Replies

1. 
   Chairwright | Oct 09, 2004 11:43pm | #1

   I had the same question a few years ago.  I know this doesn't answer your question, but what I did was to buy a used HVLP set up, threw away the gun and bought a Lemmer gun.  After a lot more use than I thought I'd give it the turbine is still going strong and the Lemmer gun (made in Canada) is ideal.  I think the gun costs $200 and the turbine costs $100. 

2. 
   dondownunder | Oct 10, 2004 06:26am | #2

   Art

   We use compressor driven HVLP guns in my workshop (before too long HP units will be regulated out of commercial operations here).

   The advantages are that a good gun (we use Anest Iwata W200 s) isn't all that expensive compared with buying a turbine & a decent gun, they are quieter to use but you will need a good amount of clean dry air, the amount of which will depend on the gun's set up.

   I think a search should throw up a fair bit of info as this subject has come up before.

   Don 

1. 
   CraigC | Oct 10, 2004 04:56pm | #3

   The majority of the HVLP guns require more air than a conventional gun. And the majority of your small shop compressors cannot deliver the air requirements of an HVLP. Fortunately, when I decided to go HVLP, my shop compressor puts out 9.5 cfm (cfm being the critical number). So I had no problem with a HVLP unit that req’d 6.2 cfm.

   There are several good sources for HVLP units, either compressor or turbine:

   http://www.compliantspraysystems.com/

   http://www.finishsystems.com/

   http://www.homesteadfinishing.com/

   Now, I need to be able to do on-site finishing, so I had to research what were my best options: turbine or compressor. I chose compressor as:

   1) It gave me the option of using it for other tools;

   2) Less expensive;

   3) I didn’t like what I was hearing about turbines producing a lot of heated air (unless you go very expensive) when I’m shooting mostly NC lacquers.

   Consequently, I found what I think is a good compressor, a Ridgid OL50135. It uses oil which means it’s quiter than an oil-less, portable at 78#, puts out 4.6cfm @ 90psi, and cheap ($259 at HD).

   I think, but don’t know yet, that it will be able to drive my HVLP that requires 6.2 cfm inasmuch I only need the compressor to deliver at 30 psi which means that it should deliver more than 4.6 cfm. That combined with the compressors two twin tanks should allow me to use my present gun. If not, then there are available what they call low-pressure HVLP guns (available from above). But hopefully, I won’t have to pop for the addt’l $330.

   Hope this helps.

   Craig Caughlan

1. 
   artnumber1 | Oct 11, 2004 01:05am | #4

   Thanks to all of you who answered. I think, with the info you've all supplied, that I'll do a little more research and make decisions.

   Art

3. 
   CRAIGCONEY_M | Oct 11, 2004 09:02am | #5

   Check out the wagner hvlp from gleem paint.  Cost effective & does a good job & can be converted to pressure pot as well.  

1. 
   Michmesquite | Oct 19, 2004 09:58am | #18

   I have the Wagner HVLP gun from Gleem and for $125 it is a very good entry level unit. I have shot poly to enamel with.

   BTW, Gleem Paint is a good place to do business with.

   _________________________________

   Michael in San Jose

   "In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted." Bertrand Russell 

   Edited 10/19/2004 3:02 am ET by MICHAELP

4. 
   CharlieP | Oct 11, 2004 09:33pm | #6

   I have the Porter Cable conversion gun and use it a LOT for NC lacquer (probably shot over 50 gallons so far) 

   I can run faster than my compressor if I spray continuously, but with a good size tank on the compressor (around 10 gallons), I simply pause for a moment if the compressor needs to catch up.  Thus it is possible to use a compressor with less output than the gun requires for continuous spraying. 

   The high pressure air that is reduced in pressure at the gun means that the air is fairly cold, which can cause condensation (the lacquer turns white) when spraying lacquer in humid weather.  The solution was to add a tablespoon or so of retarder to each paint cup of lacquer when the humidity is high. 

   I am putting a very heavy load on the compressor, so will probably wear it out due to the spraying.  My ideal solution would be a smaller compressor (so I can use a nail gun for just a few nails without waiting for pressure to build in a bigger tank), and a turbine for spraying so that the spray is warmer and doesn't need the retarder. 

   ________________________
   Charlie Plesums  Austin, Texas
   http://www.plesums.com/wood

1. 
   artnumber1 | Oct 13, 2004 05:46am | #7

   Thanks for the info Charlie. Is that Porter Cable the one I see at Lowes for about $100? I wondered about that one, whether it was any good. If that is the one, I'll probably buy it.

   Art

1. 
   CharlieP | Oct 13, 2004 06:48am | #8

   Lowe's is where I got mine, and I paid around $100.   Far better than my conventional guns, but the jury is out whether I will keep using this or someday get a turbine system. 

   Since NC Lacquer is solvent based, I have only cleaned the gun a couple times - I just leave it hanging in the shop with lacquer in it, ready to go. 

   It took a while to find Lacquer Retarder - never at Lowe's or Home Depot.  Found it at a paint store catering to professionals, about $12 for a gallon, which is probably a lifetime supply.  I also found Lacquer thinner on sale for about $16 for 5 gallons, rather than $9 for one gallon.  ________________________Charlie Plesums  Austin, Texashttp://www.plesums.com/wood

2. 
   BArnold | Oct 15, 2004 09:07pm | #14

   Art,

   For what it's worth, I recently purchased the Husky HVLP gravity-feed conversion gun from Home Depot for about $70.  I've only run a couple of gallons of finish through it so far but it was very easy to set up and it seems to atomize the finish well.

   Regards,Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting

   Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

2. 
   artnumber1 | Oct 15, 2004 02:32am | #11

   Charlie, thanks for the input. As I mentioned to niki the compressor isn.t as big as yours, but I won't be using it nearly as much as you are, so hopefully it will work out. Art

1. 
   CharlieP | Oct 15, 2004 04:15am | #12

   I consider my compressor a small one, so I am concerned about your comment about a smaller compressor. 

   The Porter Cable gun recommends a compressor of 8cfm at 90 psi. 

   My compressor provides 5.1 cfm at 90 psi, so that means that I can spray less than 2/3 of the time, but only if my air tank is big enough to smooth out the load. 

   Since I only said my tank was around 10 gallons (I looked, it is actually 13 gallons) that holds an air supply to allow me to keep going even though the compressor is putting out less than I am using.  I have gotten ahead of the tank, and had to stop until the compressor catches up. 

   Most people would say my compressor is small.  It has two wheels and a handle, but still is fairly small - runs on a household outlet, not 220 volts direct wired, not bolted to the floor. 

   If your compressor is smaller than mine, it is probably a "pancake" or "hot dog" compressor.  I looked up a couple and they only provide 2.8 to 3.7 cfm at 90 psi, or about 1/3 of the amount needed by the gun.  But since their tank is less than half the size of mine, you can't count on the tank to let you spray a bit to complete a stroke so you can pause until the compressor catches up. 

   The size of the compressor is not related to how many gallons per year you are spraying, but to the size of the piece you are doing at this instant.  If you are extremely skilled at spraying, you may be able to compensate for having to stop spraying in mid stroke or mid-panel, or be able to adapt to dropping air pressure.  But if you were that experienced you wouldn't be asking these questions.  So if your compressor is materially smaller than mine, I would not expect you to be successful with an air-hungry gun like the Porter Cable.  You should consider alternatives to the Porter Cable conversion HVLP gun, or be prepared to buy a larger compressor.

   ________________________Charlie Plesums  Austin, Texashttp://www.plesums.com/wood

   Edited 10/14/2004 9:17 pm ET by Charlie Plesums

1. 
   Sancho | Oct 15, 2004 05:41am | #13

   accuspray versae ( or sumptin like that. anyway i got it use it off my 4 gal 1.5 hp compressor. great gun pricey about 430 bucks but it will spray just about anything. I dont even have to final sand sometimes smooth as glass. http://www.compliantspraysystems.com

   check them out,BTW the enduro coat is da bomb too. 

   Darkworksite4:

   El americano pasado hacia fuera ase la bandera

2. 
   artnumber1 | Oct 17, 2004 12:21am | #15

   Charlie. I've dug out the manual for the Makita. It has a 5.2 gallon tank, is rated at 6.5 SCFM at 90 PSI and 6.9 SCFM @40PSI. Judging from the response from others, it seems like I could do alright with this compressor. At least, it seems to be worth the try.

   Art

1. 
   CharlieP | Oct 17, 2004 05:34am | #16

   I think you are right.  The 6.5 scfm at 90 psi is close to the 8 scfm at 90 psi suggested by the gun (if you run the air less than full blast, you may not need more than 6.5 anyway, even for continuous spraying).  Therefore, since you are close to the cfm rating (even closer than I am), you don't need much of a tank to "carry you through." 

   When I started, I didn't recognize the occasional excessive drop in air pressure (because I was getting ahead of the comressor), so I got used to keeping an eye on the pressure gauge on the gun.  Now that I have used it more, I can tell when I need to slow down or not start the next part.  But you might want to watch that pressure gauge a little, so you know what to expect, or can see when it is starting to get too low. 

   Sounds like you are all set - I think you will enjoy the gun.  ________________________Charlie Plesums  Austin, Texashttp://www.plesums.com/wood

2. 
   artnumber1 | Oct 19, 2004 01:45am | #17

   Thanks again, Charlie. It looks as though I'm all set. Art

5. 
   nikkiwood | Oct 13, 2004 06:55am | #9

   I think you need to look at the CFM requirements for the gun you are interested in. As others have said, you generally need a pretty big compressor to run a spray gun.

   Most small compressors (intended for nail guns, mainly) just don't have enough CFM output.

   So, unless you want (or have) a large compressor (which are usually not very portable), you would be best off getting a stand-alone turbine set up.

1. 
   artnumber1 | Oct 15, 2004 02:19am | #10

   Hi. I have a Makita MAC5200 compressor, which is rated at 6.5 CFM @90 PSI. The local dealer of air equipment assured me that (since I wanted dual use of the compressor) this unit would do the job. I don't have the manual right at hand, so don't know what it will produce at lower pressures. So, what do you think?