HVLP v compressor?

[Fazed]

Hi all, first post after lurking for a while so go easy
Got a few queries regarding HVLP or compressor...

• Does anyone actually use a HVLP kit (Apollo/Wagner/Earlex etc.) on a regular basis and do you get decent results?
• Is it worth buying one for painting general stuff like gates/railings/motorcycle parts (no full car resprays)?
• My space is pretty limited so a big compressor is a no no. Has anyone used one of the small compressors with a 6 litre tank (like the ones you use with a nailer) for painting with, and did it yield good results?

Thanks all.

Alex.

 

[pedrobedro]

I did an Escort in cellulose with an Apollo kit many years ago and it was easy to use and gave a good finish. It was a borrowed one and neither I nor the owner knew much about it but I thinned the paint a bit more than usual and took my time and it was fine. I built a 25 litre compressor (when they were very expensive to buy ) and used it for a long time but it was not powerful and the easiest way to use it was a panel at a time, I think you may be on a loser with a 6 litre tank unless the pump will supply the pressure the gun needs.

 

[deandave]

Hello, I did a teeny bit of research on this recently after getting cheesed off with my obnoxious little 25 litre compressor and gun. I used it to spray a pair of alloy wheels in the garden. The compressor was filling every couple of minutes. The noise was extremely annoying (labelled as 97dB!) and it seemed like most of the paint was bouncing off and floating over to the neighbours....

Luckily, I have an Axminster tool store locally, who carry the Fuji and Apollo (made by Bambi?) HVLP systems and a range of Axminster-badged compressors. www.axminster.co.uk/compressors (no, I have no affiliation with them, just happen to have the catalogue right beside me).

I had an Apollo switched on; it sounded exactly like a vacuum cleaner. There was no gun attached so it will probably be relatively quiet in practice.

I also had one of their 50litre 10.5cfm belt-driven compressors demoed for sound. Noise was labelled as 75dB but sounded about the same as my obnoxious 25 litre to me. This amount of air volume will only drive a small touchup HVLP gun. Didnt hear the 6 litre compressor, but they list it as 70dB, so still pretty loud... and only really suitable for air-brushes.

After posting here a couple of months ago, I didnt get much feedback about the paint finish quality of the HVLP systems for car bodywork, so I didnt make any purchase in the end. No-one seems to make one with a gravity fed gun though. However, I dont think there is any question about their suitability for railings etc. Most of the paint (80%-ish) will stay on the surface with any HVLP gun (compared to 40%-ish for non-HVLP). So, sounds suitable for your needs....

Hope there was something helpful in these words...

 

[Fazed]

Thanks for the info Deandave.
I have used an Apollo some 20 years ago to respray a Metro bonnet and wings that had been vandalised with brake fluid. I can remember having orange peel/dry spray issues which was rectified by spraying a very over-thinned final coat and lots of wet sanding! Never used one since, maybe they're a lot more refined now than they were?
I also used to have a Clarke Tiger compressor but lack of use and the fact that the bloody thing was always in the way led me to get rid.
I have seen the Axminster kit, especially the little 6 litre compressor they do, and was wondering if I could get away with using a small HVLP touch-up gun with it. It would be ideal as it's small enough to stash in a cupboard out of the way, and compressors are pretty versatile.
Ok, a 6 litre one isn't going to run a D/A or a windy gun, but for a blow duster or a tyre pump, it should cope. Maybe!

 

[deandave]

Out of curiocity and boredom and the fact that I have been thinking about getting a HVLP touch-up gun, I did some more digging:

Looked at three HVLP touch-up guns on Ebay for £30-ish delivered:

- one claims 2-4cfm with 1mm tip, needs up to 45psi, about 100ml capacity
- another 8 cfm, 1mm tip, up to 43psi, about 100ml capacity
- another (Sealey) 9cfm with 0.8mm tip;

A 6l compressor with a 90W motor (£120-ish) probably delivers less than 1cfm (just a guess; its not listed in catalogue spec). Doesnt seem like its ever going to fit your needs.....?? A used washing up bottle would blow more air, and for longer ;-)

And, the small capacity of those guns is probably OK for motorbike bits, but surely wont be quite so 'convenient' for bigger bits like gates.

The Apollo Spraymaster is £177 with a 1litre capacity HVLP gun...

Size and weight-wise, Apollo is 12kg and compressor on its own is 16kg and Apollo wins on size...

 

[Fazed]

Hmm. Looked at a few specs for small gravity feed HVLP guns but the air requirement is massive, anywhere between 250lpm to 550lpm. I found a Draper one that quotes 19.4 cfm, thats never going to work is it!

Back down the Apollo/Wagner/Earlex route I think. Cheers anyway fella.

 

[Chipper]

The weeny tank one sounds very doubtful, but check what cfm it puts out (FAD - not displacement). Will be working very hard if it can actually puff out enough cfm's.
A fair few "HVLP" guns on the bay are very conventional going by specs - that 4cfm one sounds suspiciously like one I have. Wasn't sold as HVLP when I got it, but I see the exact same one now with that label on it. But no matter really, it does mean though, that there are mini guns with low air needs.

Reckon a mini gun would be OK for gates etc because you can aim it well and only need a small fan to squirt the actual railing, but you'd be topping it up lots.
I did most of my Landy with a mini-gun, because it was mainly done a panel-ish at a time. For final coat though a fullsize will be used. Mostly use a mini for bike parts if doing 1 or so, but I did 8-9 panels in one session, used a JGA for that.

 

[pedrobedro]

B&Q do a couple of Earlex kits and the cheapest is only £49.98 so it wouldn't break the bank Link The other one is £97.89 here and has a large capacity pot for bigger jobs, worth a punt if you want to paint something.

 

[graffian]

I saw a self contained unit being used to apply the laquer on a custom painted car in the 80's, not bad finish I was quite impressed. The gun was a Eastwood sample unit[the bloke was a well known custom painter]; he said the only draw back was he usually used a pressure pot with a gallon of clear in it.

As to what can do the job, bloke that lived next door to us[when I was about 8] painted a TR2 with a gun attached to a footpump! There were lines of kids sitting on my wall shouting helpful comments while he did it;-)

 

[kerrandy]

I have used an earlex to paint guitars but as the spray gun has a 2mm nozzle it is not really suitable for detail work on gates and such as it puts out to much paint. It did a great job spraying primer on an Imp and i even used it spray the garage. For small jobs I now use a touch up gun with a small compressor.