Well my birthday came and my wife gave me a Husky compressor from home depot (she told me she picked the largest one she could get into her car).
Now what to do?
I've been eying the paint guns and turbine compressors at both woodcraft and rocklers but when I queried if the paint guns would work with my new compressor I was told they would not.
For spraying I'm wanting end up with a really smooth surface. All the finishing work I've done before has been hand padding shellac. Is there a gun that will give me the same results but faster?
What is the actual size of the compressor (in gallons), and what is the maximum psi? The size largely determines what tools can be used. I have a small PC 25 gal portable compressor. I've had it for about 3 years and have sprayed many projects with it. It's never "run out" of air b/c it recovers quickly. I also use it for brad, finish and framing nailers quite often (but those tools don't require a lot of air), and also for dusting things off. The tools that eat up the air are sanders, sand blaster machines, etc. I don't think mine could handle those tools, although I've never actually tried them.
I don't see why you couldn't get paint guns for yours. That sounds odd. I think the fittings are universal. That would be a pretty strange compressor that couldn't support a basic thing like a paint gun.
There are many guns on the market. I started out with a siphon feed gun (cup on the bottom), but eventually moved to an HVLP spray gun. I like this one much better b/c it requires much less psi, so there's a lot less overspray. Clean it is easier too. You can get beautiful finishes with a spray gun, but it's all in how you thin the paint, the spray technique, etc. It takes practice, but it sure beats the cans of spray paint!
The gun you choose will be largely dependant on the CFM capacity of your compressor. Many HVLP spray guns need 10 or more CFM at 40psi, while some of the newer gun designs can work with less, maybe 5-7 CFM. If you're going to be finishing smaller items, a touch-up gun may be all you need. They have a smaller spray pattern than regular guns, but also they use a lot less air (2-3 CFM), making them useable with many of the smaller compressors.
Another factor you need to consider is the size of the nozzle that comes with the gun. For spraying thinner coatings you need a smaller tip. The better makes of spray guns will have a range of nozzle sizes available. If you're not sure of what you'll need, the advice of a knowledgeable person is invaluable. Someone else recommended homesteadfinishing.com and I second that. Give them a call, tell them what finish you'll be spraying and the capacity of your compressor and they'll recommend a model of gun and the appropriate tip size.
If you're going to be doing a fair amount of finishing, that is, spraying for a half hour or more at a time, you need to consider the duty cycle of your compressor. Most portable compressors have a duty cycle of 50%, rated per hour of usage. That is, no more than a half hour's use every hour. If you run more than this over an extended period of time you'll likely damage or burn out the compressor. If your spray gun needs 6 CFM you'll need 12 CFM at the compressor for extended use.
If you're going to be spraying the odd box or two then perhaps a touch-up gun is really all you need.
Actually, HVLP guns consume a lot of air (High Volume Low Velocity) and the type of guns used in body shops typically require an industrial-sized compressor. Also, the type of feed doesn't affect the air volume needed to atomize the finish. Many manufacturers offer the same model in gravity feed, siphon feed, and pressure feed, and the air consumption is the same for all configurations.
A gravity feed gun requires much less air compared to a regular gun of the same make. They are also much easier to clean as there is only about an inch of "stuff" between where the paint enters the gun, and the nozzle. The cup on the bottom holds more material, and you can set down the gun without using a stand.
I like my Harbor Freight hvlp gun. If you want a better one (but one that is still reasonably priced), have a look at the Devilbiss Finishline series of guns.
Gravity feed guns do not use much less air, as someone else has suggested. You'll find that guns which come in gravity, siphon, and pressure feed versions have the same air consumption specs
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the gravity feed and the siphon feed, it's mainly a matter of preference. The gravity feed guns have the cup on top, are easier to clean, and are more convenient for spraying small amounts of finish. The siphon feed guns have the cup on the bottom. Some people prefer the feel of a lower center of gravity.
The pressure feed guns are typically fed from a remote, pressurized pot, but you can also get pressurized gravity feed and pressurized siphon feed. The pressurized feed remote pot guns are more compact and are easier to work with in confined spaces such as cabinet interiors, and you can easily spray upside down or sideways without any problems. Because you're dealing with larger containers and lengths of hose, remote pots aren't very convenient for small jobs or frequent finish changes, but are great for production line work. Another important advantage with pressure feed guns is the ability to spray thicker paints and finishes. With a pressure pot and a large tip you can even spray thick latex paints.
A popular brand in body shops is the Astro line. I've used Astro tools for years in automotive work and even the guys that come around in the big tool trucks (think M*, M#, and S$) to the shop used to have Astro products in addition to the factory stuff. So I bought the Astro HVLP DX7 with a 1.7 mm nozzle to start with, about $98 with shipping. Added a 1.9 nozzle for even heavier finishes ($38). Beautifully made tools, and Taiwanese not mainland China if that matters. Uses 10 CFM@ 41PSI, or about 1.5-2 HP compressor. Do a Google search for Astro tools for more detail. Harbor Freight always has similar things, but in this case I went wirh something I could be sure of and get parts for in the future. Hope this helps.
I recently bought a low-end (Porter-Cable PSH-1) HVLP conversion gun and am pleased with it so far. I am sure that sometime in the distant future I'll probably buy something more high-end, but for now I'm satisfied. So far I have done more painting than fine finishing.
Not mentioned in the other posts is that the gravity feed conversion gun allows the use of higher viscosity materials than is possible with a similarly sized suction gun. If you have occasion to spray latex, this could be important. The ease of cleanup, mentioned by others, is a big plus. Less than 10 minutes at the worst.
A negative for gravity guns is the paint cup location which can be awkward for working in close quarters, such as cabinet interiors.
There's a bunch of newer conversion guns on the market that use less air. They'd more accurately be described as MVLP (medium velocity). Most of these work at 5-10 CFM and they're fine for most woodworking projects. A typical
25 gallon unit is usually sufficient to run these guns.
That size is going to limit the air tools you can use, but I don't think it limits you from using a paint gun. Like I said, I've been using them for a few years now with just a 25 gal compressor without issue. There seem to be others in this thread who know are more knowledgable about paint guns in particular. Hopefully they will respond now that your specs are posted.
Regarding the Devilbiss Finishline, have a look at the specs at Highland Hardware:
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"one a conventional suction-feed type with quart cup, the other a 32-oz. gravity-feed type. The latter features excellent balance and lower air supply demand; a good choice for use with marginal compressors."
I have this one:
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normally use it with a 60 gallon compressor. But I've used it a few times with a 6 gallon portable compressor (Hitachi 1.5hp, oil lubed) and it worked fine for small projects. I wouldn't recommend always using it with a small compressor though.
One thing you can't easily do with a gravity gun is spray upwards (for example spraying the bottom of the top board of a bookshelf). Devilbiss makes a disposable liner (like those reuseable baby bottles with the disposable bags) which they claim will allow you to spray upward, but I've never tried it.
Another option for small compressors is the Critter sprayer. It also has the advantage of easy cleanup.
I have seen several people say that the HF HVLP is OK. When I look in the HF catalog that I get every other day I see several different HVLP units. What specific unit do you have?
"She" + "car"? No. "Truck" + "Borg Crew" or "forklift", probably OK. ;)
No, it won't do 90' of yacht hull in one pass, but a 2+HP compressor should easily work for most furniture, especially if an extra storage tank is connected.
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