Had a couple of spray gun questions. I have a couple of DeVilbiss guns a Gti Millennium, and FLG-3. My current air compressor is a 20-30 gallon sears compressor that's at least a good 20+ years old. I know I'm going to probably need more air than what it puts out. Would I be better off, selling those 2 guns and picking up a either a Eastwood Concours, or Asturo ECO HVLP gun instead? Or should I try out the DeVilbiss ones? I know the Eastwood and Asturo guns can do well with low scfm's? I'll be shooting PPG's Shop-Line series. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks! :thumbup:
Ok, so I checked the compressor, and it has on the side 9.7 scfm @ 40 psi, and 8.0 scfm @ 90 psi. Now supposedly the Gti needs 12.5-16 cfm @ 30 psi, and the Finish Line needs like 13 cfm @ 40 psi. Do you think i can get away with this, and still use these guns?
For small panels you will likely be fine for short periods of use, but be sure you have a good water separator in line. That compressor will likely kick on shortly after starting and run continuously until you get done with each coat. The continuous/frequent running will cause it to heat up and create moisture, making lack of air your second major concern.
Well I just saw the Binks M1-G an dsupposedly that's another good low pressure HVLP gun. It says it only uses 10 scfm @ 18psi. I'm gonna do a search for this gun to see about it..
First of all, that ancient Craftsman compressor is probably better then any low cost Chinesium POS you can buy today - unless the tank rots as mine did.
OK - the compressor will 'hammer' away with a FL3, but it will probably keep up with the gun requirements. That DeVillbiss gun works very nicely plus you have a choice of at least 4 different nozzle tips.
If you are looking at an Eastwood gun, save your bucks and go to Harbor Freight and try their offerings. Most if not all of the Eastwood's are virtually identical to the HF except the color and at a lot more money. Astros seem to have a decent following though I've not used one plus at less then a hundred bucks ....
The gun that will not overload your compressor is the pro level Anest IWATA (http://anestiwata.com/product-category/hvlp-full-sized/) but be prepared for some wallet pain unless you can find a really good used copy. Mine is a LPH-400LV and came close to making a painter out of a rank amateur.
Well I just drained the tank and no chuckage of metal, just copperish color water. I refilled the tank a couple times to drain it again till no water came out. Ok, so at the regulator on the gun it currently reads 115psi, then when I hit the trigger it drops to around 20-25psi. That ok? Also currently i'm using 100ft., of 5/16" hose. Should I use like a 50ft. 3/8" ?
I guess I'll keep the FLG3 and sell the GTi then. And Like Irelands child mentioned, I have a 1.3, 1.5, 1.8 and 2.2 tip set. So that should be able to handle the primer filler, epoxy primer, basecoat and clearcoat...
One more thing. Currently I'm using flex-eel air hose 5/16" x 100ft. I'm wondering if a good Goodyear 3/8" x 50ft. would be a better choice, for volume and ease of use?
If not mistaken, most gun manufacturers 'strongly' suggest 3/8" hose. My setup is 1/2" copper tubing from the compressor to the water blow down/pressure reducer arrangement then 3/8" hose to the gun inlet where I set the final spray pressure. It's not optimum but for (very) occasional spraying, works for me.
I just was thinking, what about selling the 2 DeVilbiss guns and the accessories. Then buying a good used LPH400 off of Ebay? I pretty sure I can get a bunch of tips and stuffs for the Iwata with the money I can make off the sales from the 2 guns? That might be the better way to go. Cause the LPH400 uses less air then the FLG-3 right?
That ebay gun might be suspect - like anything used will be sold there
The FL3 is a decent gun and will shoot primers and CC very nicely as your 'other' spray gun.
If you really want the Iwata, yes, it does use much less air, starting at 12-15 psig at the inlet vs 25 psig + for the Devil. I've forgotten the cfm requirements, but they are lower for the IWATA. Extra tips for the IWATA are not cheap with the usually supplied 1.4 really doing a great job with BC as well as most CC.
An IWATA was the only one I used for finish coats on my '31 while using the FL3 for epoxy and regular 2K. I also used it with the 2.0 tip to spray polyester primer on the nasty dinged trunk lid. There is one other part to the learning curve for the IWATA - you need to learn a different spray speed as it is a bit slower then anyone elses.
This is one part of the car done with the IWATA:
....and the gun:
... and the air separator.
Rt to left, system water leg and blow down valve, a Harbor Freight unit for 'oil and chunks' then the real water remover, a Sharpe 707. There was a pressure regulating valve added after this photo was taken:
You will not notice a difference with an LPH400 and a FLG3. Why? Because I've sprayed with both guns out of both my 20 gal Crapsman compressor as well as my 60 gallon 14 CFM compressor and did not notice a difference in air consumption. Sure, the FLG might actually use more, but the higher or lower amount of air consumption isn't something you're going to notice. It might mean the difference in your compressor kicking on 10 seconds later. You're going to go through air fast either way, so I don't see the point in having a really nice gun if you're putting a crappy compressor behind it. It defeats the point of having a nice gun. The nice gun is designed to give the right atomization at the cfm's it needs, which you'll be starving it of with that little compressor. For your set up I'd do a 3/8" line, as short as you can (I have a 25 foot hose in my home paint booth. Painted a car and horse trailer with that hose), and put the big 3/8" fittings on it. It makes a huge difference in the amount of air the gun gets.
I don't think 25+ yrs with out a break down or the tank rusting out qualifies as a crapsman This thing has been going strong, and I believe it was made when they were still called Sears & Roebuck, and it's gold not red :thumbup:
who makes a good LVHP? I've been looking at both the Asturo Eco, Astro Evo and the Binks M1-G. I've heard good and bad from both sides for each one. I just want to get 1 and a couple different tips and be able to get parts within a month or so, know what I mean?
Do LVLP's shoot that slow that by the time you finish with one side and start on the next, that other side is already flashed off?
My 20 gal is a real bona fide red Crapsman. Truth be told the only tools I've ever had to exercise warranty on, had break, or just plain didn't work out of the box were my Crapsman tools. And considering the growing collection of HF stuff I've been acquiring that's pretty bad.
Ok, so I contacted SprayGunWorld to get a suggestion on a new gun an dhere's the reply I got.
"First of all those guns suck. You should not be using them. And Yes, your compressor will not keep up with them. the GTI which is the better of the 2 is a 15 cfm spray gun.
Hi-End, all stainless steel, 3 year warranty, Slimline ergo-dynamic gun handle, artisan control, and featuring the Lowest Overspray Level of any gun series, along with the latest in HVLP-HTE/RP Technology for the best clears.
Thank you
SGW"
Hmmm interesting at best... Now it just makes me want to see if I can use these guns, at least the FLG3, I might be able to pull it off with that one. But I did go ahead and ordered a new GoodYear 3/8" x 25ft. air hose. This will be fun, finally gonna lay some paint. Will let ya guys know how it goes in the coming weeks!
Ok, so I contacted SprayGunWorld to get a suggestion on a new gun an dhere's the reply I got. "First of all those guns suck. You should not be using them.
Hmmm interesting at best... Now it just makes me want to see if I can use these guns, at least the FLG3, I might be able to pull it off with that one. But I did go ahead and ordered a new GoodYear 3/8" x 25ft. air hose. This will be fun, finally gonna lay some paint. Will let ya guys know how it goes in the coming weeks!
Any time a supplier uses terms like that putting down competition, not a chance that I would buy what he is pimping.
Your FL3 WILL work well. Yes, you might have to pause between panels to give the compressor a chance to breathe - age may have take a toll on it, but that gun has been used successfully by thousands of home hobbyists with a small compressor.
I hope you are ensuring dry gun air and a dust free painting environment and have done some practice. Today's automotive paint is really expensive to do your practice with (my car in 2009, in Venetian Orange was over $650/gallon and it's a lot more now)
Ok, stupid, noob question. Now it says 23 inlet pressure will produce 10psi at air cap.
Now I figured it out that, that means I have the throttle opened at the gauge at the gun reading 23psi. Now what should I set the regulator at prior to the gauge on the gun? Currently the compressors outlet is at 118 psi, the next regulator is at 115 psi, and the gauge at the DeVilbiss HAR-602 reads 115 psi as well. Should I shut the one at the HAR down to 40psi or leave it at 115? Thanks.
Don't worry about the line pressure. You only need to worry about the final pressure as it goes into the gun. Full line pressure usually means full cfm though I usually throttle mine down some. As long as the compressor will maintain the required cfm for the gun, line pressure anywhere above your requirement is irrelevant. To get down low, I used a detachable gauge, setting gun pressure at the outlet of the water separator. The regulator isn't shown on my photos above though mentioned.
The regulator:
The gun detachable gauge - it gains you about 6" down low, i.e. rocker panel area:
OK - a few more words on this. I'm going to be an amateur painter forever. I invested a bunch of bucks for what I felt would be best for me. And, for me, it all worked.
Now with all that said and above, you do need to consider your health. Painting with the new automotive products is downright dangerous and can severely impact your well being. At a very minimum you need a mask with organic vapor removing cartridges and a Tyvek suit. Better yet, a supplied air system, Tyvek suit, nitrile gloves, hood and booties. Do your research here - isocyanate paints can kill!!!!!!!
I could pass up the price. And so people know, there is support from Astro for parts. I called them today and they gave me the number to a local shop where I can get the guns and parts from. And there pricing is just as cheap as the guns online.
Give me a month or so, still gotta get my CamAir QC3, and we'll be ready to go. Thanks guys for all the help!!
Worth a try at that price but that 1.7 nozzle tip may cause some problem with pattern and too much paint lay down, but then .... maybe not. Mostly a 1.2 to 1.4mm is all you need with most BC/CC. Let us know how you make out.
Oh and with that half mask, make sure you wear a pair of chemical goggles. not the regular shop kind as your eyes are a very easy entry point for nasties ... Any Home Depot or decent hardware store has them for a buck or so more then the others. I use that kind for everything after spending 3 days with my dominant right eye covered after having a couple pieces of steel that went through the vents dug out of my eyeball .
I'd probably let the GTi go for around $250 That includes, 3 tips, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, the 1 Liter aluminum cup, a DeVilbiss air regulator and hook, plus I'd throw in the priority mail shipping for free.
Well, sold the GTi for $225 and the FLG-3 for $150, on Ebay. But to replace them I got a couple of Astro Euro Pro HVLP, one in a 1.7 and the other in a 1.3 tip. There supposedly only use, 9-10 cfm. So that should work out then. Even if they do move slow or not, since this will be my first time using a spray gun, it should work out.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Hot Rod Forum
2.2M posts
175.6K members
Since 2001
A forum community dedicated to hot rod owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about restoration, builds, performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!