Here is a pic. of the hood on my Pontiac Fiero Gt with NO cut and buff at this point. This is actually Tamco's very high solids Euro Clear which emulates a Glasurit clear.....
Attachments
new silver base and Euro clear.jpg
Tamco Euro Clear
Metal, wood, fiberglass, we work it all... www.furniturephysicians.com We can restore the irreplaceable!

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