So I want to start learning to paint, so i was wondering what a good gun would be to get. Currently I have a 12gallon tank and a moisture trap. I saw a couple at like auto zone but I assume those are complete crap, so what does everyone here recommend. And um nothing about 250 bucks, unless anything below that is complete crap, then ill just save my pennies.
Well first.. ur gonna want a bigger compressor.. or you'll be doing alot of stopping and waiting for the compressor to recharge.. not to mention it can ruin ur paint if ur spraying and it runs out of air to quick.. ur gonna basically pour a stream of paint out.. Now ive only used the HVLP guns.. great guns and i beleive thats what most use.. At the shop we had a couple cheap ones for primering.. but then some nice ones for painting and one just for clear.. I would check into Sears.. there HVLP guns are pretty good.. i think they run around 60bucks too. the one at auto zone might be pretty decent as well.. our primer guns are pretty good. think they ran like 40 also.. But the craftsman one i think we got from sears is pretty nice.. i think its craftsman.. Now if ur planning on making this a nice career... i'd buy a nice gun.. our clear cote gun was expensive.. i dont remember the brand but i know it was the most expensive one.
Most of ur paint quality will be with the compressor and air pressure.. having a nice gun is good too but its not the only deciding factor. User error, air pressure, and compressor failures are the most problems i've seen.. AND MAKE SURE YOU KEEP YOUR GUN CLEAN! take it apart somewhat and clean it all out.. make for alot less problems later on.. we had a guy painting.. he was doing a two tone.. white and red.. sprayed the red first then sprayed the white.. now me.. i woulda used a different gun but he just cleaned up his red one, so he thought, and when he went to spray the white.. he'd get his white.. but couple spots it was a mist of red/pink color in there as well..
Honestly i'd like to hear hear the other painters what they suggest and if they have more then one gun.. cuz i know if u have one nice gun and u keep it clean u should easily be able to use it for everything..
But just so u know.. dont think painting is oooo so easy.. there is a reason alot of people dont do it.. but isnt a impossible task either.. I just want to make sure u think.. o ill grab a gun and itll be all easy... As for what to practice with.. when i first tried i was using water.. u could see how ur coverage was pretty well.. but i learned the best with just gettin some primer and primering some of my parts.. then painted and cleared.. But thats the type of learner i am.. i can figure out what i need to do and learn better just actually doing it...
First, read my sticky. It gives you a pretty good idea of what all goes into painting and what to look for (i.e. fish eyes, lifting, etc). So read that first.
Secondly, a darn good idea is to have a gun for just primer (primer guns typically use a bigger needle, because primer is thicker than paint). Optimally, you'd want a base gun and a clear gun, but you can use one gun for both if you CLEAN THEM VERY WELL.
The best paint guns IMHO are either Sata or Iwata HVLP (and gravity feeds are easier to use than syphon feeds). ALWAYS go HVLP. They're easier to spray, and the quality is better.
HVLP=High Volume Low Pressure
Gravity feed=paint cup is on top of the gun, paint is fed by gravity
Syphon Feed=paint cup is at the bottom of the gun, fed by a syphon
Gravity feeds usually tend to keep the paint mixed better/easier than syphon feeds.
Some people have their own preferences when it comes to what guns they like, but if you're "learning", an HVLP gravity feed is the way to go. Sata and Iwata are the best guns IMHO, granted you're going to pay more for them, but they're awesome.
Pretty much anything having to do with cars, rule of thumb (cheaper is not always better). You have to keep your guns clean, and you certainly don't want to store them dry (it will dry out the seals and you'll have to replace them). All the guns we ever kept in the shop were put aside when they weeren't being used with some lacquer thinner in them to keep the seals moist.
Thanks im going to head to sears and get an HPLV gun, for primer and practice practice practice. Thanks everyone. I know its going to be hard as hell, but im going to learn. Eventually I want to be able to have no shop touch any of my vehicles.
why don`t you look at the binks gravity feed gun, great gun to practice on
i have 4 sata`s now those are 500 a pop i was taught how to paint by a old grumpy man that did the best painting when he was drunk don`t ask why i still dont know to this day
here is what he taught me make the alloha sign that should be the width of the fan pattern and the height of the gun shold be from the panle
basic rules every color is different and situation is differnt as well
but we cant teach you phsyically online how to paint only you can be taught by a painter
can i haz bondo
