HVLP vs standard paint gun?

[mopar_nut_440_6]

I have a Devilbiss spray gun (80 tip) which has only done 3 paint jobs as well as a couple of decent primer guns. None of these are HVLP. I will be painting my car this summer and am wondering if I should spend the bucks to purchase a HVLP gun or just use my Devilbiss? I do have 3 other cars still waiting in the aisles for paint.

If the recommendation is to use the HVLP then any recommendations on brand and any deals out there? Any advice on using them vs a standard gun. I have not painted a car in 12 years so I am very rusty.

Thanks you,

James

[superbirdtom]

The way I see it is use the guns you have . I used siphon feed guns for years until gravity feed ones came along and laid out great paint jobs just fine. gravity feed guns were invented to save materials and reduce overspray and thats it. I remember whan a gun like yours was 85 bucks. then the european guns came in and were very expensive. They are responsible for jacking up the prices in American guns.

                                        The prices on good gravity feed guns are in my opinion outrageous!  I would get your gun working and use it.

[Drop Top]

In the day your gun was a good gun. But the new ones are designed for the new stile of paints. Even the old stile single stage paints arnt made the same way anymore. I started painting when I was 13 I'm 50 now. Paint has changed dramaticly even over the last 5 years. Its a hobbie for you use what you have. Or spend $80 on a new one at Harbor Fraight. HVLP guns do a much better job at atomizing the paint witch in turn lays it down much flater with very little orange peel. I have over $2,000 in 4 paint guns and worth every cent to me. I only paint about 4 cars a year. But they save me time and money. The old guns where good for what the where made for. The new cheap guns are better then any of the exellant old guns for the new stile of paint. Remember your only as good as your tools will let you be. You be your own judge.

[mopar_nut_440_6]

In the day your gun was a good gun. But the new ones are designed for the new stile of paints. Even the old stile single stage paints arnt made the same way anymore. I started painting when I was 13 I'm 50 now. Paint has changed dramaticly even over the last 5 years. Its a hobbie for you use what you have. Or spend $80 on a new one at Harbor Fraight. HVLP guns do a much better job at atomizing the paint witch in turn lays it down much flater with very little orange peel. I have over $2,000 in 4 paint guns and worth every cent to me. I only paint about 4 cars a year. But they save me time and money. The old guns where good for what the where made for. The new cheap guns are better then any of the exellant old guns for the new stile of paint. Remember your only as good as your tools will let you be. You be your own judge.

I do not mind spending a couple bucks if it is going to be better in the long run. I do have 4 paint jobs lined up and one of the is a hemi orange V code Roadrunner. The last time I painted this colour it was quite expensive. It sounds like the savings in materials will pay for the gun in short work if what I have heard is true. What is the percentage of paint reduction using a HVLP as compared to the old guns?

Thanks for the advice.

James

[Drop Top]

Depends on the gun and the air presure you spray with. The better guns will use less air witch means more paint on the car and less in the air. But you also need atomazation to get the paint to fan out and lay down corectlly. Generally speaking The more expensive the gun the better they are. You get what you pay for. You will find the more expensive guns will have a much better and wider spray patern along with the atomization witch will help in the distrbution of the metalics in the orange paint you plan on useing. I use a Sata for my base colors and an Iwata for my clears. I used to use the Sata for both clear and base. If I where to buy new guns right now I would stay with an Iwata for all of it. The Iwatas run a bit cheaper then the Satas and do a much better job. The guns run around 300 bucks. I have fornd about a 30% saveings in paint with the better HVLP guns. The overspray is almost non exihstance on the base colors and primers or sealers. With the clear you still have some overspray but not near as much. If your shooting in a booth its no big deal but in a small back yard shop with no booth this will mean alot. I have shot the hemi orange paint Its no worse then any other metalic paint. The new base colors are much more transparent. So this is where the HVLP guns come into play. More paint on the car means better coverage per qt sprayed. I have been doing restorations for a living sence the very early 90s. Paint guns have come a long way sence then. But they have had to because of the paint that they are makeing us use. I live in Calif. and that is the first place all the changes take place. It started all over again this Jan. Its all headed for water base paints. Witch means new guns again. I dont think they will ever be happy.

[superbirdtom]

Theres some good advise from people on here. heres some more of my opinion. I do like Iwata guns the most important thing they do is they don't have any light or heavy spots in their fan. some guns spray heavy on the outside of their fan and light in the middle or vice versa. The clears nowadays are designed to use barley any reducer thus they have a higher viscocity than older paint technology./ reducer is just a transfering fluid to make it thin enough to get it out of the gun and onto the car.

                                    When I do a complete paint job and it is a solid non metallic or pearl job I always use single stage concept from ppg it really lays out nice and is cheaper. everyone is generally right that the cheaper the gun the worse they spray. sometimes that is not true .I just tried out a sata gravity gun a year ago it was on sale and was the crappiest spraying gun I ever used. imagine the kid at the store was telling me how to adjust my gun that I must be doing something wrong I had to laugh ,and made them take the gun back. after researching it online it had many bad reviews no wonder it was on sale.

                                      Theres a guy here in town that still uses his siphon guns and sprays newer paints he just reduces them another 6 %  and lays on an xtra coat. anyway good luck its your money and only you know if its worth buying a new gun.

[restoman]

If you haven't painted in 12 years, you're a good candidate to make the switch to HVLP. They do take some practice to get used to, especially for a novice or someone who is rusty.
Like some of these posters have said - the DeVilbiss was a good gun back then, but things have changed.
The biggest thing to remember with a HVLP is that it is not just a spray gun, it's a painting system. You'll benefit greatly from air hoses measuring a minimum 3/8", high flow air fittings, high flow filtration and regulators. Smaller hoses and fittings will work, but the benefits of an effecient paint gun won't be realized.
It's pretty easy to blow $500 - $1000 on upgrading properly to HVLP.
Just for kicks and giggles, look into a LVLP (low volume, low pressure). My IWATA LVLP is an incredible spray gun. Takes some getting used to, but the transfer effeciency and final finish is awesome!

Unless, of course, your DeVilbiss is a good working 502 model. It'll do just about anything you want, and if you're comfortable with it, use it. 

[mopar_nut_440_6]

If you haven't painted in 12 years, you're a good candidate to make the switch to HVLP. They do take some practice to get used to, especially for a novice or someone who is rusty.
Like some of these posters have said - the DeVilbiss was a good gun back then, but things have changed.
The biggest thing to remember with a HVLP is that it is not just a spray gun, it's a painting system. You'll benefit greatly from air hoses measuring a minimum 3/8", high flow air fittings, high flow filtration and regulators. Smaller hoses and fittings will work, but the benefits of an effecient paint gun won't be realized.
It's pretty easy to blow $500 - $1000 on upgrading properly to HVLP.
Just for kicks and giggles, look into a LVLP (low volume, low pressure). My IWATA LVLP is an incredible spray gun. Takes some getting used to, but the transfer effeciency and final finish is awesome!

Unless, of course, your DeVilbiss is a good working 502 model. It'll do just about anything you want, and if you're comfortable with it, use it. 

My spray gun is a Devilbiss JGA. My lines are all 1/2 or better until I get to the last 25 foot of the run which is a 3/8 flexible line for ease of use. I do have an air dryer and a large Binks water separator/filter although I get no moisture past my filter right after the air dryer. Air is no problem. The first car I will be doing in PPG single stage paint as it is SS1 Sunfire Yellow. The Roadrunner will come much later.

[superbirdtom]

PPG concept single stage is awesome paint. I always use dp 48 white sealer under yellow it makes a big difference.

[mopar_nut_440_6]

PPG concept single stage is awesome paint. I always use dp 48 white sealer under yellow it makes a big difference.

Good to know. Thank you all, you are really helping big time!

[restoman]

My spray gun is a Devilbiss JGA. My lines are all 1/2 or better until I get to the last 25 foot of the run which is a 3/8 flexible line for ease of use. I do have an air dryer and a large Binks water separator/filter although I get no moisture past my filter right after the air dryer. Air is no problem. The first car I will be doing in PPG single stage paint as it is SS1 Sunfire Yellow. The Roadrunner will come much later.
[/quote]

If it were me, I'd be sticking with what you've already got. Sure, you'll use more paint, but a good working JGA is still one of the best guns out there. In my opinion, it's the gun most others are measured against. The money you'll save on the new HVLP purchase will more than cover the cost of the extra paint.

[superbirdtom]

restoman I have a question:  if I was to start using waterborne paint ,does my paint booth need to be sprinklered either by dry chemical or water??  the fire dept here made me put in a dry chemical for conventional paint but I want to put in another one at a different location but would like to save expense of the fire supression system. the fire marshal here does not know enough about waterborne.  thanks Tom

[restoman]

You'll still need the dry chemical suppression system. The clearcoats and single layer products will still be urethane/solvent based.

[superbirdtom]

Thank you!