Any sprayers here? need advice

Hi all,

I was wondering if any of you are sprayers?
The reason i ask is that i want to start spraying stuff at home and would like to know what i need without buying a load of crap that i dont.I have always been pretty handy with a spray can but thought i'd like to get into spraying with a gun.From what i have gathered by myself i will need a compressor and a spray gun as a start but there are so many out there and i dont know how to sort the good from the crap and exactly what spec compressor etc i would need.

I have quite a bit of stuff laying around that could do with a lick of paint and if it all goes well i may even respray the SV.To start with i have some scratched panels on a gilera scooter that need sorting and may also spray my Les paul guitar (If i dont sell it to raise funds for spray equipment)

So any advice?

Thanks
Ben

[timwilky]

It is a long time since I did any painting, so my comments are probably out of date or no longer relevant.

Compressor, oil less, for bike panel work you should be able to get away with about 150L, ideally 200L. Then a decent regulator/evaporator. As I use my compressor for power tool I have an oiler built in with a different connector. That ensures I cannot mix oiled air line with clean airline despite them being different colours.

Next, air fed mask. Necessary yes.

Gun, I used to use traditional syphon types. But the last job I did was with a gravity fed HVLP DeVilbiss. Brilliant gun, pity I had to give it back.

Assuming you are to spray in your garage, dust is the enemy. Erect a polythene booth, Rub down elsewhere and spray in your clean booth. Talking of rubbing down. A decent DA sander, lots of grades of wet and dry with elbow grease. tack rags and panel wipe. Get it smooth and clean. Mask everything

Buy mixing pots, the cost of paint you don't want to pollute or overmix it.


Develop your technique on old gash panels. Maintain a wet edge, a couple of thin coats rather that a fat coat that will sag/drip. Curves are difficult to follow, you can get too much on high spots and not enough in the valleys, so practice.

Rubbing compound, polish to get that nice new look.

I have never used modern water based paints so cannot comment about them. 2K paints get a good build, deep gloss and wear that mask. Don't be tempted by 1K lacquer, I never got a good shine.

Watch the ambient temperature/humidity. If necessary, stick a panel heater in your garage for a few hours. (Not a fan heater you don't want to disturb the dust)

Hi ,thanks for your reply.I have just started to work through the list of bits.I would also most likely use the compressor for air tools so would I need completely separate air line for these?

Secondly,spray guns.There are so many different ones I don't know where to start.Is HVLP the way to go?If so they seem to come in different sizes 0.9mm 1.4mm etc so what would I need for bike panels?
Thanks again

[NTECUK]

HVLP never got on with.(http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...hvlp-spray-gun)
I use
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...-12c-spray-gun
Re sprayed the fibreglass front of the mini with it .
I used celouse . That's not good were petrol is concerned.
Two Pack and the health restraints were outweighed by what i needed it for (Front of car).
Dust , reactions with other paints are a big problem.
Prep is everything.
You only need one compressor ,an inline oiler good for air tools.
it needs 50 litre air receiver minimum to spray and a 2hp motor for spraying and tools

[Wideboy]

tims hit it on the head

a decent regulator is probably one the key parts of equipment, doesn't matter if you have the farrari of the gun world it will be crap without a descent regulator

i have this clark gun, pretty sure i payed 55 for mine yonks ago so that seems a bargain to me. gravity fed guns seem to be what most pro's use these days. some guns are also HP specific so make sure you check the HP of your compressor before buying

i run mine on a 3.6bhp 250L direct drive compressor (bit OTT but it runs tools also so needed). make sure your compressor is kept separate from where you are spraying so the motor doesn't disturb the atmosphere