The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop New Tech Tip - HVLP Paint Gun Basics

Got a new tech tip by Brian Martin (MARTINSR) from some discussion in the forum a little while ago about paint running.

Brian has written a really good tip on the High Volume, Low Pressure (HVLP) paint guns. They are the way of the future that a lot of guys have already gone to.

We are working at getting this (and other) tech tips in a printable pdf format. For some dumb reason (operator error, I'm sure), PageMaker won't convert my file to a pdf. Randy Baumann will help with that (hopefully) when he gets back in town.

Peg

Thanks for that link Peggy. I need to upgrade to an HVLP gun. My old Binks 69 will be my primer gun.

Does anybody have any experience with the chepie, HVLP guns at Harbor Freight Tools?

Tab, the cheapie HF guns can actually be pretty good from what I hear. I am of the school that you get what you pay for. I have done this stuff for a living for over 25 years and have found that a good tool will save your butt. But on the forums and people I have seen in the shops, there is something to say about the HF guns.

First off, EVERY SINGLE TOOL at HF is a copy. Out side of gun powder a few thousand years ago, China has not had a wave of developing tools and equipment. What they do is take a long standing product and copy it. Sooooo, the HF gun is a good copy of a Sata NR95 (as I remember it is the NR95). Sata makes some of the finest, best selling guns in the world. I have had people swear by the HF copy. So for forty or fifty bucks, it's worth a try.

Brian

MARTINSR: Thanks. I paint a car/truck about once every two years so spending big bucks on a brand name HVLP gun isn't worth it for me. I will buy one at HF and let you know what I think. I recently painted my 62, 3/4 ton, which I did with my old Binks 69 and an equally old, Sears, 1hp compressor, and it looks great. I haven't even rubbed it out yet and the paint is very very smooth. Now if I can only remember how I did it.....

Now Tab, don't even think of using that HVLP with that little compressor. It produces about 4 CFM and the HVLP from HF needs about 15! If you have less than a 6hp 60 gallon tank compressor, stick to your good old Binks.

Brian

I hit Harbor Freight weekly and most salespeople recognize me. About 2 weeks ago they had a sidewalk sale and one of the kids said check this out. It was their $50 spray for 12.99. Bought two and gave a friend one. Haven't used yet but installed regulator on gun. I haven't had too many problems with Harbor Freight stuff. Battery charger was bad but they exchanged. Carpenter by trade still like Dewalt or Milwalkee if used daily.

Dan

MARTINSR... Thanks for for your input and experience

Dan

Chev4t6: $13.00!!! Why didn't you pick one up for me?

We bought one of those Chinamen guns. I believe about 14.00 on sale. 10 oz. cup. a small one anyway. It duz good. The only thing was I started getting fish eye. It ran me nutz. Finally discovered that in every joing you could take a part they had used what looked like silicone, and it started gobbing up and contamanating the paint.
I'm sure some one jinks it, ha. Just a tid bit. Bill

I shot a 53' Hatteras motor yacht with 545 primer, followed by Imron, about a year ago. I figured for the cost of the gun I could buy two, and have a spare if anything went wrong. Still have a new one in the box, and didnt have any problems with the first one. Did an excellent job. I'm sure I'll use it to shoot the '68 in another month or two.

I gotta make a trip to HF, If I can buy 'em for $14.00, I'll buy ten, and just crap can them when I'm done. Almost cant buy the solvent(and time) to clean 'em with for that kinda money.