# HPLV Advice



## Wheaties (Jun 29, 2010)

I plan on getting an HPLV Spray Gun next month, probably from Grizzly. I plan on using it for toning with lacquer and also finishing with lacquer. I will only use it 3-4 times a year I'm guessing, so I don't think I need top-of-the-line. I was think the $30-40 range. From looking at their catalog, I can't tell any difference between any of the guns except price and tip size. Can anyone give me just a tad more direction? For instance, what size tip is good for small to medium sized projects/furniture? Any thoughts would me much appreciated. Thanks!


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## Wheaties (Jun 30, 2010)

Anyone? Somebody's got to have one of these things...


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## mredburn (Jun 30, 2010)

Sorry I dont have the grizzly, I have A lowes spray gun HVLP for small quick stuff and a profesional unit with 3 tips and its own air generator. The tips are more for the viscosity of the fluids you will be spraying than the size of the project.  If all you will use it for is Lacquer a small  tip will work.


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## cajun skeeter (Jun 30, 2010)

Your not going to get much for $30.00, a good HVLP gun sells for $500.00-$700.00
For lacquer, you need 1.3 or 1.4 air cap 
HVLP stands for High Volume Low Pressure, if your compressor does not produce 13 cfm's you will not get a good finish, just less over spray.
You can get the same results with a spray can.

Larry Pickering
Some times my mind wanders and sometimes it completely leaves me.


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## Wheaties (Jun 30, 2010)

mredburn said:


> Sorry I dont have the grizzly, I have A lowes spray gun HVLP for small quick stuff and a profesional unit with 3 tips and its own air generator. The tips are more for the viscosity of the fluids you will be spraying than the size of the project.  If all you will use it for is Lacquer a small  tip will work.



Well any brand will work, but that's the kind of info I was looking for.



cajun skeeter said:


> Your not going to get much for $30.00, a good HVLP gun sells for $500.00-$700.00
> For lacquer, you need 1.3 or 1.4 air cap
> HVLP stands for High Volume Low Pressure, if your compressor does not produce 13 cfm's you will not get a good finish, just less over spray.
> You can get the same results with a spray can.
> ...



Like I said, I don't need too much out of it. 3 times a year. And I can't tone with a spray can. But 1.3 sounds good. Thanks


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## pensbydesign (Jun 30, 2010)

you should look at the earlex, they start off at about 100 for a single stage turbine which is good for small jobs and occasional use. i have use a few different ones the Earlex Spray Station 3500 HVLP would be good for occasional use, i would rely consider buying the earlex
HV5000 it is a bit money but worth it a lot easer to use and will spray lacquers, latex, and epoxys.


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## KenV (Jun 30, 2010)

Have you looked at airbrush for toner and shading -- slower, smaller area at a time, and high level of control.   Same range of prices but smaller and more portable for occasional uses.


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## Wild Turkey (Jun 30, 2010)

I have a HVLP system I got from Rockler. Used it on one project just sitting in garage now. Worked pretty good for its one use.


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## gketell (Jun 30, 2010)

Wild Turkey said:


> I have a HVLP system I got from Rockler. Used it on one project just sitting in garage now. Worked pretty good for its one use.



We bought the rockler one for spraying some award plaques we were making. The over spray was worse than anything else I've ever used.  We used one bay of our 3 car garage and had over spray so bad we have a fine layer of Polyurethane over the entire floor of all three bays (not to mention my tools).  I don't know if it is broken or if there is some hidden adjustment that I can't find but I would not recommend that unit at all.


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## wood-of-1kind (Jun 30, 2010)

I can offer you a brand new spray gun by:

DEVILBISS  Model No. JGA-510-30EX

-send me an e-mail if it can help your needs and you can trade some blanks for it or something else.


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## Lenny (Jun 30, 2010)

gketell said:


> We bought the rockler one for spraying some award plaques we were making. The over spray was worse than anything else I've ever used. We used one bay of our 3 car garage and had over spray so bad we have a fine layer of Polyurethane over the entire floor of all three bays (not to mention my tools). I don't know if it is broken or if there is some hidden adjustment that I can't find but I would not recommend that unit at all.


 
I have a Wagner 8000 with a 3 stage turbine. If you have oversray with an HVLP setup something is wrong. Should be very little overspray when it's setup correctly.

I have also used the cheap guns (HD = $40) with our big compressor, regulated down low. It worked quite well for the occasional project.


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## moke (Jun 30, 2010)

Zach--I too have an Earlex--I don't know the model number but it is the next one the the bottom. I love it.  Earlex has since made a SS model that is about 400.00 or so and I am going to move up to it...if I ever quit buing pen stuff like I'm on fire..
Mike  aka Moke


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## DurocShark (Jul 4, 2010)

I have a couple of these:







They've been great. I grabbed 'em from HF when they dropped the price to $30 a while back.

I've sprayed:
Shellac
Lacquer 
Poly 
Enamels- Rustoleum straight, fairly thin automotive

It's a great bang for the buck. Overspray was never an issue for me. Be careful with shellac and lacquer since the air gets pretty warm and will flash off quick.


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## DurocShark (Jul 4, 2010)

BTW: Here's a thread I started back in 2006 about using that sprayer. I painted the wheels and trim on that VW. Still looked good when I sold the bus a few weeks ago!
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=174540


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## jlord (Jul 8, 2010)

I have a husky from Home Depot & I think I paid 75.00 for it. It has a 1.4 tip & I spray cabinets & other projects with it. I use it for spaying sanding sealer & polyurethane (thinned with naphtha). I think Binks makes a nice gun in the 165.00 range also. If you don't want to spend that much you could stop or shop online at Harbor Freight. They have several guns.


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## rherrell (Jul 8, 2010)

I thought about buying a spray gun for shooting lacquer and then I tried the Deft lacquer in a can. IT WORKS GREAT!!! They also make colored lacquers in a can for toning. I make clocks, lamps, boxes and all kinds of stuff, the Deft "rattle can" has never let me down. If you're only going to use it 3-4 times a year then try the cans, you might be pleasantly surprised!:biggrin::wink:

You can get the clear Deft anywhere, here's a link to some toners........
http://tinyurl.com/39s25dx


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## dankc908 (Jul 8, 2010)

I don't paint at all.  However, if my wife wants something in this line I always say "YES".  Beats doing the painting myself.

Dan


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## NewLondon88 (Jul 8, 2010)

gketell said:


> We bought the rockler one for spraying some award plaques we were making. The over spray was worse than anything else I've ever used.  We used one bay of our 3 car garage and had over spray so bad we have a fine layer of Polyurethane over the entire floor of all three bays (not to mention my tools).  I don't know if it is broken or if there is some hidden adjustment that I can't find but I would not recommend that unit at all.



I concur .. I have one and the only thing I use it for is to disconnect the
paint pot and use the blower to push the sawdust off of the table. I'm
not sure why they call this HVLP, and not sure why they suggest it should
be used for paint. There's no stages, no atomization.. it's basically a fan 
with a hose attached to it.. sort of like a small portable vacuum cleaner 
with the hose on the wrong end.


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## TomW (Jul 8, 2010)

My suggestion:  DON'T DO IT!.  "Occasional" hvlp with lacquer is about as fun as an "occasional" colonoscopy.  Way too much clean up etc for a little job. I'm just saying....

Tom


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## DurocShark (Jul 8, 2010)

TomW said:


> My suggestion:  DON'T DO IT!.  "Occasional" hvlp with lacquer is about as fun as an "occasional" colonoscopy.  Way too much clean up etc for a little job. I'm just saying....
> 
> Tom



For a little job, I agree. For furniture and cabinets? It's the best.


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