Best type of spray gun ?

[truckdoctor]

As a novice sprayer, I need some advice and hope someone here may be able to help. I've bought a small compressor (25 litre tank, cheap) to spray my old rover one panel at a time with cellulose paint, and need to know what would be the best spray gun type to buy.
Checking out ebay there seems to be so many types, would a low pressure gun be the best? gravity fed or not? etc. etc.
Thanks
http://http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g243/truckdoctor/underoffsidefrontwing005.jpg

 

[malcolm]

Which Rover is it? Not that it matters for the choice of spray gun, just interested.

Should be careful with the cheap compressor for spraying. It won't have any sort of water trap, so the paint will end up with lots of annoying bubbles that appear after some time. First one in http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/paint-faults.htm There's advice in http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/air-system.htm

For the spray gun try to match the nozzle to the compressor. I bought one with a 1.4mm nozzle for a similar size compressor. Many of the "pro" ones will have bigger nozzles which let all your air out too quickly. Far as I know the choice between gravity and syphon is personal preference. I use a syphon one.

 

[Sam(GTD)]

Generally HVLP, gravity fed are what most people will use for automotive spraying like this, you certainly don't need big pots if you are doing a panel at a time and that's what your compressor will limit you to as well.

What spray gun you decide to invest in depends the quality of finish you want, with skill you should be able to get a reasonable finish with a mid/lower range spray gun......look for some bargains second hand too.

Are you just doing this project or are there things in the future you can see yourself spraying?

I use an old meiji japanese spray gun i got for a bargain but it's absolutely fantastic.

As above, water droplets are a major issue with spraying, i use a seperate set of air cylinders that i have condensed all the water out of prior to spraying.
Some sort of water trap would be advisable for your set up.

 

[truckdoctor]

Thanks for the tips, very helpful.

It's one of these rovers p5b, hopefully it will look like this when finished.
At the moment it's in bits but looked like this when i bought it in the summer with a years MOT

Soon found out that it was rusted away under the wings. Ouch
With regard to condensation in the supply line, Iv'e been thinking of using a coil (about 20M ) of 10mm copper i have lying around outside the garage in the cold air with a drain fitted as it enters. Not sure what effect this small diameter pipe will have though.

 

[squizzel]

Beautifull motor i had 5 of those at one time, 3 coupe`s and 2 saloons, rebuilt them all.
I agree with the above and if buying a spray gun now it would be a hvlp gun.
Mark

 

[Chipper]

Check what cfm your comp delivers roughly, then decide HVLP or conventional (needs less air than HVLP - more likely to match your comp). Better still ignore what the label is and go by the air req's, there's guns out there called HVLP which aren't.

Get a proper regulator/filter too, you can also stick a mini trap on the end of the gun itself.

Gravity's nicer when just doing a little bit, no lost paint, and also that bit easier to strip & clean. But just preference really.

 

[truckdoctor]

Thanks for the replies, so do I have it correct ?
HVLP uses a larger quantity of air but at a lower pressure. More suitable for a big litre tank
LVHP uses a smaller quantity of air at a higher pressure, More suitable for a small (25 litre) tank
Bearing in mind one panel at a time will be sprayed LVHP is better ?

 

[jaykay]

sealey do a gun,s775G that will do you fine.
for celly you dont want bigger then a 1.3 nozzle.
TOOL BAY DIRECT. £37.dont used that copper pipe it will change temp of air fast and you will get condentsation for sure.
stick with normal rubber air hose.

 

[truckdoctor]

Thanks for that, good site, great choice for all the bits i need

 

[Will1983]

one tip i'll give you is to buy all the paint needed for the car in one go, if it comes in seperate containers find a big tin and mix it all together otherwise you may find you have some colour matching problems when you've finished.

this is because even though each colour is mixed to a specific recipe there will be slight variations between batches of paint supposed to be the same colour. also if you spray a panel at a time there will be no 'blend' between colours just straight lines where the panels meet which will emphasize any differences in shade.

 

[truckdoctor]

OK, the reason to do a panel at a time is, as a novice i will make mistakes, so doing a panel at a time will help me learn the process and rectify faults as i go. Didn't know about the paint being a different shade though.Thanks

 

[Sam(GTD)]

I'd do a lot of practice spraying before you go anywhere near the panels!
It's a lot easier to get it right first time than to rectify faults......i hate having to sand down paint runs, blemishes, dust.

Also you don't really want a learning curve as you progress through the panels.....parts of the car will look better than others!
It's better to have the whole car looking a bit ropey (brush painted cars have character!!) than bits looking dodgier than others.

Look at a lot of videos on youtube (most are good, look for proffessionals not bob in his garage)
Spraying is certainly one of those things you get the 'feel' for so can only really get good with practice.

 

[luke123]

Hi alot of the tutors in college in the bodyshop love devilbiss (Expensive) But are good spray guns.

But we've got a walcom for the big panels but we have this spray gun it's brill blasted my whole vw beetle floorpan in zink 182 with it, and dads done transit doors and merc doors with it.

Hvlp by bergen

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250735319454

 

[pedrobedro]

Get a Sealey Gold gravity gun from hugspaint on ebay, you can't beat them for quality at the price. A 1.4 nozzle will do what you want just watch some videos on youtube and read the tutorials then practise on some sheets of cardboard or the back of the garage door to set your fan and paint volume.

 

[Grrrmachine]

Just reading this, and not quite understanding how the guns being recommended (Sealey s775G, 11.5 CFM, for example) can be suitable for a 25L compressor which is probably running at 2hp/7 CFM.

I'm looking to buy a low-pressure gun myself, so that I can also use a mask on my (allegedly) 14 CFM compressor, and I'm a bit overwhelmed by the choices.

 

[pedrobedro]

The Sealey Gold S701G runs at 6 to 11 cfm @ 30 to 50 psi and will do a panel at a time for not too much money, did you read up on that one?

 

[Grrrmachine]

Oh yeah, that's what I'm really heading towards (as long as I can get it posted over here.) I'm just curious that if even a little 1.3 setup like the sealey needs 6CFM, what hope does a little 24L compressor have of powering anything?