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HPLV Spray system
I am looking for cheap and good to get the job done - don't have anything including compressor. Let me know what is required to set up a spray station.
- Duratex
- Should be able to pray water based lacquer
- Shellac (Zinsser bin sanding shellac without wax)
- Automotive primer and paint
I would be going up the chain in the same order.
- Duratex
- Should be able to pray water based lacquer
- Shellac (Zinsser bin sanding shellac without wax)
- Automotive primer and paint
I would be going up the chain in the same order.
Comments
1 for auto paint and finish
1 for shellac/shellac primer
1 for auto primer
1 for waterbased finishes
The air compressor guns are cheaper in general over a hvlp system if your going to get extra guns. Harbor freight has decent prices but beware of the cheapest guns (unless its a detail/small work gun) ive had 1 that was basically a throw away where the threads came off when i disassembled for cleaning. Their 2 piece spray gun kit is pretty good.
A decent compressor is probably going to run $150-250 add the long hose and reel another $50, fittings and a filter/dryer is more. You can do it without but you may get some bad stuff happening when moisture from the air compressor gets into the gun.
The fuji and earlex hvlp kits are nice too but i would step up to atleast the 400-500 model if you go that route. It have the earlex 5500 and im happy with it. I just cant control the fan width which for most stuff is not bad but there have been a few times i jist used a normal auto gun because i wanted a wider fan.
What Mike said, adding that for Duratex https://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools/paint/1-12-gallon-gravity-feed-texture-air-spray-gun-60314.html
I use a lot of Harbor freight gravity feed HVLP guns. Their basic gun with the 1.4 mm tip works well for solvent based primers and finish coats. I also like having multiples. I have their 2 piece kit which is OK as you get a 1.8 mm tip. The small gun is worthless imo. These guns all need to be taken apart and cleaned before using.
I also have a TCP gravity feed HVLP gun. I like the TCP gun as you can order the tip you want, and it sprays pretty good. I don't like the aluminum paint reservoir. The Finish line gun would be my next step up.
For compressors I like the oil-less. Yes they will eventually wear out, but the oil is just a hassle with fish eyes. I use a small compressor, so I add a spare 11 gallon tank paralleled with the air compressor.
One of my best investments was a small high quality pressure regulator with a gage at the gun.
The quality of the quick disconnects has gone down hill over the years. I use to buy Foster but they are pricey now. I've been using the Lowes house brand and pitching them when they start to leak.
And be prepared to ruin a couple of tries, practice and toying with the settings will have to be made :P
I prefer to clean water based stuff, no need for solvents, so no nasty smells. Just warm water.
But ultimately it will depend on the look you want.
That's my benchmark for a good finish
1) do i want to touch it?
2) is it smooth and uniform?
I have a 5HP 20 gallon oil type compressor in my garage, the cheapy HF HVLP 2 piece sprayer kit, pressure regulator and dryer on the sprayer base. So oil based compressors cause finishing problems, I didn't know that. As yet, I have not noticed oil swirling in my finish. Maybe it is there and I just can't see it.
You are correct. The detail sprayer with the 1.0mm tip is basically worthless. I sprayed my entire Matrix project with it. It clogged twice, requiring a complete disassembly and cleaning (3 coats of SealCoat and 12 coats of thinned out brushing lacquer.) Next time I will be using the larger sprayer with the 1.4mm tip instead.
Have't tried lacquer yet...
My goal is to do zero post painting finishing steps. The last coat I try to get smooth and wet with no over spray and little orange peal.
I do a good portion of my projects with solvent based lacquer top coat so I can do multiple spray sessions until I get it right. Lacquer is repairable and dissolves a bit of the underlying coats, so there are no issues with scuffing, sanding and re-spraying.
Low sheen finishes hide a bit of the spraying imperfections. I've been using the General Finishes milk paint, that has a very low sheen. I also use the Lenmar Duralac lacquer. I like semi gloss for big speakers and gloss for small speakers. I tell myself I will sand and buff out the gloss lacquer but never seem to get around to it.
I have buffed out lacquer and polyurethane finishes in the past. There is a bit of a learning curve as the buffer heat does not dissipate from the wood like it does from metal. Most of the catalyzed (2 part) and pre-catalyzed finishes are easier to sand and buff out to a high gloss due to their harness. The down side is if you burn through, you are sanding and re-spraying the whole project. The catalyzed finishes can get pricey if you can't use them up.
Ani, I have yet to buff out any of my speakers at this point. I have been watching youtube "instructional" videos in an attempt to figure out the best way to do this. I am not working with automotive type "2 part" finishes because this is beyond my skill level. I have only worked with oil based enamels, lacquer, and shellac. The type of stuff you can buy at Menards.
My understanding so far is that, if I want to buff out my matrix speakers, which have been finished so far with about 12 coats of lacquer, I have to 1) wait at least a month of two for the lacquer to harden before buffing, and 2) have a certain "mil" thickness built up on the lacquer before I start buffing, otherwise I run the risk buffing through down to the raw wood. If I buff down to raw wood, I have to sand it all down and start all over again.
I think my next step will be to sand the cabinets down again with 220 grit and spray several more coats of lacquer to build up the "mil" thickness. When I get it thick enough, I will let the cabinet dry for another month of two and then begin the buff out process. Buffing would start by hand with a small amount of water and 320 grit wet/dry paper and a rubber sanding block. Creating a slurry with slow circular motion to bring the surface down flat. Stage two would be 500 grit, same process. Then 800 grit, same process. The procedures are detailed in various youtube videos. When you get up to buffing at the 2000 to 3000 grit level you start to develop a satin type finish. Then you move to polishing compounds to get to semi-gross and high gloss mirror type finishes. It is a long, drawn out process that takes time and effort. I will probably mess up my first project. One of these days I am going to give it a try.
Bill