spray gun recommendations!!

[Zeek 2,284]

If you are a newbie to spraying, any gun is going to suffice. I have used the HVLP sprayers from Harbor freight with good success. For $15.00 you can get one, play with it, use it and throw it away when done. It's cheaper than a gallon of lacquer thinner needed to clean it.

I do the exact same and have had excellent success with those guns. 

[zanepetty 117]

I bought a HF gun. I got the nicer purple one. I was reading reviews and they said the tip and nozzle were actually machined and it has more of the small holes in the tip for better paint distribution. (Can't remember what they're called at the moment.)

[zieg72 209]

Good choice for an inexpensive spray gun.  I have one customer that buys them by the case.  They get 6-8 months out of one used in production every day and really like the atomization quality.  1-2 in a case don't work but HF replaces them no questions asked.

[zanepetty 117]

HF has always done me right. No complaints there. I think I'm really going to like it. I bought the small purple touch up gun yesterday for around 9 bucks on sale. Just thought I'd try that.

[Save Old Iron 1,563]

the tip nozzle size on the typical detail gun is usually under 1mm. a small tip will not allow sufficient atomization  of thicker enamels and will require over thinning of the enamel paint with reducer. over dilution of enamel causes low gloss. a 1.2 to 1.4mm tip will be your best bet.

[zanepetty 117]

Oh OK. Good to know. Guess I waisted my money on that one :/

[buckrancher 2,675]

I use these

 

Brian

[Save Old Iron 1,563]

Oh OK. Good to know. Guess I waisted my money on that one :/

 

i use that size nozzle to spray etch primer. works great for priming smaller parts with the thinner lacquer based self etch primers. high build primers need a 2mm or larger tip.

[zanepetty 117]

I thought about buying those Brian. They work well?

[buckrancher 2,675]

I thought about buying those Brian. They work well?

yes I have had good luck with them . all my show tractors were painted with those guns and I use the touch up gun with the 1mm tip

for spraying color both  urethane or base coat clear coat finishes

[zanepetty 117]

Wow. Looks awesome! I thought you mostly used single stage paints?

[buckrancher 2,675]

Wow. Looks awesome! I thought you mostly used single stage paints?

I do all tinware with basecoat clearcoat all the rest with single stage. The exception is my 854 I did that with single stage paint

 

Brian

[zanepetty 117]

Oh OK I gotcha.

[eb in oregon 28]

I'm not trying to be "a spoiler" here, but you do realize that if you were to just "rattle can" it, it would probably be as good as the original factory finish? Anything you do (except for runs) should be just fine. If you are "showing" your product, the problem is judges that imply higher standards than the original. I dislike that, but it is hard to argue with them.

[Uncle Buck 246]

I am not recommending the following, but I will share how I painted an old pickup one winter in an old drafty garage when most of the winter the temps stayed below freezing. I am not suggesting you should follow my lead, but I will say that the paint I put on that old truck that winter 1994 is still shining and sticking to the truck to this day. I used regular acrylic enamel with hardener for my paint job.

Each night I would walk in that old drafty detached garage and fire up a torpedo heater. Generally I turned on the heat around 5:30pm. I would do prep and body work throughout the evening never using any primer, paint or other flammable and fumy painting materials. Only filling sanding and sheet metal work throughout the evening. I kept my paint, gun, reducer, hardener etc. in the warm house.

I would tape off and prep a panel for prime or paint and once it was all ready I would go to the house and mix my paint. The compressor would already have the moisture drained when I brought the gun back to the garage with me. I would immediately turn off the heater, plug in the gun and spray the prepped panel. After I was done the fumes would be hanging too heavy in the air to restart the heater so I would clean my gun up and call it a day. With the heater turned off it did not take long for the garage to lose the warmth so every panel I sprayed that way ended up drying in below freezing temps. I had little choice so that was how I painted the truck and I just took my chances though I knew the freezing temps might ruin my paint job in the end. Amazingly though that did not happen.

The vital point is I suggest being careful of your choice of shop heat when you spray or even brush paint for that matter. Open flames make great sploshuns you know!

[zanepetty 117]

Wheel horse didn't even use primer! So these tractors are getting pampered when the get ANY kind of paint!