Spray finishing....the choices

[craigs]

Hi all,

I am thinking of buying a spray system....and also a couple of air tools (nailers etc.) but have given myself a dilemma.

I'm looking for a gun that will spray internal paints as well as lacquers and stains which as far as i know is just a nozzle change, the real question is do i buy a gun that will connect to the compressor or go with something separate like a fuji spray system just for that purpose?

Im guessing I could get a smaller compressor just for air tools, but will need a bigger one to handle spraying, so in terms of cost savings im not sure its a huge amount.

I was looking at the fuji mini mite plat 4 system and a separate 30-50l compressor just for nailers and dust blowers.

or get a much bigger compressor that will handle everything and a decent spray gun

Space is a premium and noise will also have to be low due to a residential area.

IS one better over the other? especially for beginners?

Thanks

 

[johnnyb]

it's a tricky one that . but for a beginner I recomend graco systems. the edge spray guns are pretty foolproof being honest. they are designed that way. fuji are about similar but my fuji guns are slightly more involved to strip and adjust.
brewers sell what is a rebranded fuji system called qtech.

 

[craigs]

Thanks for the reply, I looked at Graco but just cant get past the plastic lol, it also seems to be a choice of combi drill style or something with a hopper and i have no intention of spraying rooms, just furniture pieces with paint or lacquers/PU. its kinda why i looked at the fuji's, metal guns with smallish material handling.

 

[Rich C]

On the other hand, plastic doesn't rust or corrode which can be handy, though less of an issue if you're not using water based finishes.

 

[johnnyb]

graco hvlp guns are used with all available paints. the plastic is the system that let's you spray upside down also swap paints/ stains at will. they are totally solvent proof and reusable. as a bonus it's easy to change the graco from under mount to gravity fed( same gun) dont know why youd bother!
you find the fuji / graco split is people who are hobbyists buy fuji. pro decorators buy graco no idea why it must be marketing! the turbine itself is the same.

 

[craigs]

I have definitely decided on HVLP with gravity feed, due to the amount of material I will be spraying, i.e. small boxes, small pieces of furniture and wastage as HVLP seems to be much more efficient with less overspray. I guess the choice is now more Graco or Fuji. I am not a decorator or someone that will be spraying day-in-day-out

 

[deema]

The Graco and Fuji have the same rotary compressor units at their heart according to the literature I’ve found in them. Before making a choice have a look at my thread where I’ve repaired a Fuji Q4 compressor.
fuji-hvlp-compressor-failure-help-and-advice-please-t119813.html

I would buy the cheapest 4 or 5 stage compressor you can find (any brand) from my research they all use the same actual compressor units and then buy the gun you prefer separately.

 

[craigs]

The Graco and Fuji have the same rotary compressor units at their heart according to the literature I’ve found in them. Before making a choice have a look at my thread where I’ve repaired a Fuji Q4 compressor.
fuji-hvlp-compressor-failure-help-and-advice-please-t119813.html

I would buy the cheapest 4 or 5 stage compressor you can find (any brand) from my research they all use the same actual compressor units and then buy the gun you prefer separately.

Sage advice, ill take a look at what turbines are available, I know Q-Tech are rebranded Fujis but no idea outside of those 2 main brands. That being said, what are the benefits over a standard workshop compressor and a decent gun? except portability .

 

[AES]

Never used HVLP, but I think the benefits are less paint usage/less overspray - I use a SATA touch up gun and conventional compressor for spraying bigger stuff (my compressor is also much noisier than I guess an HVLP unit is too, though quieter/more expensive compressors than my cheapo are available).

 

[deema]

I don’t believe that there is any benefit using a portable HVLP compressor over a standard compressor if the workshop compressor can deliver the FAD. You can actually get any of the major brands or paint spray guns with a HVLP cap. It appears it’s just the air cap that turns a high pressure spray gun which was the norm to a HVLP.

It appears you need about 15CFM at 30PSI for say a Sata HVLP setup gun. I’m not sure as of yet what the Fuji gun runs off.

The reason I originally chose a Fuji was that the gravity pot is actually pressurised and I couldn’t find another portable system where this was the case. It help I believe when spraying thicker material.

 

[johnnyb]

I believe Wagner are also a viable choice for good hvlp systems. I would say any system will spray small items perfectly. it's the operator that will be the limiting factor for a while at least.

 

[craigs]

I don’t believe that there is any benefit using a portable HVLP compressor over a standard compressor if the workshop compressor can deliver the FAD. You can actually get any of the major brands or paint spray guns with a HVLP cap. It appears it’s just the air cap that turns a high pressure spray gun which was the norm to a HVLP.

It appears you need about 15CFM at 30PSI for say a Sata HVLP setup gun. I’m not sure as of yet what the Fuji gun runs off.

The reason I originally chose a Fuji was that the gravity pot is actually pressurised and I couldn’t find another portable system where this was the case. It help I believe when spraying thicker material.

it seems im back to a turbine, a standard workshop compressor needs to be a minimum of 3.5kw to be able to produce enough FAD and thats way more costly than a turbine and far too big, I was only looking at a 50l compressor to power air nailers etc.