Electric paint guns?

[HyperPete 670]

It's about time for me to begin painting different parts.  I got a bunch of rattle cans, but I think I am going to want to spray different paints.

Drying and cleaning the air from my compressor wont be cheap, so I am considering something electric.

Any suggestions?  Something that can be cleaned reasonably well.

Thanks!1

Edited Wednesday at 05:02 PM by HyperPete

[squonk 42,959]

I have one of these and really like it. Mines over 10 yrs. old now Painted a couple of tractors and stained my fence with it along with a few cars.

 

https://www.tptools.com/SHOWTIME-99-HVLP-Paint-Spray-Turbine-Unit-with-Finish-and-Primer-Spray-Gun,9337.html?b=d*8049

 

 

 

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 08:26 PM by squonk

[8ntruck 7,499]

I've got a Wagner airless sprayer.  It has been used to paint wooden lawn furniture and to apply stain to the dock.  I would not trust it to apply a class A finish, though.

[HyperPete 670]

3 minutes ago, 8ntruck said:

I've got a Wagner airless sprayer.  It has been used to paint wooden lawn furniture and to apply stain to the dock.  I would not trust it to apply a class A finish, though.

 

As in a power painter?  I have one of them, and had not even thought about painting metal with it.  It's worth a shot for spots that won't be very noticeable, and i't gotta be better that a brush & roller.

 

 

2 hours ago, squonk said:

I have one of these and really like it. Mines over 10 yrs. old now Painted a couple of tractors and stained my fence with it along with a few cars.

 

 

That's a nice unit, and you do great work!  

Since you recommended it, will you also provide training?  

[8ntruck 7,499]

6 minutes ago, HyperPete said:

 

 a brush and roller.

 

Years ago Car Craft magazine had a series of articles depicting a paint job on a car using Rustoleum applied with a roller.

 

Working from memory, the paint was thinned, a couple coats rolled on, sanded, a couple more  coats of thinned paint, then finish sanding and polishing.

 

The finished paint looked decent.

[squonk 42,959]

24 minutes ago, HyperPete said:

 

As in a power painter?  I have one of them, and had not even thought about painting metal with it.  It's worth a shot for spots that won't be very noticeable, and i't gotta be better that a brush & roller.

 

 

 

That's a nice unit, and you do great work!  

Since you recommended it, will you also provide training?  

Pull the trigger and spray  like a regular gun

[HyperPete 670]

5 minutes ago, 8ntruck said:

Years ago Car Craft magazine had a series of articles depicting a paint job on a car using Rustoleum applied with a roller.

 

Working from memory, the paint was thinned, a couple coats rolled on, sanded, a couple more  coats of thinned paint, then finish sanding and polishing.

 

The finished paint looked decent.

 

Well, i tried doing exactly that on a weight box, and it looked, shall we say, like 💩.  Perhaps with hardener and practice...

I found a decent paintbrush gave me a better finish, and it looks good - from about 25 feet.

[HyperPete 670]

Just now, squonk said:

Pull the trigger and spray  like a regular gun

 

Eureka!  I think I've got it!

[oliver2-44 10,457]

9 hours ago, HyperPete said:

Drying and cleaning the air from my compressor wont be cheap,

I have an inline moisture trap about 5 ft hose length from my compressor outlet, and a small one at the gun. neither are expensive. 

All my painting is outdoors, clothesline style!

My air probable isn't professional grade dryness, but I've only seen moisture issues on extremely humid day.   (when I probable shouldn't have even been paint out doors)

For years I painted with no moisture trap, just blew the compressor down before I started.    

It can get quite humid in Central Texas, not coastal humid, but quite humid.

[HyperPete 670]

I've thought about getting a coalescing filter to supplement my tiny air/water separator, and building a dessicant dryer.

 

But then I need to upgrade my compressor.  I'll be pushing 3k to do it right.

[squonk 42,959]

You want a dryer, trap /filter as far away from the compressor that you can get it to allow the moisture to condense out of the air and be caught. Metal piping is best for this as it helps cool the air. The turbine I use actually warms the air it uses and dries it.

 

https://www.tptools.com/tech-metal-piping.dlp

 

https://cached.tptools.com/Images/airline-piping-diagram.pdf

[HyperPete 670]

I ran 3/4" black iron, and have an 4' drop into an inverted "U".  The feed comes off the bottom of the "U" about 2' up, with a drain at the bottom.  That runs 2' into a 4' pipe going up, then over another 4' to the air/water separator & regulator.  They are presently 3/8", but I plan to replace them with 1/2" units before the attach to my hose reel and 1/2" air line/hose.  That is where I also want to add the coalescing filter and a 1 gallon desiccant dryer built from a whole house water filter.

 

I have 100' of 3/4" air line that I am going to run back to the sandblaster off a tee before the hose reel.

 

If I am going to do all off that, I want to replace my 3.75 hp 60 gal 2-stage compressor with a 5 hp 80 gal 2-stage compressor that won't have to run constantly, heating the heck out of the air and exacerbating the condensation problem.

 

This is why I am thinking of buying an electric unit.  Even after I sell my existing compressor, it's an expensive (but nice!) upgrade.

 

[squonk 42,959]

You want your air "take offs " on risers so the moisture will stay in the line towards the drain

 

 

 

[HyperPete 670]

4 hours ago, squonk said:

You want your air "take offs " on risers so the moisture will stay in the line towards the drain

 

 

 

 

Yes, that's how it is run.  I planned on doing several "U"s, but darn! 3/4" black iron pipe and fittings are pricey!

 

EDIT: Reconsidering that.  Another two 10' "U"s and ball valves will only add about $250.  Adding the filters to that, however, brings me close to the price of the electric unit you posted, and does not include a spray gun.

Edited Friday at 01:35 AM by HyperPete
Contemplation

[ebinmaine 71,258]

On 5/21/2025 at 1:01 PM, HyperPete said:

suggestions

 

Pete I just tossed a "mention" on a thread that has some good info. 

Trina ended up buying a Graco of some sort. Don't recall the model.  

 

 

@squonk. Love that white black hood. 

 

 

 

 

As usual,  lots of good info in this thread.  

 

 

@8ntruck I remember that article vaguely too. 

The result was actually pretty reasonable. 

As with any other painting (or welding or many other skills)   it's ALL in the preparation.  

 

 

 

[squonk 42,959]

1 minute ago, ebinmaine said:

 

Pete I just tossed a "mention" on a thread that has some good info. 

Trina ended up buying a Graco of some sort. Don't recall the model.  

 

 

@squonk. Love that white black hood. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That C-145 in those 2 pics was done in 5 weeks including an Eaton Hydro swap. I bought a hood and trans at the Big show and finished it for the Steam Pageant in August

[ebinmaine 71,258]

6 minutes ago, squonk said:

That C-145 in those 2 pics was done in 5 weeks including an Eaton Hydro swap. I bought a hood and trans at the Big show and finished it for the Steam Pageant in August

 

 

Trina and I have talked about doing a mostly white tractor several times. 

Nearly a red to white color inversion of original. Not quite. 

 

Too much going on this year but still pops into conversation occasionally.  

 

You're partially to "blame".....