Well it has been a lot of years since I have sprayed a car. My Marcin (sp?) spray gun is old and obsolete. I do wish to complete the painting on my 85 GT that was started at some point before I got the car. It might not be a cake walk, but the satisfaction of bringing my Fiero back up to speed has been more gratifying than frustrating. The expense is a little irritating but that is mostly connected to recent economic conditions, a subject for discussion on another channel.

I have to paint the roof, front pillars, and the tops of the rear fenders, maybe the top of the pass door.

My sprayer is bottom cup feed, the new one's are gravity as best I know. What do you guys use and recommend? I will need to apply epoxy primer to the roof and the fin if I decide to keep the fin. The rest is not too bad.

I also wish to refinish my ground effects and need to spray the rear cover.

I prefer to buy good and better quality tools. Good equipment normally pays for itself, and when no longer needed sells off easier for more cash. I have a nice 60 gal 5 hp compressor, the best air supply I have ever had to date. My last painting was in the early 70's using primer and lacquer, no clear coats back then. The fundamentals are still present so I have that much in my favor.

I have some panels I can practice on- .

sparx22

[This message has been edited by sparx22 (edited 10-17-2008).]

Astro evo 4014(?) LVLP good for not alot of doe. Astro Qul HVLP great gun but needs lots of air. Also cheap. No kidding great guns! Check http://www.autobody101.com/forums/index.php . they will tell you about them. http:www.Spraygunworld.com is were you order them.

Well, I would honestly like to know more about your compressor... If its "nice" it would be a 2 stage, if its "not as nice" it would be a 1 stage.

I would not try running a HVLP gun on a single stage compressor without a dang good amount of water protection. Should be able to get away with a true LVLP gun on any 5hp compressor, or even a 3HP dual stage compressor.

Brand is up to how much you want to spend. DeVilbiss makes a HVLP gun, that performs like a LVLP, and runs around 100 bucks. It is a top quality gun also.. I use 2 sata guns that I have about $750 into... so I guess I am not the authority on cheap guns.. but I learned on mid grade DeVilbiss guns.

dark
My compressor is single stage (just verified this off the tag on the unit), I have no paperwork on it got it used, but I can't be dual. It is dual piston and the high pressure is 130 pounds or so.

[This message has been edited by sparx22 (edited 10-17-2008).]

Single stage is alright as long as it produces and maintains the proper cfm for the tools your using. You can get by with a fairly small compressor if your doing nonmetalic colors 1 panel at a time. You need to paint metalic colors all at once to mack sure the metalic flakes lay the same.


Vinny

just think realisticly. For a home job you need a gravity feed gun to cut down on overspray and materials. If your just doing your car or just parts of it theres no reason to buy a $400 gun. A couple of Harbor Freight guns are around $40-$60 and they do just fine. I think they have one kit that has a 2.0 tip for primer and a 1.6 or so for paint and clear. To me it would be like buying a $300 torgue wrench to put in spark plugs to spend more. I did it for a living for many years and some of my guns were close to $500 but I used them almost daily.

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Owner / Operator Custom Paint and Body...
specializing in Corvette & Higher End Autos for 40+ years
Ferrari, Mercedes and Porsche Approved
____________________________________________
88 Corvette convertible
05 Dodge Magnum Hemi R/T
66 Dodge Killer Bee Coronet

Yeah, Rogers right. The guns I pointed out are $90 guns. They have a good rep too.

Vinny

I sure don't want to buy a $400.00 gun and do want to keep waste and over spray down. I do have some spraying skills; any gun I get of decent quality has to be better than the one I purchased back in 1972! Technique has to be worth something here. I am not even dealing with metallic on my car.

I saw some decently priced DeVilbiss guns have to look again and put up some links.
jim

Yep, shot my car with a $40 Harbor Frieght gun. Turned out very well, and so did my Jeep!

Can you provide a model number on the HF gun, is it gravity feed?

Here is one Vinny listed above: http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/apevo4014.html

Here is the Astro CUL he listed: (not sure if the exact one there are several) http://www.spraygunworld.co...ic%20-%20QUL105R.htm

One new question I have is the tip size, there are SO many!


jim

[This message has been edited by sparx22 (edited 10-17-2008).]

There are 2 different classes of Devilbis or however you say it. Startingline and Finishline. I've never used either but I was advised not to go with the Startingline series but the Finishline was very good. I'm learning myself and it's been pretty fun so far! The good thing about solids is thi can paint one panel today and one panel tomarrow and so on.

Vinny

What do you mean "solids"?
jim

non metalic

quote Originally posted by vinny: non metalic

yeah, ok --- duh! I should have known that.

[This message has been edited by sparx22 (edited 10-17-2008).]

What Roger said. At work I ONLY use SATA guns a cheap SATA touchup gun is $300. However if you are learning a middle of the road $90 HVLP gun will work great. HVLP guns do not take a lot of air. HVLP stands for High Volume Low Pressure, the design of the gun allows maximum paint to be atomized with low air pressure which cuts down on overspray you would get with a high pressure siphon feed gun. If you are learning and you ar epainting large panels the less overspray you have especially when you are laying down clear will be better for you.

For paint I would use a good basecoat clear coat system. The Duplicolor that a of people use because it is cheap is mostly laquer. In my opinion if you are going through all of the trouble of painting a car you should use the good stuff. I did my entire Fiero with PPG Global Base Coat and Concept clear for $300.

[This message has been edited by Curlrup (edited 10-17-2008).]

I will have to post some images of my car. It has been partially repainted and done with care in my opinion.
Problem is how things will match up is unknown.

I would rather not use cheap materials, but I would like to be able to only paint what is required.

I have not decided if I will keep the big fin rear deck or use the deck with the luggage rack that I kept from my donor 85 Gt - it is white right now. I am not real fond of the fin. I do have some panels I can practice on.

I am not a beginner really but I am out of practice. Of course as I mentioned I have not done base coat clearcoat finishes.

As things go in life I had three accounts with my business that were body shops back in Illinois, ( I was an Electrical Contractor). A little far to go to ask for advice and borrow a spray gun. I could have bought paint at their prices. As a matter of fact a paint supplier that sold all the auto refinishing materials was one of my accounts also, forgot about that one--Finishmaster was the Company. Wired up some of the mixing equipement there. Oh, well here in Tucson I hardly know anyone- but I got you all for help.

[This message has been edited by sparx22 (edited 10-17-2008).]

i use a finishline by devilbis for primer base and clear and its excelent it was around 170

I've used this pair of Astro Evo's now for year and a half. You can do panel work easliy with a small compressor and a decent tank style 5 h.p. will give you plenty of air for an overall shoot. As mentioned above I also purchased these from Spray Gun World... http://www.spraygunworld.co...0EVO4014%20Combo.htm

I too have been kicking around the idea of spraying my own bikes and cars. I had planned on using House of Kolor paints. White with a gold pearl. My tank is a 45 gal with a dual filtration system it is rated at 10.1 scfm at 90 psi and 12 scfm at 40 psi. And as asked above... how do you know what tips to use?


Cas

I think in the kit the 1.4 is for primer and the 1.8 is for color and clear?

I was reading on this kit and noticed the pattern is "max 8 inches ", that's seems small to me.
What do you guys think of this 8 inch pattern?

http://www.spraygunworld.co...0EVO4014%20Combo.htm

[This message has been edited by sparx22 (edited 10-18-2008).]

Bigger tip is for thicker media. Something like a 1.7 is a good average one to use for everything. Inexperienced may want to use a smaller tip for at least clearcoat.

oops, double post

[This message has been edited by Fierology (edited 10-18-2008).]

I was at Harbor Freight today and did not see any LVLP spray guns.
So I most likely won't get one there.
I am going to check in with the auto paint stores to see what they have to offer. Most likely it will be expensive spray guns.

Out of all teh guns i have ever used, my favorite would have to be the SataJet 3000

I have used probably 15-20 different makes/models ranging from $50-$1000 and that one is my favorite espescialy when it comes to quality/price. REALLY nice gun for the money which is around $500~ nowa days. If you are wanting something cheaper i really enjoyed the DevilBiss Finish Line 3 as well, those are VERY cheap right now and are a really nice gun IMO.
No matter what gun you get i would HIGHLY recomend using the PPS cup system! it is FANTASTIC!!!!!

here is some PPS stuff...

What is "PPS"?

quote Originally posted by sparx22: Can you provide a model number on the HF gun, is it gravity feed? Here is one Vinny listed above: http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/apevo4014.html Here is the Astro CUL he listed: (not sure if the exact one there are several) http://www.spraygunworld.co...ic%20-%20QUL105R.htm One new question I have is the tip size, there are SO many! jim

Like the man said, go to www.autobody101.com forums and search for anwers to your questions. It is a painting forum, specifically for painting and you can get lots of good help there!

quote Originally posted by sparx22: What is "PPS"?

I had the same question. See 3M PPS Brochure. Google is your friend.

[This message has been edited by Marvin McInnis (edited 10-19-2008).]

Buy a gun yet? Or made a decision? Just wondering.

Vinny

Vinny
No I am still in the land of confusion.
I lean towards these:
http://www.thetoolwarehouse...shop/AP-EVO4014.html
http://www.spraygunworld.co...0EVO4014%20Combo.htm

But the problem I am having is the max 8" patterns. I know my old gun had a larger pattern than that, and with 8" I am concerned with stripes. However, this is base and then clear now and maybe I am having false concerns.

Also I have read that guys put on 2-3 coats of base, and numerous coats of clear as well.

So I am still reading and I went over to the 101 paint forum linked above and have been reading there. I don't plan on spraying a lot of cars so I would rather not spend big money, but I wish not to handicap myself either.

I believe if I get a single gun I will need two nozzles, a 1.4 and 1.8, if I have it right.

Does the gun matter if you are using the 2K paint rather than 1K? I just got into reading about this catalyst stuff today and am still learning about it too.

Decisions, decisions.
jim

http://www.tcpglobal.com/sp...x?itemno=DEV+FLG-646

I recently went with the above gun kit. Very nice, has tips for epoxy 2k primer, sealer, basecoats, clearcoats.

You might look at their paint systems as well.

David Breeze

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Pantera Rebody Kits

I'm not a painter by any means; but I am starting to learn. I bought a kit that had an Astro EVO4014 LVLP (1.4mm tip) & an Astro QUL (1.4mm & 1.7mm tips). I've mostly used the EVO4014 and it seems to do pretty well. One thing I notice with mine was that using larger size air hose connectors (3/8" instead of 1/4") seemed to help a lot. I know it's probably because I'm not a pro painter (actually am kind of just learning as I go along...no one to show me) but with EVO4014 I can't get it to spray with no orange peel. Like I said it's probably just me and the orange peel isn't that much. Well have fun with the painting project and I hope that you find satisfaction in whatever gun choose.

Edit: I posted to say ...that I hadn't seen the 3M PPS paint system till someone mentioned it here. ...but I got distracted.
I really like the idea of being able to spray upside down! It does seem a little pricey @ around $2 a use though.

Don't mean to hi-jack the thread but would these disposable liners kind of serve the same purpose while being a little cheaper for those of use who aren't doing this for a living? http://www.tptools.com/p/16...-Fed-Cup-Liners.html
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'88 Fiero Formula

[This message has been edited by 725franky (edited 10-20-2008).]

I just bought the astro evo/qul kit and love both of them, for around the house the gravity feed Harbour Freight gun does well but I mainly use it for primer. With the EVO I get very little orange peel. Just follow the set-up instructions that came with the gun. My only beef with the EVO is its SLOOOOOW to paint with. Compared to a high pressure gun that hoses the paint on its about an 1/8th of the speed. I have painted panels with massive amounts of trash and orange peel that came out show quality. The trick is spending the extra time to cut and buff the clear 24 hours after spraying. This is just my experience. These types of threads are usually flame throwers.

quote Originally posted by opm2000: http://www.tcpglobal.com/sp...x?itemno=DEV+FLG-646 I recently went with the above gun kit. Very nice, has tips for epoxy 2k primer, sealer, basecoats, clearcoats. You might look at their paint systems as well. David Breeze

David
I am leaning to this gun you recommend. I have been searching specs on it attempting to fine out the fan size, do you have an ideal of what this is? Also would you know the model number of the gun itself?
Jim

quote Originally posted by anwalker: I just bought the astro evo/qul kit and love both of them, for around the house the gravity feed Harbour Freight gun does well but I mainly use it for primer. With the EVO I get very little orange peel. Just follow the set-up instructions that came with the gun.

anwalker,

I also get very little orange peel, if everything is right, I just mentioned it in case it's possible to spray with no orange peel using a different gun. I am quite satisfied with both of the Astro guns so far. I usually use my QUL with the 1.7 tip for primer & thicker paints.

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'88 Fiero Formula

Orange peel is the result of the painter in most cases. Wrong air pressure, improper mix ratio, too fast at passes, too hot, wrong thinner/ hardener.......Once in a while a gun can add to the orange peel, but painter should be able to figure how to compensate. I personally find that HVLP guns tend to want to orange peel more than siphon style...because your spraying at a lower pressure. Cure is to just turn up your pressure slightly to atomize the material smaller.

**** and thats HVLP paint gun , not LVLP.

------------------

Owner / Operator Custom Paint and Body...
specializing in Corvette & Higher End Autos for 40+ years
Ferrari, Mercedes and Porsche Approved
____________________________________________
88 Corvette convertible
05 Dodge Magnum Hemi R/T
66 Dodge Killer Bee Coronet

Astro 4014 is a LVLP gun that is usefull if you have a small compressor because "most" require smaller amounts of air. There are other brands that have LVLP also it's not just Astro. I have a Astro QUL it's a HVLP gun that requires about 10cfm of air and my compressor only supplys 7.5 cfm (I think) so I can only do one panel at a time before I run out of air.

Vinny

quote Originally posted by rogergarrison: Orange peel is the result of the painter in most cases. Wrong air pressure, improper mix ratio, too fast at passes, too hot, wrong thinner/ hardener.......Once in a while a gun can add to the orange peel, but painter should be able to figure how to compensate. I personally find that HVLP guns tend to want to orange peel more than siphon style...because your spraying at a lower pressure. Cure is to just turn up your pressure slightly to atomize the material smaller. **** and thats HVLP paint gun , not LVLP.

I thought orange peel always occurs, unavoidable? There are just varying degrees, the experienced pros create very little and hacks like me end up with tangerines!