spraygun replacement

[old_picker]

looking to purchase a new spraygun -
i have a star s-770 which is very good but way too big for spraying a single guitar -
quite a large amount of finish needs to be available for it to work -

i have a cheap touch up gun which is about the right scale but lacks the controls of big bro
it has a top trigger and it works on suction - one control wheel that doesn't do anything until it shuts off the supply of fluid i think or air maybe


what i like about the suction tyoe is the pot is easy to get off so you can clean the gun easy
i use wb finishes which you cant really leave in the gun past an hour
wondering how i would go puiling off the pot on a hvlp without getting finish every where
can you buy spare pots??

i kind like the look of the mini hvlp units and i seen a star on gargle for around $90 which looks intresting

wondering what you guys use and if you have any recomendations
thanks for any and all input

[demonx]

First of all, I'd recommend stick with gravity feed. No matter how big the gun, you can put in it as little product as you need.

I rarely ever use my touch up gun on guitars, I have a couple different full sized automotive guns I use. One for clear coats and another for basecoats. The main difference is tip sizes, I like a larger tip for clears (1.8 for clear and a 1.3 or 1.4 for base)

This is using automotive 2k paints.

You can usually buy spare cups, but I've only ever broken one and that was because I dropped it. If you clean them properly after use they tend to last a long time.

[old_picker]

mine seems to move a lot of paint - not sure what the tip size is but a quick measure with the caliper gives me around 1.7 mm - 2mm
maybe that is my problem - the tip is too big - i need to get the pressure up a ways before it starts to suck
by the time i buy a needle, cap and nozzle i am up for close to a new one

[demonx]

Older style guns use a lot of paint

Modern style HVLP (high volume low pressure) and LVLP (Low volume low pressure) use a lot less product.

I generally spray my basecoats at about 35psi and my clear coats at 40psi. The clear coat being a thicker product and going through a wider tip requires more air pressure

[EricDownunder]

A gravity feed gun is the best I find with suction guns they use to much air, with the gravity feed you can adjust it where you want it.
I use a Devilbiss gti needle and cap size is 12to 14 (I have both) almost every day some jobs are real small some are large, same gun for both, always 2k. You should always mix only what you need in the way of paint evan 1k. I do have a gun the same as you show in the top picture but it is used like a large air brush as it has a single point of air distribution around the paint distribution spraying in a circle. The other guns I like are Iwaita but they are expensive. You can get the Devilbiss with a disposable clear paint cup that has the mix formulas printed on the side. Check out both brands on the net. They are both more expensive than a Star but it is worth it, same with all tools.

[johnparchem]

I have a gun just like the one you have in the picture. Mine is a QualSpray QS-125WB. It is a small gun and I find it perfect size for spraying an instrument. Also I was able to get buy with a reasonable sized compressor.

[Allen]

Why wouldn't you just upend the gravity feed pot to empty it and then clean up the rest? Pull the pot off and clean it up if required. We do this 20 times a day in the paint shop. Or at least did up to a month ago when I retired from spray painting.

You can get replacement pots for most all guns, but I'm not sure why you would want to. I've spray painted in very busy panel shops for 35 years and never replaced a pot on a gun, nor had need of a spare. Sure, guns wear out, but the odds of one wearing out on you with occasional use are next to none.

Gravity feed guns are head and shoulders better than siphon feed. No exceptions.

The reason being is that in a siphon feed, approximately 30% of the air being used is just to create the vacuum at air cap so that fluid is pulled up from the pot and then out the fluid nozzle and finally being atomised. In a gravity feed, pull the trigger and fluid starts to run out the tip. 100% of the air is used to atomise the fluid. Results are at a bare minimum of 10% savings on sprayable material because of more efficient atomisation. Not requiring as much air and thus a smaller compressor for the same job....etc. etc. etc.