What Spray Gun?

I've been reading 'How (not) to paint a locomotive'. In the book, the author Chris Vine, suggests a gun which is just under 300 pounds. Given that I have obtained good results with a spray can (at least the first half of it before it starts to splatter), why should I go out and spend such amounts when I can get something for 10 times less?

Chris suggests an Accuspray Isaac (now owned by 3M). You can also get loads of other pieces of expensive kit but there are cheaper options. For instance:

DeVilbiss SLG-610 Starting Line 1.3mm Spraygun

Or this from MachineMart:

Clarke AP16GF Gravity Fed Spray Gun

What are other builders using? Can you achieve good results from cheap kit and a bit of savvy or do we buy expensive kit and let the tools do the job?

Hi Dan

I use a Upol HVLP "touch up" gun for most of my spraying. See my photo threads for results. It gives fine control, small form factor and as the tank is not very big easy to get in around the spokes and hubs. I use single use mixing cups and pass the mixed paint though a filter into the gun tank. Follow the psi and volume settings to the letter.

Coverage wise. The small touch-up gun tank will do a single coat of a rear wheel, 3 tanks done the cleading. Belly tank and tender each used 3 or 4 for a single spray session. I use a larger gun when using the high build primer as the particle size can clog the small bore of the touch-up gun. The grade of gun also dictates the control you have. Pressure adjust, trigger strength and distance for pre-air then paint, needle position for radius of spray and directional air ducts for fan rotation.

My large gun was about £150 and the small touch-up was £89. It does make a huge difference between so called home pro and actual pro guns.

The biggest difference is cleanliness. Pro guns come apart very extensively for cleaning and can handle being taken apart more often.

Best place to get your gun is the local paint factors. They would not stock them if the pro's were not buying them.

Hope this helps.

That's great advice. I hadn't thought about the particle size being an issue for the high build primer.

Do the kits come with any painting advice in them?

I am presuming it's a case of etch -> high build -> base coat -> top coat(s) ?

Dan wrote:That's great advice. I hadn't thought about the particle size being an issue for the high build primer.

Do the kits come with any painting advice in them?

Don't be silly.

I am presuming it's a case of etch -> high build -> base coat -> top coat(s) ?

Yes that's about it.

lynnr wrote:
Don't be silly.

Haha! I really wasn't being silly! From the detail of the instructions that I have seen (what they do in A&E with hypodermic needles - kit 4 I think!) I really did think that they may have included painting tips!!!

He He..

What is at the front of your Avatar?

A herd of Peruvian Gerbils, all reigned up in gold leaf and velvet. Quite a sight....

I can add some thing in here as iv had a few problems with paint. I have a deviliss Sri Pro and a GTI Pro both big money guns for automotive paint but my cheap £80 gun is the best for using with the craftmaster top cote but my SRi pro with a 1mm fluid tip is the tops for base coat and primer once more in the craftmaster paint range.

So what I wound say is decide what paint you are going to use first before you pick a gun because if you use a 1K synthetic paint like craftmaster you don't really want to use a high end gun that has been made to work with thin automotive water based paint for top coat you might be better of using a primer gun that is set up to use a thicker paint and give a better even coat. Just so you know all automotive paint is going over to water based paint so all high end automotive guns will be set up for this there is all so guns made just for base cote, primer, top cote the list goes on im not trying to scare you im just telling you what I have learnt with my engine after years of painting with automotive and then coming over on to craftmaster there is a lot of difference. I can help you with either just ask

Stu

I agree with Headmut in that I borrowed a Devilbis spray gun a couple of years back that cost the thick end off £300 and found it very difficult to like. At the time I had a cheap gun that came as a freeby with my compressor & thought it would be better to use a 'quality' gun. The Freeby was perfectly fine & gave a superb finish. Now I use a HVLP gravity fed gun that I bought from ebay for £50 from America, great piece of kit.