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Posted

I've got a friends equipment to use, but I've decided I need to get my own system together.

I have a 4 HP 15 gallon compressor that delivers 8.9 CFM. It might limit me somewhat, but I can live with that if I can get by with it.

I'm interested in a gravity feed HVLP, would anybody try to talk me into a different style with my compressor?

I've looked at several already, anywhere from 50 bucks to around 150, which is about the most I'd want to spend. But I'm unsure of how to tell what's any better about the more expensive guns. I'm probably only going to be doing a few guitars a year....not a lot of spraying. Can anybody suggest a good brand?

What about the Husky or Kobalt which are available at Home Depot or Lowes? Anybody tried one of those? They seem to look and feel nice....not that that means anything.

Posted

Hi Metalhead,

Can I ask a few questions?

What are you planning to spray? Paint, lacquer, automotive 2k, water based?

Is that a gas powered compressor? 4HP on 15gallons seems like a big motor unless you're listing the "peak HP". My 60 gallon compressor is 3 or 3.2HP running.

Either way, for guitars, I think you'll probably want a mini-gun, and most of those use under 6cfm. You'll also want a moisture filter, but those are easy to get at a great price off E-bay. Don't buy one of the "buy it now" filters if you do this, hold out for a Norgren or such. I've got $300 in filters now, but paid $35-40 total with shipping :D

Last thought, there are a few people here who may chime in, but you may want to search over at kustomkulturelounge.com too. But be forewarned, half of them will tell you to buy a Sata or an Iwata for a gazillion dollars, because they make their livings with their spray guns.

Regards,

Todd

Posted

I will most likely only be spraying nitro lacquer.

It's not a gas powered compressor. It's a Craftsman that I've had for about 10 years. Now that you mention it, the motor is pretty huge compared to the tank. I'm not sure if it's a peak rating, it just says 4 hp on the side and gives a CFM rating.

I hadn't had anyone suggest a mini gun yet. I guess they're plenty big for spraying a guitar?

Posted

Actually, I think a minigun would be preferable since you can overlap passes with the smaller fan, but there are guys with more experience who will comment. If you're going to paint cars too, you might not want a mini gun, but then again, you'd need a much bigger compressor for that.

Todd

Posted

I would definitely go with a mini-gun since they use much less air in an HVLP than a full size. Full size can pull up to 13 cfm or more. I bought a Finex 3000 last fall and love it. It is made by Sharpe, and ran a little over $100 if I remember. It is pulling around 6 cfm if I remember correctly at 15psi.

Posted

Thanks for the input guys.

The mini-gun sounded like the best idea, so I went ahead and pulled the trigger on a Finex FX1000 for $89 bucks.

These are supposed to work with 4-7 CFM which shouldn't be a problem. Now I'm getting excited about doing some spraying!

Posted

Awsome, now don't forget to get something like one of these.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NORGREN-FILTERS-COMPRE...%3A1%7C294%3A50

You could buy one from an online store for around $35 plus shipping without the indicator on top, or $55 with the indicator. So two with the indicator is a good deal for 20 or 30 bucks. They're tiny, so don't expect a big filter. I know because I've got the 3/8" NPT one with a matcing coalescing filter right after it. For some reason, surplus Norgrens like that come up on ebay fairly often.

Anyway, congrats on the Finex. I've heard great things about it.

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