Paint spray guns

I have never really dedicated much time to learning how to spray paint cars.

Maybe now is the time. I am more or less retired and need another hobby to keep me off the streets.

How much money do I really have to spend to get a spray gun capable of doing really decent work, and any recommendations for such a gun?

Reply to
HLS
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I own a few cheapo paint spray guns.There is a wide variety of paint spray guns on the market, depending on how much money you want to spend.Almost any new low price paint spray gun will do a decent job.I have spray painted three of my own old vehicles before.It takes much longer to prepare the body of a vehicle for spray painting than the actual spray painting itself. cuhulin

Reply to
cuhulin

Well it depends on how much money you want to spend. The low end guns can do a good job IF you get one that is built right and you can get parts for as they wear. I use a couple cheap guns for primer. They work fine for that. My main color and clear guns are both Devilbiss HVLP units. Since you haven't gotten used to the older higher pressure guns buy only HVLP guns and you won't have to learn both types. Make sure you buy the proper gear to protect yourself as well. If your spraying ANY catalyzed paints (and even many others) you will want a good air supplied respirator unit. They can same your lungs and mind from a VERY nasty fate.

Reply to
Steve W.

Thanks both Steve and Cuhulin.

I'll check into the DeVilbiss guns.

Reply to
HLS

I was looking at an inexpensive DeVilbiss starterline kit and did some googling for opinions on it and only found negative ones. Probably should go with one of their more expensive options but I have not gotten back to it.

Reply to
Brent P

I have an old respirator I used to use.It has two round screw on filters.If I ever decide to paint my old 1978 Dodge van or my 1948 Willys Jeep, I will buy a new respirator.Those paint thinners and paints can be really nasty if you breath that stuff into your lungs.If you get into spray painting vehicles, dont skimp on Quality for a very good respirator.Welding fumes are nasty too.In the winter time of 1972 - 1973 I went to night time welding classes on the G.I.Bill at a local area junior college.Those welding fumes make my stomach feel all queasy. cuhulin

Reply to
cuhulin

Those are big $$$. I've not used it personally, nor am I a paint professional, but I've read on a number of auto body related sites that the Harbor Freight "purple" HVLP (conversion type) spray gun gets very good reviews.

Reply to
Pete C.

I have seen those guns advertised, along with a bunch of traditional guns, at Harbor Freight. And they are cheap enough that if you make a mistake, you dont feel like throwing up.

I saw some others in the Northern Tools and Implements catalog. They have an Ingersol Rand HVLP Automotive Spray Gun for about $90. Gun requires 10 cfm at 45 psig.

Could this type of gun also be used for spraying projects like wooden furniture, small hobby jobs? I know better than to spray a house with them.

By the way, Cuhulin, I know what you mean about the welding fumes. I just finished a night course in welding, and we were not forced to wear breathing apparatus, but I often used N95 masks anyway. I feel that they were not good enough, but were better than nothing. I have, for years, worn these masks on international flights to avoid flyers flu (and SARS). They work amazingly well for that purpose.

For spraying paint, you have to have special filters if you want to pull out the VOC's. And you have to change them fairly often.

Thanks again all

Reply to
HLS

A friend of mine got the HF purple gun when he was down visiting and I showed him the wonder of the Harbor Freight store. He's used it for applying poly wood finishes and say it works great.

Reply to
Pete C.

Are you looking to repaint an old truck for fun, or are you looking to do show cars?

I ask because you can get decent results with spray cans, and you don't need a $2000 setup to paint a race car, but if you're serious about painting cars where you can see yourself in the paint, you're gonna need a good gun and equipment - compressor, water separator, filters, etc.

I have a $200 HVLP that I use to paint my race car and it does a decent job. I'd paint a regular car with it, but not a show car. I'm not that good.

Don't skimp on the respirator. And if you're doing any urethane painting, you'll need a full-on fresh air setup.

Oh, and where do you live? Some places don't allow you to paint a car in your garage anymore.

Overspray with an HVLP gun is not too bad, but the air quality will quickly go to heck in the garage, I ran a couple of fans with furnace filters taped to them.

And lights. Cannot have too much lighting.

And a $5 stand for the gun. Once you fill it up, you can't put it down, which is really annoying when you're halfway through and you need to move lights around or do something that needs both hands.

Ray

Reply to
ray

I live in Texas.. We can paint most anything, anywhere, here. (Of course, that is an exaggeration, but not much of one.)

I tried to derust, prime, and spray paint my rotary cutter the other day.. It was a job, and spray cans are not the answer. I want to repaint my old John Deere some day.

And, yes, I would like to be able to do a good quality paint job on my Reatta project car, but not a $20,000 custom quality job. I want it to look good, no orange peel, but it isnt worth a custom treatment.

At my age, and state of retirement, I do a lot of things to learn and to enjoy the project. I told Aarcuda not long ago that no job goes unrecompensed. If I learn something, help somebody, or make a little money, it is all recompensed.

Reply to
HLS

I have one of those purple Harbor Frieght HVLP paint guns and I like it a lot. Should be fine for painting a car (I've not done an entire car, but a front end).

Reply to
zzyzzx

Thanks a lot.. They are reasonable enough, so I think I can afford to try one out.

I have seen 2-3 guns on the Harbor Freight site with purple handles. Exactly which one did you buy?

Reply to
HLS

I believe item 43430 is the gun in question, on sale for $24.99 at the moment. Item 93305 appears to be the same gun in remote paint tank form, and item 46719 seems to be a smaller detail version. These are all the HVLP conversion type guns.

Reply to
Pete C.

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