HVLP sprayers

[pellegrino]

Anyone have any experience with these? I recently got one and have been pre-finishing trim with pretty good results. I am going to begin spraying radiator covers which requires alkyd enamel paints and I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions. I'm particularly interested in getting the correct viscosity for the paint.

[Shaka]

I use an HVLP gun hooked to a compressor for spraying guitars. I have a hunch you're posting about the Wagner type power painters. Those are good but they do not work well for detail work. If you have a compressor you can go to Harbor Freight and buy a cheap HVLP gun that will work for your needs. Make sure you get an inline moisture trap.

I thin out the nitro lacquers that I use anywhere from 4/1 to 1/1. If you're using house type paint you probably need to thin a bit as well. Consult your paint store on a good ratio.

[pellegrino]

I use an HVLP gun hooked to a compressor for spraying guitars. I have a hunch you're posting about the Wagner type power painters. Those are good but they do not work well for detail work. If you have a compressor you can go to Harbor Freight and buy a cheap HVLP gun that will work for your needs. Make sure you get an inline moisture trap.

I thin out the nitro lacquers that I use anywhere from 4/1 to 1/1. If you're using house type paint you probably need to thin a bit as well. Consult your paint store on a good ratio.

It is a Wagner sprayer. I got a great deal on it and I've been happy with the results. It sprayed latex onto baseboards and casings with no problem, and thinning was easy enough, just add water and a bit of floetrol. I didn't think about talking to the store, mainly because most of the people I meet at stores know absolutely nothing about their product. I'll ask around at a few paint stores and hopefully get someone who knows their stuff.

I'm not using it for anything particularly detailed, just radiator covers and doors. I've put so much white paint through it that I don't think it will be much good for anything else. Fortunately all of my finishing projects for the next year (about four) are all in white paint.

What kind of compressor do you run yours on? I only have a PC pancake which works just fine with the Wagner, as it was designed to run off small compressors. I'm leery of buying a different gun that requires a higher cfm than my little pancake can provide.

[FN Phat]

Post some pics of your handy work. I would be interested to see how they came out.

[Shaka]

It is a Wagner sprayer. I got a great deal on it and I've been happy with the results. It sprayed latex onto baseboards and casings with no problem, and thinning was easy enough, just add water and a bit of floetrol. I didn't think about talking to the store, mainly because most of the people I meet at stores know absolutely nothing about their product. I'll ask around at a few paint stores and hopefully get someone who knows their stuff.

I'm not using it for anything particularly detailed, just radiator covers and doors. I've put so much white paint through it that I don't think it will be much good for anything else. Fortunately all of my finishing projects for the next year (about four) are all in white paint.

What kind of compressor do you run yours on? I only have a PC pancake which works just fine with the Wagner, as it was designed to run off small compressors. I'm leery of buying a different gun that requires a higher cfm than my little pancake can provide.

I run mine off a regular old Craftsman with an aftermarket moisture trap. It has a regulator so I can decrease the cfm if needed.

Those Wagners are great for doing most home stuff.

[creekster]

I run mine off a regular old Craftsman with an aftermarket moisture trap. It has a regulator so I can decrease the cfm if needed.

Those Wagners are great for doing most home stuff.

I think you may be thinking of psi as opposed to cfm. Some HP guns requires loads of air to push them and a pancake compressor can't keep up. In fact, when I bought my compressor some (ok, many) years ago I had to buy a big 30 gallon tank to get one that could push enough air wihtout having to overwork itself constantly. OTOH, nowadays many smaller compressors could keep up.

[Shaka]

I think you may be thinking of psi as opposed to cfm. Some HP guns requires loads of air to push them and a pancake compressor can't keep up. In fact, when I bought my compressor some (ok, many) years ago I had to buy a big 30 gallon tank to get one that could push enough air wihtout having to overwork itself constantly. OTOH, nowadays many smaller compressors could keep up.

Oh you're right.