paint gun

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
ahoiberg

ahoiberg

Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2007
Messages
1,765
Location
Ames, IA, USA.
i'm tempted to get a spray paint gun for pre-finishing a knotty pine ceiling i'm about to install.

don't have a ton to spend on one, and will probably use it for putting the poly or lacquer on the ceiling. i see a lot of them are rated for 'oil-based' paint but don't know if that includes poly or lacquer as a possibility, do i need a specific gun for those applications? any suggestions on a decent gun?

thanks!
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Andrew, HF puts their guns on sale regularly. I bought one 5 years ago that I use for my flatwork. It;s no Binks, but it does the job and I've not had any problems with it. I got one of their HVLP guns about two years ago and it works okay too.
 
thanks guys. john, i plan to use it more than once for sure, so I think i'll check out the HF guns. billy, do you know which one you got? there seems to be a grip of them at the store... i guess more specifically, will most of their options, minus the chincy looking platic ones, work for lacquer/poly?
 
Oh where to start with this. Well first off what size compressor do you have that will determine alot as to which gun you can use. HVLP need high cfm to run them properly. Other choices will be do you want a gravity feed or a bottom mounted cup but if your going to be doing a ceiling if I read correctly you would be best off getting a small pressure pot gun and then you can hang the pot off of your belt will save you troubles if your spraying at weird angles and stuff.
 
i guess i should have supplied that info...

it's a 10 gallon, 4 HP... here's the rest of the info i have on it:

120V, 4HP (peak), 3HP (rated,) 3400 RPM, Air delivery: 4.5 SCFM @ 115 PSI; 5.6 SCFM @ 90PSI; 6.25 SCFM @ 70 PSI; 7.2 SCFM @ 40 PSI; Auto shutoff @ 115 PSI; Restart @ 85 PSI

not really sure how SCFM differs from CFM, if they're interchangeable or what.
 
The "S" in SCFM stands for sustainable and is the most crucial thing to look at when buying a compressor. It doesn't matter if it's 20 HP with a 40 gal tank if delivers less than 4 SCFM @ 90 PSI. I think mine is only rated at 3.4 SCFM @ 90 PSI and it struggles with many of my pneumatic goodies. But I bought it before I knew about SCFM. I figured a compressor was a compressor. NOT!
 
I had checked into HVLP as a means to finish. Normal transfer rate for a standard gun is about 10%...

Here's some information I found:

WHAT IS HVLP?

To qualify under the term HVLP, air flowing through the Aircap must not exceed 10 psi. Generally speaking, HVLP turbine motors produce over 100 CFM (cubic feet per minute) at 3 - 8 psi. (pounds per square inch) depending on the model of motor. Compare this to a typical high pressure set-up where 45 - 60 psi at 8 CFM would be the norm. HVLP turbines supply air at a much lower velocity producing a softer, easier to control spray. This allows you to lay the paint on gently and not blast it on. Benefits of HVLP include less overspray and less paint wastage. Transfer efficiency can be as high as 85%. The quality of finish is identical to the best high pressure spray finishes.
 
Originally posted by alamocdc

The "S" in SCFM stands for sustainable and is the most crucial thing to look at when buying a compressor. It doesn't matter if it's 20 HP with a 40 gal tank if delivers less than 4 SCFM @ 90 PSI. I think mine is only rated at 3.4 SCFM @ 90 PSI and it struggles with many of my pneumatic goodies. But I bought it before I knew about SCFM. I figured a compressor was a compressor. NOT!
Click to expand...
I thought the "S" meant "Standard".
 
Jeff, out of curiosity I did a search and was only able to find it listed as "Standard" or "Square". I read "sustainable" on site related to auto paint some years ago but cannot find that, so I'll stand (or in this case sit) corrected. [:I] But from what I've found the SCFM still seems to be more important than CFM when looking at compressors for painting (and other pneumatic devices). CFM deals with air at pressure, while SCFM deals with air at standard conditions, but I have no idea what that really means.

Just shows that you can't always believe what you read.;)
 
Originally posted by alamocdc

Jeff, out of curiosity I did a search and was only able to find it listed as "Standard" or "Square". I read "sustainable" on site related to auto paint some years ago but cannot find that, so I'll stand (or in this case sit) corrected. [:I] But from what I've found the SCFM still seems to be more important than CFM when looking at compressors for painting (and other pneumatic devices). CFM deals with air at pressure, while SCFM deals with air at standard conditions, but I have no idea what that really means.

Just shows that you can't always believe what you read.;)
Click to expand...
Standard conditions are dry air, 14.7psia, 0 deg C. At least that's what we use at the rocket factory.

Wikipedia has a good summary.
 
this sounds like the perfect gun, but not sure if it will fly w/ my compressor because the gun is in CFM... all the conversions i've found online are vague but the numbers, if assuming a standard temperature, don't seem like they change more than one whole number or so....
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=45001

maybe i'll go for the non-hvlp one to start with... thanks for everyone's help.
 
I would not use a paint pump indoors unless you are prepaired to cover every square inch of surface you do not want paint on. the overspray will create a cloud inside the house.I own one of the little paint helpers that cost about $200 and use it to paint the outside of my house in about 2 hours. The spray guns you can get from HF will work, I own one and can tell you the going will be very slow, they are touch up guns at best. You will still end up with a lot of whatever you spray where you do not want it, Floor walls counters, window screens. HVLP is going to be your best bet by far. My Nephew got one for about $200 at Home Depot online. it is all self contained with its own pump and all. Sounds like what you need.
 
thanks daniel. i'll probably finish the boards outside and then bring them in to acclimate. my folk's house just had an addition put on and when they painted, it left residue in the next room over and they supposedly had the entrance sealed. so i know what you mean. i think i'll try the HVLP and see how it works with my compressor, sound like it'll be less messy at least. the ceiling isn't very big, so it shouldn't take too long to get a coat of satin poly on it... we'll see!
thanks again to all.
 
Originally posted by ahoiberg

thanks daniel. i'll probably finish the boards outside and then bring them in to acclimate. my folk's house just had an addition put on and when they painted, it left residue in the next room over and they supposedly had the entrance sealed. so i know what you mean. i think i'll try the HVLP and see how it works with my compressor, sound like it'll be less messy at least. the ceiling isn't very big, so it shouldn't take too long to get a coat of satin poly on it... we'll see!
thanks again to all.
Click to expand...

The HVLP with your compressor wont work very well. I have HVLP guns and did a side job at a friends place and he had a small compressor and it didnt work very well. Made tons more work in the end. How much are you looking to spend? You can buy a dedicated HVLP system with a turbine and gun and hoses for a few hundred dollars and itll last you a long time and get excellent results from it. When I worked for PPG for grins we tested a bunch of guns to see if what the manufacturer said they needed for cfm and actual was even close. Lets just say you would be shocked by some of the differences we saw as much as 10 cfm on some spray guns. IF your looking for a low cfm HVLP spary gun Sharpe makes one as it is what I use and has performed flawlessly for the last 5 years!!!
 
Boys and our toys. Why not, if it is a small area, use a floor finish applactor and do it the old way by hand. By the you get done covering up and cleaning up you could be done.
 
i like the idea michael, but apparently you're supposed to finish the tounge portion of the ceiling planks also and i think it might be easier to spray them. plus, i'd like to use the gun for future finishing projects.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom