[Mr onetwo]

This may or may not be the right place for these questions...I am sure Hilda will correct me if necessary :gums: Harbor Freight has a 20% off coupon and I want to pick up a decent HVLP setup to paint my tractors.There are several different ones and I want to get the best overall one.Also..has anyone ever attempted to build a home-made tank type blaster outfit?The HF ones have very poor reviews.I can get ASME tanks for free?Thanks to all! :thumbsup:

 

[mastifflawyer]

I believe you are talking about a pressurized blaster. The HF 110 lb model looks like a copy of my Clarke one. Clarke is out of business but I still get tips from Tractor Supply. Clogging occurs two ways. The media is not strained before loading, and from condensation in the air line. I used to use sand that I would get at the Painter's Supply store. That was until I let Jim (NutCase) go wild with the Blaster. I now use play sand from Lowes, at a savings of over 1/2. We put down a tarp and collect about 75%. It works fine, but we screen the sand as we are loading it. There are small rocks in the play sand, but they strain out easily.
We go through tips pretty fast. It is easy to tell when replacement is necessary as the blaster becomes less effective. The sand eventually opens the orifice up.
Water in the air is the biggest cause of clogging. The air must be dry. I use a canister one from HF and coupled with the one on the unit it works fine. I do not use my good desiccant dryer as I save that for my paint gun.
I would have no problem recommending my Clarke. Remember to always wear a hood and a good quality respirator. Make sure you protect your skin as well.
As to the paint guns. I have several models of HF HVLP guns. They work very well for spraying primer as long as you use a large tip. I used one to spray some color once and then went to a more expensive gun that gave me more control. For the money the HF guns are an excellent value. Remember to always clean them as soon as possible after spraying. Especially when using a catalyst or hardener in paint. They can be a bear to clean.

 

[Mr onetwo]

Thanks for your help guys...I appreciate the input.I wasn't going to do sandblasting,but the local guy quoted $50 to do just 1 hood.Much too expensive to be practical.What HVLP gun do you use for color?

 

[Stewart]

onetwo

How big is your compressor ?

I always use new Sand as I find the re-used sand very dusty. :thumbsup:

I have yet to use my Princess Auto. HVLP.

 

[Mr onetwo]

Aren't you guys worried about silicosis using play sand? My compressor is a Sanborn B500BPL60V 60 gal. verticle 5 HP belt drive model. Rated at 12.7 @40PSI and 10.6 @90PSI 100% duty cycle.I am searching for a used air dryer setup right now. I have found an Astro LVLP setup for $95 shipped...equal to DeVillbiss according to reviews.No gaskets and has local support. I don't know if I want to spend that kind of money,though :crazy:

 

[Mr onetwo]

OK..I will have to get a good respirator and hood.I think a SATA is far beyond my "farmer" level painting skills :mrgreen: Even used ones on Ebay are $300-400.I am looking at an LVLP gun at Summitt for $65.I want to find out about parts from them though.If that doesn't work out, I will buy the HF Pro gun for $27.I will use Case paint...what do you guys use for hardener and what percentage do you thin that type of paint down to?

 

[Mr onetwo]

Thank you for the good advise! :goodpost: I went for the HF 66222 pro gun...it is an Iwata copy I guess. http://www.harborfreight.com/high-volum ... 66222.html At $27...cheap enough for my skill level and these are tractors after all. :446: :gums:

 

[Kenc]

Actually that gun is a Sata Copy (NR95 Sata I think). Kind of old tech, but you'll like it. I have two of them that I use for woodworking finishes as well as car/tractor/truck primer, base and some single stage paint.

Not nearly as nice to use as my Devilbiss millenium, but they were 400 bucks cheaper too!

Careful setup and GOOD cleaning are key to nice results.

 

[Mr onetwo]

I stand corrected....that was something I found during a google search. I'm a total NOOB when it comes to this stuff. I found a recipe of 8 parts Case paint,4 parts NAPA CR232 reducer and 1 part CH254 hardener in an old thread elsewhere.What do you think? It looked great in the pictures.Do I need any fisheye killer?

 

[mastifflawyer]

The Fisheye question is a tough one, and an easy one. Easy first. You should not add it to your paint. Fisheye is usually a result of poor prep. It usually is caused from water, oil or silicone. A silicone or wax remaining on the surface or on an old surface that has embedded silicone in the finish will do it. Some say that if the wax remover is left on too long it will be a problem.
Nutcase tells me that if you have some Armorall in the shop that can do it.
Oil contamination of the air lines is often overlooked. It is important that you use a dedicated line to your gun. And have clean dry air.

Fisheye occurs more often on fiberglass. Preparation when painting Vettes is very important. The molds used on the fresh fiberglass leave behind some resins. Sealing is very important. It is easy to break through the sealer if you are not careful.

Some painters will use fisheye eliminator as a repair. They will sand the damaged area, and then double coat the color coat with the additive in the paint.

Now the hard part: FE will show up for no apparent reason. You can sand it off and use the same paint and the second time might be perfect. Lucky for us our tractors are small.

Now for the paint mix questions. Take a look at the instructions on the paint can.

Case/IH Paint- Thinning: No more than 1 part thinner to 8 parts paint

Valspar- Up to 2oz per qt of naptha

Tisco- Up to 1 part Naptha to 8 parts paint.

Notice that none of the paints even refer to a hardener. Looking at the hardener label tells you to mix 8 oz Hardener to one gallon paint. Not also that you should not start painting for 30 minutes after mixing in the hardener. It is important to mix the paint/hardener during that 30 minute wait time.

Another word about hardener. It is nasty stuff. A good quality mask is very important when painting and even more so when using a hardener. A lot of guys I know go to full face masks to avoid have their eyes stuck shut. It is a good idea to leave the area between coats and get some fresh air.

Now if all of this crap isn't enough to deter a newbie from trying to paint, I don't know what would. It is not that difficult. Go for it...Keep asking questions...

I know that Brad is a professional painter and I will bet he could add a lot to this discussion.

 

[Billygoat]

I was gonna give my opinion on this, but Jack pretty well has it covered. I have used R-M Pre-kleeno oil and wax remover for years and have never had a fisheye on anything. As far as mixing, just follow the directions. The people that made the stuff probably know more about it than we do. :lol: Jack's advise on the respirator needs to be well heeded. Any paint is bad enough, but when spraying urethanes and enamels with hardener, it's essential. If you read the label on paints like Imron, they tell you to wear an air-fed, not just a filter type respirator. Some of that stuff is just plain bad ju-ju on your lungs. As far as spray guns, I am following this with great interest. I have never used an HVLP gun. I just used the old school stuff. I found years ago that Astro makes some pretty good stuff for the buck. Had a Binks #7 copy. Parts guy took them apart and asked me which had better looking machining. I picked up the Astro parts and handed them to him and said"these Binks parts". I was shocked to find that i handed him the Astro parts. I hope Astro has kept their up. I know, I'll be flamed for buying non-USA, but I have to eat also.

 

[Mr onetwo]

Thanks for all the input guys! I found this gun for a good price also.http://www.paintsprayersplus.com/produc ... y-Gun.html It's air requirements are half what the HF gun is and comes with 3 tips.It actually uses less air than the Astro EVO LVLP gun.I am a little worried about the overspray from the HF gun.Does cutting the CFM usage from [email protected] down to a max of [email protected] make a big difference in overspray? I have a garage, but certainly do not want to turn it into a spray booth or make a huge mess every time I paint.

 

[mastifflawyer]

The gun looks fine. The ad cracked me up. It says: " gun will provide you with a smooth 'factory finish' look that you just can't achieve with brushing? ".

I think this will give you a good starter gun. The 2.0 tip will be good for primer, and the 1.5, 1.7 will be good for color and clear if you decided to spray some.

Now that you are spending more than the HF line I would suggest that you look at the Sharpe line of guns, particularly the Razor. They are excellent for the money. And they have the added benefit of having an adapter for the 3M PPS paint cups. If you haven't heard of the PPS system head to google and watch the video. It makes life much easier.

As to overspray. It doesn't matter what CFMs the gun is working at, the paint is going to travel. Usually it travels to the place where you would hate to have it go. You should hang plastic or tarps around the area in which you are spraying. Or just cover your important stuff.

 

[Mr onetwo]

The Razor is a really good gun, but no way in hell will I ever spend $350 for a gun.I have done some research on 3M PPS and DeVilbiss DeKups.I am going to the paint store in Bangor Thursday to get pricing and some aircraft stripper. :gums: I have only bought the HF gun so far and will not buy anything else until I try it out on a sadsack 222 I am getting ready to sell.Local Case dealer has Qts. for $22...not a bad price IMHO.Thanks for the help guys! :thumbup: Instead of decals, has anyone ever tried to paint all the correct insignia?

 

[Stewart]

The Razor is a really good gun, but no way in hell will I ever spend $350 for a gun.I have done some research on 3M PPS and DeVilbiss DeKups.I am going to the paint store in Bangor Thursday to get pricing and some aircraft stripper. :gums: I have only bought the HF gun so far and will not buy anything else until I try it out on a sadsack 222 I am getting ready to sell.Local Case dealer has Qts. for $22...not a bad price IMHO.Thanks for the help guys! :thumbup: Instead of decals, has anyone ever tried to paint all the correct insignia?

I've seen some sorry attempts at it. :thumbsup:

The Dash Decal would be a challenge :headscratcher:

I would never spend $350 on a Paint Gun but I would certainly spend a little cash at MapleHunter after spending the time to Re-Paint my Tractor. :trink:

Good Luck on your project. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[mastifflawyer]

The Razor is a really good gun, but no way in hell will I ever spend $350 for a gun.:thumbup: Instead of decals, has anyone ever tried to paint all the correct insignia?

Oh my-I am sorry about the Razor. I bought mine two years ago on ebay brand new for $100. I have never priced them. Maybe I shouldn't let Jim (Nutcase) touch the razor either.

I have seen quite a few poor attempts at duplicating decals. I have never seen a good attempt.

 

[Mr onetwo]

...Maybe I shouldn't let Jim (Nutcase) touch the razor either..

Man first the Hammers ...now the Primer gun...What next? :sidelaugh: :sidelaugh: :sidelaugh:

That's how it goes...next you'll be doing everything out back in the field :shock: :gums: What tip size do you use in the Razor for color?

 

[mastifflawyer]

I have never used the Razor for color. It has a 2.3 tip. I bought it strictly for primer. Perhaps I should get another tip and try it out.

 

[Kenc]

If you want to step up above the HF guns without breaking the bank, consider this:
http://autobodystore.net/Merchant2/merc ... ry_Code=1D
No affiliation with this guy just a customer and this was the first online pic/price I found.
Devilbiss makes really nice stuff for the price.

 

[Mr onetwo]

I have never used the Razor for color. It has a 2.3 tip. I bought it strictly for primer. Perhaps I should get another tip and try it out.

This discussion has been so useful! :trink: Online opinions rave about the Razer as a color/clear gun...I would give it a try.

If you want to step up above the HF guns without breaking the bank, consider this:
http://autobodystore.net/Merchant2/merc ... ry_Code=1D
No affiliation with this guy just a customer and this was the first online pic/price I found.
Devilbiss makes really nice stuff for the price.

Online opinions say this is a good gun for the money too....I understand that the "StartingLine" guns by DeVilbiss are junk. I think I will try the HF gun on the 222 first and if I don't like it I will use it for primer and get the Jet SP-351 setup.Dealer tells me it is made by Asturo for them.They sell a lot of them and support them fully with parts.