Dirt cheap paint spray guns.

[65ShelbyClone]

Harbor Freight, the store I love to hate, has had a sale going on for several weeks now. I've been keeping an eye out for HVLP paint sprayers, but nothing really came far enough down in price. Instead, I found a bottom-feed 32oz sprayer for $9.99 and a gravity-feed 4oz detail gun price matched for $7.49. A lot of people in a bike forum I frequent complain about not being able to match the factory color on their engine side cases after they crash and scratch them up(Honda doesn't supply a code and it's a powdercoat anyway), so I figured this would be a cheap opportunity to use rattle-can enamel mixed to a one-off color. I also thought that I could use the 32oz gun to paint my car later on.

I'm kinda embarrassed to say that I haven't tried the sprayers out yet. Anyone have any newbies-need-to-know tips for using this type? No one seems to like non-HVLP guns, so recommendations usually consist of "get a better gun" or "get an HVLP."

 

[Hent]

I've used the cheap-o guns before. As with all guns, make sure you clean it well when you're done. I've had a few and they're kind of throw-away-items if not cleaned properly, I always used laquer thinner. Another thing is I would always spray the whole gun down with WD-40 (excluding the tip) to keep any over spray, run off, etc from sticking to the gun.

 

[deezildennis]

Ditto /\

 

[Oldsalt]

Harbor Freight, the store I love to hate, has had a sale going on for several weeks now. I've been keeping an eye out for HVLP paint sprayers, but nothing really came far enough down in price. Instead, I found a bottom-feed 32oz sprayer for $9.99 and a gravity-feed 4oz detail gun price matched for $7.49. A lot of people in a bike forum I frequent complain about not being able to match the factory color on their engine side cases after they crash and scratch them up(Honda doesn't supply a code and it's a powdercoat anyway), so I figured this would be a cheap opportunity to use rattle-can enamel mixed to a one-off color. I also thought that I could use the 32oz gun to paint my car later on.

I'm kinda embarrassed to say that I haven't tried the sprayers out yet. Anyone have any newbies-need-to-know tips for using this type? No one seems to like non-HVLP guns, so recommendations usually consist of "get a better gun" or "get an HVLP."

I have no experience with the HVLP guns. And don't want none. The little Harbor Freight detail gun you mentioned that you bought is exactly what I use for motocycles and mini bikes and smaller stuff. As good as my bigger Binks gun. In any case the gun is the least important item in a good paint job. I can not believe that a HVLP gun can produce a better job. They came about because the eco-freaks were worried about us dispoiling the pristine air, not for better paint jobs. Good light. Following the temperature reccomendations exactly. Exact mixing of reducer and hardener. Following actual paint application procedure for the paint you are useing. Those are the big items. I have never tried to paint a complete car. You got more guts than I. A tip? To mix the small amount that will fit in the little gun can be difficult. It is easy if you take a little paint stick and put notches in it's edge that represent the various components. The top notch, for the last component, is the amount that will fill the little cup. If, for instance, the mix is 8 parts paint, 4 parts reducer, 2 parts hardener you can easily scale it out. Stand the stick in the cup and pour in each item up to it's proper notch. Piece of cake.

 

[Hent]

It is easy if you take a little paint stick and put notches in it's edge that represent the various components. The top notch, for the last component, is the amount that will fill the little cup. If, for instance, the mix is 8 parts paint, 4 parts reducer, 2 parts hardener you can easily scale it out. Stand the stick in the cup and pour in each item up to it's proper notch. Piece of cake.

Thats a good tip.

 

[65ShelbyClone]

I have no experience with the HVLP guns. And don't want none. The little Harbor Freight detail gun you mentioned that you bought is exactly what I use for motocycles and mini bikes and smaller stuff. As good as my bigger Binks gun. In any case the gun is the least important item in a good paint job. I can not believe that a HVLP gun can produce a better job. They came about because the eco-freaks were worried about us dispoiling the pristine air, not for better paint jobs. Good light. Following the temperature reccomendations exactly. Exact mixing of reducer and hardener. Following actual paint application procedure for the paint you are useing. Those are the big items. I have never tried to paint a complete car. You got more guts than I. A tip? To mix the small amount that will fit in the little gun can be difficult. It is easy if you take a little paint stick and put notches in it's edge that represent the various components. The top notch, for the last component, is the amount that will fill the little cup. If, for instance, the mix is 8 parts paint, 4 parts reducer, 2 parts hardener you can easily scale it out. Stand the stick in the cup and pour in each item up to it's proper notch. Piece of cake.

Wow, results comparable to a Binks! That's good to hear. I'm going to try painting my car not because I'm brave, but because I can't afford $3,000 for someone else to do it. It's going to be a two color plus clear coat over both, wet sanded, of course. "If you want something done right"..... Good advice on mixing and measuring too, thanks.

What kinds/brands of paint do you use? I know about PPG, Dupont, House of Kolor, etc, but isn't that paint typically higher dollar?

 

[Oldsalt]

Wow, results comparable to a Binks! That's good to hear. I'm going to try painting my car not because I'm brave, but because I can't afford $3,000 for someone else to do it. It's going to be a two color plus clear coat over both, wet sanded, of course. "If you want something done right"..... Good advice on mixing and measuring too, thanks.

What kinds/brands of paint do you use? I know about PPG, Dupont, House of Kolor, etc, but isn't that paint typically higher dollar?

My qt. Binks is a good gun. The little touch up gun is much easier to use for object the size of a motorcycle tank and etc. The pattern is not perfect, but that is not what makes a good paint job. For many years I have heard over and over again the same excuse for a substandard spray job..."the gun was screwed up". That may have had more coin a long time ago but the materials have gotten so good that a careful following of the paint manufacture's instructions will result in a good job with or without the $300 spray pattern. Of course preparation is critical.

If you don't mind a lot of color sanding you can have really good paint job. Brand of paint I use? What a sponsor supplies. Martin-Senour CrossFIRE. Urethane enamal with hardener. I can only get yellow [for free] because that is the color of the car. All paint is high dollar. Especially in California. The crazy eco-nazi element in that state has made paint worth twice the price of good whisky, ounce for ounce. This apparently is designed to keep them folks from disspoiling the pristine air in L.A. My friend in Fresno buys his paint in Nevada. Same stuff, greatly reduced price. Last winter, here in Washington I paid $225 dollars for a gallon of high fill primer. The sickness is spreading.

 

[65ShelbyClone]

Yeah, I figure since I don't have much experience shooting paint, color sanding will be a must.

Speaking of eco-Nazis, I just saw on the news last night that by 2010, only licensed mechanics will be able to purchase R134 refrigerant.

I tried out my little detail gun and it works pretty well, much better than the rattle cans I usually use.

The paint in the jar looked like a very close dumb-luck match after throwing together some gold, silver, gunmetal, green, and black.

However, it cured with way too much brightness. Depending on the light it looks like a match, in others it looks like dull gold. I think I'll go heavier on the green, gunmetal, and black, leave the silver out, and lighten up the gold next time.