Novice considering different spray guns

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



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PostPosted: Tue Jun 07, 2022 11:01 am
Hi all!

New to car painting. I do have several years of experience using 2X epoxies, and urethanes on small scale models (primer, base, clear) with high-end airbrushes.

The car has been taken down to bare metal and covered with 2X DTM epoxy (speedokote). Just sanding now and prepping for basecoat. I have Eastwood brand urethane BC and Speedokote brand urethane CC ready to go.

I used an old Sharp siphon feed for the epoxy without problems, but I'm looking for a new gun to use for the base and clear. So far I am looking at two options and would love your feedback!

1) Eastwood Concourse PRO HVLP
2) Harbor Freight Spectrum professional HVLP
3) Write-in your own gun suggestion for something mid-level for a hobbyist.

I am a hobby car restorer, so only plan to paint a car once, maybe twice a year. Looking forward to hearing from you!

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 07, 2022 12:00 pm
Cheap spray guns are priced lower for a reason. The tolerance levels and materials used during manufacturing are considerably below the better quality guns.

Another factor is the speed at which you plan to spray. SATA guns are known for larger spray patterns and paint flow that allows/requires the user to move more quickly.

Personally, my favorite gun for epoxy, base and clear is the Iwata LPH400 Silver Cap (1.4 tip). It is an LVLP spray gun meaning (Low Volume Low Pressure) and requires a slow steady hand. You will need to keep the gun about 4"-6" max from the panel while spray and fan pattern is around 8" long.

I also have DeVilbiss Tekna Copper gun with 1.3 and 1.4 tip sets. It has a larger cup and fan pattern than the Iwata but I find it sprays very nice as well.

No matter what gun you get, be sure your Air Compressor puts out enough CFM to meet or exceed the gun's requirements. Gun's require a certain volume of air (CFM or SCFM) at a certain pressure (PSI) setting in order to operate properly.

The mistake many newbies make, is to buy a gun only to find out their air compressor is inadequate to supply the gun. So check the specifications for your air compressor and see what the CFM output is first.
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 07, 2022 2:28 pm
Thank you Coronet!

I will check my air compressor and confirm it can keep-up on the volume (CFM). it has a 20-gal supply tank which I charge before starting. It did keep-up with the Epoxy using an HVLP sharp siphon gun, but just barely. Do you prefer the LVLP for any reason besides a lower demand on air volume? I don't really need something set-up for production (speed) since I do this so infrequently.

Completely agree the cheaper guns are cheap for a reason. I upgraded my cheap air brush to a $300 iwata unit and never looked back. I just wasn't sure if there was a "middle ground" between the garbage and the premium options, for a part-time hobbyist.

Also, this is specifically for a race car. I will be doing a two-tone and need to mask and paint flat black and matte-clear over half the cockpit.

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 07, 2022 5:46 pm
LVLP guns have a higher transfer rate (less cloud) and use less air pressure.

The LPH400 uses 9.5 CFM and the minimum PSI is 16. Personally I find the gun sprays, epoxy and base better at 22 PSI and Clear and Single Stage better at 26 PSI. (By the way, I bought this gun on eBay for $200 over a decade ago.)

The Tekna Copper uses 11-13 CFM and sprays epoxy, and base at 24 PSI and Clear and Single Stage at 28 PSI.

I highly doubt your compressor is big enough to adequately handle a spray gun. I started out with a 2.5 HP 20 gallon horizontal compressor. After continually struggling with every air tool and spray gun I tried to use, I finally bought a 6 HP 80 Gallon 2-Stage compressor. The differences was night and day. No more waiting for the compressor to catch up so I can spray a small section, use the spray cabinet or operate a DA, air sander, etc.

If you plan to do more than one car, a better compressor is a must.
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 08, 2022 3:17 pm
Thank you! I am looking for both of those guns used now. Shooting for a $300, but seems unlikely given the demand.

Here is my compressor. The CFM specs on the back are not visible from physical abrasion. It is an “air America” unit by devilbiss. 12 gallon, 4hp.

EDIT: looking up the specs online, it seems to be 8.8CFM at 40psi, and 6.9 at 90



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PostPosted: Wed Jun 08, 2022 6:12 pm
Got one! $300 shipped from a nice lad in AZ. It is the "purple" nozzle LPH400 (1.4mm HVLP) but I can start looking around for other nozzles. Thanks again for your help!

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PostPosted: Wed Jun 08, 2022 7:46 pm
having a budget around $300USD is very sensible. Get's you out of the pit of cheapies and into some serious quality, without going to the over-the-top premium level which is the land of diminishing returns.

A couple of really good options that will get you out of the chalk and into the cheese:

Devilbiss GPG - Essentially a Pro Lite but without the nice coloured anodised finish. 1.3mm tip with 7E7 aircap gets you the front end from the Tekna Copper on the Pro Lite body. Under $300USD.

Anest Iwata W400 - classic gun. Similar specs to the GPG in terms of air use, fan size and finish. A little dearer at around $350.

Check out Sprayguns Direct. Usually best deals and will price match. Excellent service - quite a few of the guys on this forum have bought there.
Chris



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PostPosted: Thu Jun 09, 2022 11:13 am
Thanks Chris!

So the Iwata LHP-400 purple cap (1.4mm HVLP) is on the way! A few questions...

1) The top-fill resevioir. Any thoughts and notes on these? Something permanent to be cleaned each time, or do you recommend disposable cups?
2) How full do you typically fill the cup? I used a siphon feed gun for the epoxy which did not have an issue being full.
3) in general, what is the pro-con of top feed vs. siphon feed? The siphon obviously seems to hold more paint.
4) My compressor does not have an outlet filter and moisture knock-out. Any recommendation on brand or model?

Anything else I may be missing?

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