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What’s your favorite sprayer? What do you usually use it for? HVLP, conventional, LVLP, etc? I’ve been using Husky for years but it’s time to upgrade. I tend to travel and paint in many places, some without good air lines or a big enough compressor, so I’ve actually switched to using a Wagner Flexio 590 so I don’t need to depend on the shops equipment, I just need an outlet and extension cord. Since they switched to turbine style motors these guns got much better and more consistent. That being said, their earlier models had more metal pieces, which made their stuff last longer than it does now. I tried a Kobalt version of the same gun and it fell apart after only a couple weeks, the Wagner’s usually make it about a year to year and a half with daily use. Never tried the much more expensive contractor grade brands,but I would be interested in knowing what they are like (especially the Lithium Ion battery versions). I use these guns for everything from gradients, to basing to laying out.
I’ve been using my SATAjet 100 BFRP for years and I absolutely love it. It’s incredibly easy to adjust the settings on the gun, so I can get all sorts of spray types and shapes with the slight twist of a nozzle. The knobs never get gunked up on me and it’s very simple to disassemble and clean. It fits really well in my hand and seems to be pretty balanced, even with a long air hose attached to it. The standard size PVC cup does well for the amount of spraying that I do, but you can also purchase a larger aluminum cup if need be. Sata guns can get pretty pricey, but the one I have is one of their lesser expensive models and I have absolutely no complaints.
https://www.sata.com/index.php?id=satajet100bfrp&L=11#ad-image-0
I have a colleague whose previous experience was spray painting large sculptures for billboards (and I think he has automotive body work in his background, too). He uses the 3M Accuspray HVLP system with their Paint Preparation System (PPS) at the museum exhibit shop where he currently works.
The best parts about it:
*The cup lids have a large filter screen built into them
*The cups twist and click on- so you can change out colors in a snap. This is 3M’s PPS system.
Buy extra hard cups with the liners, and boom- you can have 5 colors ready to go and change between them with a twist and click. I think they make adapters so you can use this system on your existing gravity feed guns.
*Comes with spray tips of different sizes. They’re plastic, disposable, and you can buy them in bulk if you work in a shop where you may not always have time to clean everything really well. Once you use it 5 or 10 times, throw it away and pop in a new one for a gun that sprays like new again.
I’ve used them a few times myself, and being able to easily switch between colors without rinsing the gun saves so much time. The spray quality has been just as good as other HVLPs I’ve used.
Here’s a video from 3M that describes it more thoroughly, plus a link to Amazon if you want to try it out yourself!
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33GE9W6RCEw” class=”bbcode_url”>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33GE9W6RCEw<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01497MZB6/ref=asc_df_B01497MZB65269908/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B01497MZB6&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198065480126&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2453901597591682280&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9019675&hvtargid=pla-385426193915″ class=”bbcode_url”>https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01497MZB6/ref=asc_df_B01497MZB65269908/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B01497MZB6&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198065480126&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2453901597591682280&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9019675&hvtargid=pla-385426193915We use Binks HVLP systems at our shop for most of our finishing needs. Depending on the size of the job, we have 2 quart, 2 gallon, and 5 gallon pressure pots set up with a few different needle/tip size combinations. The 2 quart guys are great for carrying around but the regulators don’t do nearly as good of a job as the bigger options.
It’s nice to be able to crank that tank pressure up and hose it on or dial it down and get dainty with it.
As for cup guns. We have some cheapos we got off amazon. They work for some things but rarely do I choose them over the pressure fed options.
We have discussed using HVLP at our shop, but I am afraid of the over spray. I’ve used a Sata gun before when I worked at SeaWorld many years ago, and I LOVED it. They had a spray booth though and we used automotive paints. I’m afraid to use acrylic paints in my sata gun because I don’t know what size needle I should have in it? Wouldn’t it clog from the air drying the paint? Would anyone have any words of advice for us? Do I just go for it? Am I worrying to much about overspray and the needle size? Wont the gun clog if I use Rosco O.B.? My TD wants us to try the huge sprayers they sell at home depot for painting apartments but this sounds like trouble. Our paint area is also scenic and prop storage, or just the shop itself where all the carpenters are working. I feel they would be pretty upset if we got over spray all over the table saw and tools!
So. I work mostly on backdrops and I don’t know the set-up or type of scenery you have. I will say that I have painted entire skies/sky drops with a type of gun I’ve found a Harbor Freight. I own about 5 of them because they run at $15 max. It’s probably about a pint at most, but the cup attaches to the side of the gun, can swivel back and forth, and makes it perfect for spraying down. They’re fairly small and have a variable spread. I have put OB through these many a time, and as inexpensive as they are, they hold up to heavy use (that’s every gun I’ve gotten from Harbor Freight). For the Cobalt Studios spray seminar, it’s mostly $15 guns from HF, both quart and little side-car I described. During that seminar, we get particular about overspray, but that’s usually 8 people spraying for days. Even so, that overspray is only dust once it settles.
I have also sprayed some OB or SS mixed with regular Ben Moore white latex, and as long as the paint is thinned appropriately, strained, and the gun cleaned after use, I have had no problems. For backdrops, the paint is usually very thin, and we glue 5-gal strainer pieces into our funnels so they strain as you funnel. If anything, that’s what causes me problems–unstrained paint.
I cannot speak to larger pneumatics, but as a scenic who mostly does theatrical work, I have never needed anything between a quart pneumatic (I prefer top feeders for my purposes) and a P50 type sprayer. Overspray is only a big problem for me if I’m spraying a lot of product, or if there are multiple sprayers going. I do work primarily on backdrops now, in a place designed for that, so your needs may be different. My suggestion is to try an inexpensive gun and see how that works. If you tend to have problems with sawdust settling, that may be a good indication of what spray dust might do, depending on air flow, ventilation, and amount of product being sprayed. Good luck!
I wound up getting a devilbiss finish line HVLP gravity feed. Now that I’ve had it a few months, I can say without a doubt that I love it. The best part is the same needle is used for all the different tip sizes. I just sprayed Rosco Vivid FX through it for a pride event, and I had no clogging issues. I do take it completely apart and clean it with acetone every time I use it though.
I do think I’ll need another one at some point. I might look into the 3M one, since being able to change colors rapidly would’ve been REALLY helpful yesterday.
I’ve heard LVLP has the least overspray of all. Perhaps that is worth looking into?
I just found this thread because it is time to replace old faithful at my shop, but upon reading through it, I’m realizing I’m in the minority of scenics who use an electric airless sprayer (the one I’m replacing, which still mostly works fine, just a little finicky, is a Sherwin Williams Spraytech XCell 419. It’s 10+ years old and is going to live on as my backup). Is there a reason that electric isn’t as popular as HVLP/can/cup sprayers?
Less adjustability.
You can dial in an HVLP to spray in a more controlled way. It’s also necessary for spraying metallics and fine finishes.
We use airless for covering large areas quickly, and backpainting scenery.
Both are work well for certain jobs.
The versatility of an HVLP sprayer is astounding. As Evan mentioned, you can dial it down to get the maximum amount of control. That includes changing the spray pattern, amount of paint, and amount of air pressure. Changing the amount of air pressure can greatly reduce the overspray.
One consideration is the air supply. HVLP’s require a larger air tank, but also a motor that can keep up with the gun. Unlike carpentry air tools, the HVLP consumes a constant supply of air that will put smaller compressor under a lot of strain and will quickly deplete the air supply.
The other consideration is the viscosity of paint. Airless, or electric, sprayers compress the paint and push it through the nozzle, therefore they can handle thicker paints. HVLP’s rely on gravity or suction, and therefore require a thinner paint.
As an artistic tool, HVLP is the way to go. you can also find smaller version of the typical HVLP, known as touch up guns. They are somewhere between an HVLP and an airbrush. They hold less paint, but are able to achieve a higher degree of detail.
If you’re working with a pressurized tank then you can put as thick of a paint through it as you’d like. Thicker paint will require higher air pressure to atomize which can make things tricky.
I also love the 3M system described by Lili further up in the thread. Last week while I was sealing some large flats in the booth, I could spray with sealer and then switch out to a cup of soapy water to rinse the gun between coats. Some safety questions/suggestions I have about sprayers-
1. Anytime I use a HVLP sprayer I wear at minimum a half mask respirator. My understanding is that the particulate is so tiny that an N95 dust mask won’t protect me well enough.
2. On the rare occasion that I use an electric sprayer I usually just wear a N95 dust mask, my understanding is that the particles are larger.
3. One reason I am often hesitant to use electric sprayers is the risk of unintentional tattoos. I’ve met a few people that put thier finger to close to the spray tip and will have those marks for years. Is this common knowledge?
I know we have a few Industrial Hygienists in the group. What are your recommendations for base level of respiratory protection while spraying?
Tina
The airless sprayers pack a lot of pressure and it’s not advisable to aim towards any body parts. I always wear safety glasses when spraying any type of paint or even mixing it. I’ve not seen anyone shoot themselves but I’m sure it would break skin. Yuck!
In regards to Evan Rapp stating that an airless sprayer would break your skin if you shot it to close to your body:
I once knew someone who thought she could clear the tip of the airless sprayer by covering the tip with her finger and a rag and blowing back to clear the nozzle; like you can do with a pneumatic gun – wrong! The force was so powerful that the paint went under her skin, resulting in the loss of the end of her finger.
If the airless sprayer gun nozzle gets clogged, you have to remove it from the line and wash the tip and the filter inside the handle.
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