HVLP or conversion sprayer

[joshg]

Lemme start by saying i my experience with spraying finish is limited to spray can lacquer so i am at your mercy here. I am in need of some sort of spray finishing system and i am 100% sold on lacquer finish. I had decided to spend the 5-8 hundred on an hvlp system until i had a few ppl suggest going with a conversion sprayer which hooks to a standard air compressor. What do you guys recommend? How much air compressor is required for a conversion sprayer? Seems to me like the hvlp system would be more even pressure, but like i said i have zero experience. I need one or the other. The conversion sprayers are way cheaper, but i have a feeling i will need a larger air compressor to run effectively. lemme know what you guys think. thanks in advance.

josh g

[TDHofstetter]

Dunno much about conversion sprayers, but just to confuse things here's this:

www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44677

I own one, bought on a recommendation from a fella I know who says it works well. Haven't shot anything through it yet, though - too cold here still.

It's soup to nuts, (turbine) compressor included. All you supply is electrical power and a potful of whatever finish you're shooting. It comes with three needle/cap sets - I think they're 1.0, 1.4, and 1.8. The general-purpose one might be 1.5mm instead of 1.4.

[Ruffnek]

I have a Wagner HVLP conversion gun that I got from Gleem Paint.



You can read all about it at the following link:

www.gleempaint.com/hvcongunnew.htm

It works really well although there is more overspray than with a turbine- powered system. But, for the $129 price, it was a good investment.

[Stretch]

Spray guns aren't bad for smaller projects but once you get into shooting large pieces of furniture, it becomes a major pain to stop and refill the cup all the time. I shoot lacquer almost exclusively as a finish and while I do have a gravity feed HVLP conversion gun, I do 98% of the work with an airless sprayer. There is more overspray than a HVLP will give you, but for me it is made up for by the time savings. With the airless, it sprays a thicker coat so it takes fewer coats to build up a durable finish, and if I have a huge project I can load it up with a five gallon bucket of lacquer and spray til I'm done and not worry about refilling. The only special thing you need to know is that you have to use a smaller tip. Mine came with a .015 tip for spraying latex paint. For lacquer I am currently using a .011 tip I got a Sherwin Williams. Really though, I need a .009 tip but I couldn't find one locally and I still haven't gotten around to ordering one. Also, when shooting solvent based lacquer with an airless, it is very important to rinse with paint thinner when you are done or the solvents in the lacquer thinner will eat the seals in the pump. My old boss ruined the pump on his sprayer because he was rinsing with water and the water wouldn't carry off all the solvents.

My sprayer is a Titan Xt 250 I got at Home Depot

www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=100553110&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&ci_sku=100553110&ci_src=14110944&cm_mmc=shopping-_-googlebase-_-D24X-_-100553110&locStoreNum=6514&marketID=249

Edit: Refering back to your original question. I've sprayed with my HVLP conversion gun using a 28 gallon compressor that pushed around 5 cfm. My six gallon Porter Cable compressor was not enough to drive the gun for any length of time. I had to keep waiting on it to catch up. My advise on compressors though is to get all you can afford cause eventually you will use it and to go with an oil lubed pump vs. oil less as they are quieter and last longer.

[Mark T]

Thanks a lot Mark. Now I have to go out and explore the airless system. Dang it!

Mark is also correct in regards to air compressor size. If you are even THINKING about using a compressor for almost anything except an air nailer, get all the compressor you can afford... and then get someone to loan you a few bucks. You will never be overpowered, and it is a nightmare to have to wait for air to catch up to your tool.

[dejure]

I have a EXP2305 SpraytecH airless. If I had a lot of finish to do, I'd consider using it. As noted, it really puts the product out, even with a fine tip. I bought it used for $600.00 and it's still going strong after four years of good use.

I have a CS9100 Capspray true HVLP, which is a four stage turbine. For detail and finish, it's my favorite toy. I never have to worry about humidity from a compressor, or having a big enough compressor. I paid a million bucks for it new (give or take $998,800.00). However, I've seen three of them on craigslist for around four hundred. The guns are worth nearly that (you can only run them on an HVLP). If you do go that route, get a four stage. If you can, jump on a used Apollo.

If you want to take advantage of HVLP, but a small cup is a problem, you can get two quart units, or can get a gallon paint pot, but you'd need a compressor to push the paint from the remote can to the gun.

I also have an Accupray unit. It's a self contained HVLP conversion. It does a great job and, just to test it, I've actually painted a room with it. The over-spray really is a fraction of an airless and you can, with the right tip (as with other HVLPS's), do automotive finishes, or shoot heavy latex.

If you already have a good (read big CFM) compressor, you can opt for a conversion gun. However, unlike the HVLP systems, you have to keep moisture out of the line.

Just as an side, I experimented and mounted an HVLP fitting on my texture gun and was able to do touch up texture with a compact unit.