Seeking HVLP gun advice

DavidK

New User
David
Hi,
I am looking for an HVLP gun to spray clear finishes for woodworking projects.

I have a 5hp single stage compressor so I was planning to get a conversion gun rather than a turbine system.

Any recommendations/horror stories are appreciated.
 

Michael Mathews

Michael
Corporate Member
David,
You need to talk with Phil Soper aka Phil S. Your compressor might be just enough for just an HVLP gun that he can recommend. I've considered getting and help system but he has a gun that will work on my compressor just fine. Give him a shout! He's in NE Raleigh just inside 540
 

Phil S

Phil Soper
Staff member
Corporate Member
I normally recommend the Spray-it SP-33000 which is an LVLP gun and works great with compressors in the 2 hp range. But since you have a 5hp I would strongly recommend a Devilbus Finishline FL-4 with the D-Cup add-on.
It is a very friendly gun does a great job. You are welcome to come over and give both a try
 

Michael Mathews

Michael
Corporate Member
David, let me know if you want to go to Phil's some time. I've been thinking more about picking up a gun. It'd be a lot cheaper for me to do that than get a complete HVLP system!
 

Hmerkle

Board of Directors, Development Director
Hank
Staff member
Corporate Member
Sidebar - what do you set the input pressure (to start) on both the LVLP and the HVLP guns?
 

FredP

Fred
Corporate Member
Sidebar - what do you set the input pressure (to start) on both the LVLP and the HVLP guns?
Depends on the gun
My Asturo sets at 21psi or there abouts. My PC is somewhere around 32 psi.the manual will give a starting point then it's up to you to find the sweet spot. CFM is the driving factor here.
 

Hmerkle

Board of Directors, Development Director
Hank
Staff member
Corporate Member
Annnd in-there lies the problem - two guns "Acquired" without a manual. My "real" problem is the first time I used one of them, it worked great, the next time spatter, seemingly no matter what I did!
 

danmart77

Dan
Corporate Member
Hi,
I am looking for an HVLP gun to spray clear finishes for woodworking projects.

I have a 5hp single stage compressor so I was planning to get a conversion gun rather than a turbine system.

Any recommendations/horror stories are appreciated.
Well
Like Phil said the Spray-it SP-33000 which is an LVLP gun is great. Sadly, I just finished a fairly big finishing job with the HVLP and the LVLP guns shooting lacquer. I was shooting with a small compressor and I still got good results with the LVLP.

The 33000 is a great gun and the kit for under 100 is a good price.

 

danmart77

Dan
Corporate Member
Annnd in-there lies the problem - two guns "Acquired" without a manual. My "real" problem is the first time I used one of them, it worked great, the next time spatter, seemingly no matter what I did!
My first thought is you didn't clean the guns completely. This is the most common cause of spray guns not working properly. Try taking the gun apart and soaking the pieces in lacquer thinner. Wipe them clean and try again.
 

red

Papa Red
Red
Senior User
Well
Like Phil said the Spray-it SP-33000 which is an LVLP gun is great. Sadly, I just finished a fairly big finishing job with the HVLP and the LVLP guns shooting lacquer. I was shooting with a small compressor and I still got good results with the LVLP.

The 33000 is a great gun and the kit for under 100 is a good price.


That spray gun looks very sweet. I may need to try it. I'm not good at all spraying with my HVLP Earlex 5500.

Red
 

JimD

Jim
Senior User
I am using a turbine system after giving up driving a conversion gun (Wagner) with a little compressor. The last time I got spatter with my mini mite 3 I didn't have the cup of finish attached well and there was air leakage. I stopped and put it on again and all was good. I think this is fairly consistent with the "you didn't clean it well" comment. My wagner would sometimes splatter on finish when I got the settings really off, however. Too big a pattern trying to push too much finish with too little air can do it.
 

Henry W

Henry
Corporate Member
Well
Like Phil said the Spray-it SP-33000 which is an LVLP gun is great. Sadly, I just finished a fairly big finishing job with the HVLP and the LVLP guns shooting lacquer. I was shooting with a small compressor and I still got good results with the LVLP.

The 33000 is a great gun and the kit for under 100 is a good price.


I'll second that endorsement.

On Phil's advice (at a NCWW Saturday hands-on workshop at Phil's place) I bought the Spray-it SP-33000. Since them I have sprayed about a dozen pieces of furniture and about 5 interior doors using that system and a variety of compressors (from a small hot dog compressor to a fewer larger tank models). I have sprayed
- SealCoat shellac,
- a variety of Target Coatings products (the lacquer, the sanding sealer, their shellac, the conversion varnish, and the polyurethane),
- as well as Sherwin Williams Pro Classic latex enamel.
Only the Target conversion varnish was somewhat difficult, and the advice I have received from another more experienced finisher here on NCWW (sorry I forget who) was that the layer thickness 'needs to be greater' on that product. Aside from that I have had no problems achieving very acceptable results using that gun.
It is the only gun I have ever used, aside from the workshop at Phil's, and so I have no comparisons.
 

Michael Mathews

Michael
Corporate Member
what's the overspray situation like with the Spray-it SP-33000? Would I be able to use it in an open shop without a dedicated finishing room? or would I be looking at getting overspray on everything?
 

Hmerkle

Board of Directors, Development Director
Hank
Staff member
Corporate Member
what's the overspray situation like with the Spray-it SP-33000? Would I be able to use it in an open shop without a dedicated finishing room? or would I be looking at getting overspray on everything?
Michael,
We talked about this in an earlier thread (didn't try to find it)
I found a portable "spray booth" here is an example: Amazon.com: EasyGO Products Sprayrite 2 Paint Spray Shelter Spray Booth Painting Tent: Gateway
There are larger ones...

I would say it depends on the size of your object. I used my HVLP in the garage by putting a drop cloth down on the floor.
Later I noticed that I did get some over-spray, so I should have taken better precautions, but I was spraying a 30-36 diameter part on a table and should have realized that I would have over-spray even with the HVLP. With all that said, I did not have a cloud in the room, still I wore a respirator, but I used to used a "normal" spray gun and it was awful!
 

Phil S

Phil Soper
Staff member
Corporate Member
I spray close to my double doors and use a small exhaust fan. There is always some overspray but I spray lacquer 99% of the time and the overspray is dust before it lands on anything
 

DavidK

New User
David
Thanks for the great feedback! I just bought the Spray-it SP-33000 kit on Amazon. It sounds like a good unit to learn with that doesn't cost too much. When I have more experience, I might step up to the Devilbiss gun.
 
  • Like
Reactions: red

Premier Sponsor

Our Sponsors

LATEST FOR SALE LISTINGS

Top