dragonov3

My Feedback: (3)

Need some help on an lphv spray gun. What is a good brand, where to buy and any advice you may have. I am going to be working on a semiscale project this winter and want to try my hand at painting.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Harbor Freight for about $15.00 on sale. I use them with Klass Kote two part epoxy paint and latex house paint on the gas powered planes. I also use there touch up gun. There is no reason to go out and buy a Binks for model airplanes.

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

I have used the cheap ones for years too,, Home Depot sells a "Husky" brand one that I bought recently to replace my lost in the move gun,, it worked well the couple times I've used it so far,,

be sure and also purchase an in line flow/pressure regulator too (see pic),, it really helps to fine tune the pressure at the gun

good luck

jaka

Hi!
SATA is used by many professional car painters.

SunDevilPilot

I'll second a Sata recommendation. I use a Sata MiniJet 4. Sata, unlike many of the big box store brand spray guns, is a professional grade gun. Once you buy it, which isn't cheap, you will never need to replace it. Top Quality.

Here is a plane recently painted with the MiniJet and Klass Kote Paint.

SunDevilPilot

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I adjust my guns at the compressor, does the line flow work that much better or is it just easier being at the gun itself?
When I was younger and still building sand rails and bikes I had 3 Binks guns, one to prime, one to color and one to clear coat. Using a gun that cost that much for a model airplane would have been silly but if I still had them I would be using them. I got a deal on them when I was going to paint my car and truck, I was very happy I had them but if all I was doing was small items like the sand rails and planes I would have just bought the Harbor freight guns. At that time there was no Harbor Freight that we knew of. When I sold my good guns I bought the cheap guns at Sears, they worked but nothing as good as the HVLP guns I get at HF these days. If I break one I just toss it and get another one. Once when I was using two colors of Klass Kote I just tossed the guns instead of cleaning. They werre on sale for under $13.00 and it cost more then that to buy the cleaner!
Just something to think about.

dbacque

My Feedback: (3)

My brother ran a body shop for many years. When I needed a touch up gun I asked his advice on this same question. His reply was go to Harbor Freight, their $10 touch up gun is a clone of the $200 Binks. He has a Binks that he uses when he has critical work to do but 90% of the time he uses the cheap Harbor Freight guns. He said it sprays great and when it clogs up, for the price you can just throw it away and buy a new one.

I've been very happy with my Harbor Freight touch up gun.

Dave

SunDevilPilot

Buying cheap Chinese stuff and throwing it away after use seems somewhat wasteful.  Disappointing to hear but to each his own.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Spending $25.00 on thinner or solvent to clean a $13.00 spray gun is even more disappointing Not to mention, where do you dispose of the solvent? Last summer I painted my new plane using latex, clean up was just water and easy, I used the same gun plus my touch up gun and still have them both. If I was using Klass Kote two part epoxy paint I wouldn't bother. I discovered this last time I painted a plane with KK paint.
On top of everything else, I hate cleaning paint guns!!! I have another plane getting painted this summer and will be using water based paint then probably something that would be requiring a cleaner for the gun. I will use a $10.00 touch up gun for the clear coat then toss it when finished. Maybe use a rattle can for the clear coat, then toss it?

dbacque

My Feedback: (3)

You misunderstood me. I'm not suggesting throwing out the gun instead of cleaning it. I do clean my $10 Harbor Freight touch up gun and I've gotten lots of good service out of it.

The point is that when you finally get a clog, how much time, effort and solvents do you want to spend on trying to save the gun? If it's a $200 Binks it's definitely worth your time. But if you have a product that works as well and has served you well, why throw lots of time and solvents into it? Don't forget, time is money, how much down time will it take to pay for another $10 gun?

Even with an expensive gun you will eventually plug one up to the point where it can't be saved. I'd rather toss the cheapie than something I paid a bundle for.

The other side of economic/environmental impact is, if the $10 device will do the job you require, why spend $200? Use the other $190 for organic fertilizer.

Dave

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

Depending on the paint, I turn down the compressor to about 40, then fine tune with the in line valve,, I find it much easier to adjust at the gun than run back and forth to the compressor

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

RUN???? You know better then that! I don't do none of that stenkin running!!
Dave, he was speaking to me I believe, and I did reply. I'm not above tossing a cheap gun rather then cleaning it. On top of the expense of cleaning a gun it's a huge mess and takes me forever to clean up after the cleaning of the gun. I only paint a plane every year or two and I'm not set up for it like I used to be. If I buy the solvent and use a five gallon bucket to clean the gun in where will I dispose of the dirty solvent. When I clean up after using water based Latex I dump it in my flower bed, haven't lost a plant yet!!
When using Klass Kote I can just let the paint set up in the gun and toss it. After a day or so it's just a solid colored block of epoxy.

dragonov3

My Feedback: (3)

Thanks for all the replies. Very informative. Harbor freight gun it is.