Replies

1. 
   AndrewSmithCanada | Apr 20, 2020 12:34am | #1

   I'm a hobbyist too, and my first experience spraying paint was using a 25$ "HVLP" gun from home depot with my 10-gal compressor. I sprayed all the kitchen cabinet doors at my mom's.

   The doors got painted, but I have to say that project was a disaster. My compressor could only keep up for about 2 minutes before I had to stop, the paint (thinned so much it seemes like water) went on so thin I had to go over each line several times, and in the end someone who paid attention would see that it's not done professionally.

   Now I have a 5-stage turbine I got second-hand (but unused) for 500 CAD. It came with a set of nozzles too (you want that). I sprayed the pickets for my fence on it, and they turned out much better, but it was still a hell of a lot of work and a /lot/ of learning.

   You also need to make a spray booth and a painting turntable and get an organic-vapor respirator, strainer, measuring cups, and probably ten other things I don't remember.

   After all that experience I can say two things confidently:

   1) You definitely get what you pay for. If you try to do it on the cheap - you'd be better off getting spray paint in cans and spraying that.
   2) Learning how to spray paint is not like learning to use a table saw. You won't get any acceptable results without a lot of reading and a lot of practice (at least 10 square meters of practice).

   So my advice is - either commit to all that or do without. I've never had a cheaper turbine so I can't say whether a 2-stage will be as effective as a 5-stage for hobby purposes.

2. 
   john_c2 | Apr 20, 2020 03:06am | #2

   There are sprayers in your price range that will do a decent job with clear finishes, but not paint. Once the viscosity increases, they start doing a poor job. I had one of those sprayer and the paint had to be thinned wayyyy too much. It wasn't worth it.

   I have a very good sprayer now, but don't use it often. When the right task comes along, it's great. But setting up to spray and cleaning up are a chore, and other methods are usually easier. For 6 cabinet doors, I would do them with a brush. Newer water based alkyd paints give a great finish with a brush.

3. 
   stantheman | Apr 20, 2020 08:50am | #3

   I have the low end Earlex sprayer and am pretty happy with it.

4. 
   bilyo | Apr 20, 2020 11:42am | #4

   My recent experience has been similar in that I wanted to be able to spray occasional projects but, I did not want to spend big bucks for something that would only get used a few times per year. Also, my 10 gal compressor only puts out about 6.5 cfm and can't keep up with the larger guns. In my search for a solution, I came across the term LVLP (low volume low pressure) and found a few guns that fit this category. Some will work satisfactorily with the small pancake compressors. I also found the Sprayit Sp-352 at Home Depot for $15.00. At first, I ignored it as a cheap throw-a-way and then decided to give it a try. What's to lose. If no good, throw it away or return it. Hey. I like it! It appears to be an Iwata W-71 knock-off. It does a good job of spraying with a 1.5mm tip. It sprays water based poly straight from the can using my 6.5 cfm compressor just fine. I'm not an experience spray gun user but, I can't find any fault with it. After using this one for a while, I found another that came with a 2.0mm tip. I've tested it with latex paint with only moderate thinning and it seems to do OK. I haven't done that enough yet, however, to form a solid opinion. Any way, I suggest that while you are looking for "something better", try the Sprayit. It is so cheap, you can throw it away. You may find yourself not looking any further.

5. 
   mdorsam | Apr 21, 2020 10:54am | #5

   From what I've read, paint... specifically latex paint, is best sprayed with an airless system - which can be rented. HVLP isn't really designed for paint viscosity. My guess is that a 4 or 5-stage system (there isn't that much difference in output) can get you there, but not at the consistent quality needed.

6. 
   [email protected] | Apr 21, 2020 11:11am | #6

   The latest Fine Homebuilding magazine had a review that describes a sprayer that might be just what you need. It's battery powered and airless, designed for latex and oil-based paints. It might be a good option for many woodworkers who do an occasional painted project. Here's the link: https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2020/04/08/speedy-sprayer

7. 
   bilyo | Apr 21, 2020 02:15pm | #7

   mdorsam, Most of what I have read also states that airless is not particularly good for small projects. Too much over spray. Again, I don't have a lot of experience but, the latex test panels I did with my new LVLP gun using a 2.0mm tip turned out very nice with only moderate thinning and a small amount of Floetrol.

8. 
   mdorsam | Apr 21, 2020 06:23pm | #8

   Glad to hear of your success with the spraying. Once you leave behind HVLP the sprayers become quite powerful, and do cause over-spray... the HVLP approach is great for traditional woodworking finishes, and if you can get acceptable results doing Paint, it is just that much better. For most DIYs, my guess is they would not be comfortable diluting their paint, and potentially ruining a complex build; for the more experienced types, this is probably a good alternative.

9. 
   rob_ss | Apr 21, 2020 09:47pm | #9

   I use a cheap Bosch HVLP when I need a sprayer.
   I hate it.
   It does the job, but it's a real pain working out how much to dilute the paint. Cleaning takes as long as painting.
   There is also a significant skill level required in paint application.
   Nonetheless now I have the hang of it, I do get really good results with most paints though so I use it for application of paint to any panels. For clear finishes I use a brush.