SPRAY PAINTING WITH A COMPRESSOR - hvlp gun and tips



  


I have packed a ton of detailed information into this article for those looking to start using a spray gun for their painting projects.













INTRODUCTION
I use an HVLP paint gun hooked up to a compressor to spray
 a lot of furniture. HVLP stands for high volume low pressure.
 I recommend starting off small and not investing too much
 until you know this is something you like and want to
 continue with. There is a lot of work involved and you need
 the space to use a compressor and sprayer. The picture below
 shows a small inexpensive compressor with the motor on top
 of a small air tank - 80 PSI / 3 gallon tank / $90. When
 you choose a small air tank the motor needs to run a lot
 more to keep the tank filled with air while you are spraying.
 You can't add oil to the motor of these little guys, they are
 essentially disposable. Once they stop working you send it to
 the scrap yard and buy a new one. The coily hose on this
 one is an after market item I like to have because it is
 much lighter than the heavy straight air hose that usually
 comes with a new compressor purchase. Be careful not to 
buy a super cheep hose because you will be replacing it in no time.
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has hundreds of switch plates to choose from
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EQUIPMENT
The HVLP Gun is a separate piece and a separate purchase,
 approx. $50. Below you can see what mine looks like. It is a
Campbell Hausfeld gravity fed spray gun. The paint goes in 
the white plastic pot that screws to the top of the gun. There
 is also a blue air filter which you see at the bottom and
 it comes with the standard 1.4mm spray tip. When I use
 ASCP I have to thin the paint for use with this size tip, I'll
 talk more about that below. Your gun will have a spray radios
 knob and an air pressure setting, one knob is on the back
 and one is on the side of the gun. You will have to
 experiment with these while you get familiar with your gun.

   

THINNING PAINT
Most paints need to be thinned to be used in a spray gun. I 
do not have an exact ratio of water to use when thinning
ASCP or latex but it really isn't that much. Not runny like 
milk, I try for something more like cream. Start by adding
 small amounts of water until you get the right consistency. 
 And the reason you need to thin your paint is because
 the channels in the gun are very small and can get clogged
easily. Another important thing to do is to use a paint strainer
 as you pour your paint into the pot this is going to help 
avoid those nasty clogs. Paint strainers are available at any
 paint store and cost about 30 - 50 cents each. I rinse and
 reuse mine several times. Below left is a crisp brand new one
 and the top right is a well used almost finished one.


WASTE OF PAINT
The reason I prefer a gravity feed system is because there is 
less waste of paint. All the paint will run down into the gun
 and can be used. Other systems include a pot that is below
 the gun and the paint needs to be sucked up with a
 stationary straw, with those there is more paint left in 
the pot that will inevitably be washed away.

BUYING TIP
It is always best to purchase your large tools like compressors
 during the Christmas holiday. Watch your store flyers cause
 you won't believe the deals you can get. I got this 8 gallon / 2 
HP / 125 PSI for only $127.00 during a Christmas sale.


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OVER SPRAY
Set your pressure gauge right around 45 PSI. This will 
regulate how much paint /air is being forced out and will 
eliminate too much over spray. Also do your best to keep your
 equipment from getting covered in over spray, it will shorten
 the life of it when paint starts to get into the motor.



BIGGER COMPRESSOR
Once you get into a bigger tank you get to maintain these
 motors and need to check and add oil. They keep up with 
your larger painting projects very well but these motors need
 to run much longer to fill a larger tank.




6 chairs finished in 1 day
with a spray gun and compressor


HAPPY SPRAYING EVERYONE! 

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