RCU Forums - spray gun.

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What HVLP spray gun would be good for painting models?
I have read some about the Sharp spray gun, IMO that is a pro gun and that is over kill for what I want to do . What do you think?

thanks:.................fwc

What size planes do you plan to shoot?

Go to Lowes and get a gravity feed HVLP touch-up gun

I have four HVLP guns toplay with. They cost from $34.99 to $225.00. For painting a plane any of them is over kill. The best gun I use is a Devilbis EGA touch up gun. It has a head and needle youcan no longer get.

I have had good results with the chaeper one from Harbor freight. To get a nice smooth finish I have had to double the amount of reducer I use. Keep the paint thin and use a hot reducer so it will flash off and not run, sage, or drip.

Unless you are going to paint some 35% size planes just use a smaller touch up gun.

My opinion.

Dru.

P.S. the one I use most cost $46.99 at Harbor freight.

ddubya: I would use the gun for painting engine cowls ane small parts. The largest plane I would paint would be 1/4 scale.

blvdbuzzard: Thanks for the good info on the spray guns you use. I think the cheeper gun would work for what I want it for.

Bruce: I will check out the gun at Lowes, thanks.

fwc.........

I've heard good reports on the Harbor Freight touch-up HVLP gravity feed gun. I think it's only about $30. Use Naptha or even laquer thinner to thin your paint. It will dry faster and give you less runs.

I have a page on my web site that might help you. It doesn't cover HVLP because I've never used them and don't know anything about them. But if you want to spray through a normal gun or airbrush then there's a lot of info here. It doesn't teach you how to paint, just what the stuff is and how it works.

http://www.airfieldmodels.com/tools_painting.htm

If you read it over and you still have questions, please let me know so I can make the page better.

Ciccarello.

Sounds like everyone is on the right track here, with the detail or touch-up gun suggestion. However, there are some differences between the guns on the market that you might want to be aware of. But first, lets' assume you will be powering the gun with a compressor that is adequate to the task.
The HVLP deal is good to be aware of, but given the size pieces and volume of work that you anticipate doing, the benefits of a High Pressure/Low Volume gun are not crucial. That is, if a particular gun fits your needs and budget, don't be scared away because it isn't an HVLP.
The next big difference you will notice between guns may be gravity vs. siphon feed...That is the cup on top vs. on the bottom of the gun. I shoot daily with a gravity HVLP and do model plane shooting with a siphon gun. The only thing difference I can tell you about is that the top cup can be more awkward than a bottom cup in some situations. Of prime concern with the top cup is that you want to be sure to get a good lid-to-cup seal, otherwise paint may drip on your work surface. Seldom a problem, but it has happened. And, amomg the top feeders, a nylon cup is about as good as a metal cup. The matal cup cleans-up really well. The nylon attracts dried paint over time. If overtightened, the nylon tends to break along the upper outside edge of the lid. Also, as a matter of ease. it is much easier to handle the top feed if you have a rack to hold it on the table top while cleaning and filling the gun. You can't simply lay the gun down as it's contents will run out. An aggrevating feature if you don't have a table- top rack. They are about $15, or if you can weld, one can be built out of 3/16" welding rod. While you are building, do a couple. One for the paint area and one for the mixing area. The top feeders clean-up easily. At any rate, plan on equiping a top feed with some sort of rack.
As for the siphon feeds, all of the generic and name brand guns I'm familiar with will probubly do what you want, and do a good job of it. Mine is a Badger and is a bit more difficult to clean than my top feeders. It shoots at a little higher pressure and does not require a table- top rack to keep the gun upright. Among the siphon guns, you will notice a difference in the position of the air inlet tube. Most of the generic types have the inlet coupling at the top of the gun and projecting straight rearward. That feature makes the gun rather difficult to handle in a lot of positions. That can be delt with by using an eight foot length of neoprene hose, coupled between the gun and the main air hose. Makes a near perfect handling gun. The Badger's air tupe projects down at a rearward angle so the air hose is not a problem.
Another feature that you will find separating some guns is a built-in pressure regulator. It's handy to have the regulator right in the gun, especially if the air isn't properly regulated at the compressor. Or, when switching from one type of work-piece to another. If the gun you want doesn't have this feature, a small regulator can be added to the air tube coupling and will serve the purpose. I believe the cost is about $15 to $20 .
Lastly, the Badger has three sizes of needle/head assemblies available. Nice for adjusting from very small pieces to large scale wing panels.
Between the guns, I suppose my favorite is the siphon gun. In general, it is easier to "handle" and seems more natural in feel. That may simply be be a bias for what I've used for a long time.
Whichever gun you settle on, be satisfied that replacement parts will be available, and always Field-stip the gun after shooting. And always store your gun with a third cup of thinner in the cup, with the top screwed on. Guarantee that the next time you use the gun, no matter how clean you thought you had it, there will be paint from your last shoot in the cup. Good luck with your projects!

Lot of good advice here... I just want to ditto those remarks about the Harbor Freight Chicago Pneumatic HVLP gravity feed gun. Can't beat it for the price for our purposes. That is the only gun I use anymore unless I am doing small detail work... then I still use my Pasche air brush. I even painted my kitchen cabinets with the HVLP! Good luck!

Thanks for all the good information on spray equipment.

cafeenman: thanks for your input.
ddubya: thanks for your time to reply on this subject.

many thanks to all who replied.............fwc

I just picked up that Harbor Freight gun at my local store for $49 with the regulator. I went to Home Depot, and they wanted $79 for a comprable gun, and $15 for the regulator. He was telling me I needed a gun for primer, and a gun for the top coat, as the primer will ruin the needles? Is this true?

Which model was that,
I need a good airbrush for painting lexan car bodys

Quote:

Originally posted by rsieminski
I just picked up that Harbor Freight gun at my local store for $49 with the regulator. I went to Home Depot, and they wanted $79 for a comprable gun, and $15 for the regulator. He was telling me I needed a gun for primer, and a gun for the top coat, as the primer will ruin the needles? Is this true?

EAA Sport Aviation magazine just ran a series of tutorial articles about spraying paint on full scale airplanes. I suggest reading thru them. I think there were three articles done in sequence since the beginning of the year.

Anyway, they found that the harbor freight gun worked as well as much more expensive ones.

Super! I thought it worked great too, but I'm far from a pro. Once you get the paint consistancy right, professional-like results are easy. I'd really like to get a hold of that article.

Harbor Freight has an HVLP gravity feed touch up gun that would probably be better than the full size gun for model applications. The HF gun is a good gun for the money. I bought an Asturo gun for $300 to paint furniture. It is definitely superior to the HF gun. It lays down a soft spray with less overspray and no orange peel. Asturo also has a touch up gun that would work well for model applications. It costs $100, but would be a good long term investment. Here is a link to see the gun:

http://www.homesteadfinishing.com/htdocs/asturomec.htm

The main trick in using these guns is to thin the paint to the right viscosity and to set the gun pressure high enough to atomize the paint. I used about 20 psi to the gun which produces a somewhat lower pressure at the tip. When you get the right recipe, these guns work great.

but i'm looking for an airbrush
something for doing fine work on clear lexan bodys.

Thanks'

Bob,

The Paasche VL double action airbrush would be a great choice for your stated purpose. I really like mine. The large F-86 in my gallery was painted with one.