I have read several posts lately taunting the benefits of VP sprayers. The low overspray interests me. They seem to look like a regular paint spray gun. What does VP stand for? Is it high volume low pressure?
I have a large air compressor and plenty of 3/8″ hose. Can I just purchase a VP gun and start spraying? Is there a reasonably priced quality gun for small jobs?
John
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Replies
Porter-Cable makes a new HVLP gun for just under 100 dollars
Yes, HVLP stands for "high volume, low pressure". These guns use tons of air but cause little overspray and drift. You can shoot finish right into the corner of a cabinet because they cause so little air disturbance.
All the HVLPs I've run are incapable of putting out as much material as you could deliver from a conventional high pressure gun or an airless, so it takes a bit longer to get the coat on, but there are still many benfits from using them.
There are basically two ways to approach assembling an HVLP system. 1- purchase an HVLP turbine and HVLP gun (prices here are around the $1200 - $1500 range for a decent outfit) 0r......... 2- purchase an HVLP conversion gun that will run from the air produced by a large air compressor. (price for the gun somewhere in the $300-$400 range)
I'd prefer to go the air compressor route as my experience has been that the turbines require somewhat frequent rebuilding and this is down time and $$$.
But, on the other hand, the turbine outfits are portable enough that you can take them to the jobsite.
Any recommendations on a turbine system? Thanks
grayco or fuji, cant go wrong with either. the fuji is a little tempermental but still a good gun.
This might be a good topic for you to post over on Knots as to which turbine outfit gets the best ratings. Beware tho that the responses as to satisfaction are likely be somewhat skewed according to who has or has not had to rebuild their turbine yet. This is a factor of how much spraying you do. The person who sprays occasionally is more likely to be pleased with any particular unit than the person who shoots daily. You might ask the responders to tell you how many hours on average they spray in a month.
The equipment I'm most personally familiar with is the Accuspray line.
Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.
You got it right ... High Volume Low Pressure. Do your homework before you buy. Know your compressor output ............ some guns require 7CFM or more (that's the high volume part) and what are you going to be spraying?- different tips will be required for different materials. You might consider going to a turbine system such as Fuji. I'm not familiar with the PC guns (I''ve used Binks and Titan) but if they work it's a good deal- Binks and Devilbiss guns cost. over 3 times as much.
Points to note ;
A turbine system will allow you to enter a room in someones home and spray with out affecting sound or the heat and air system filter. An airless is for work that has enough quanity for the clean up and cost of thinners. I have perished the thought of a hvlp gun with a compressor because its not portable and easy. The turbine gun will shoot a bathroom ceiling before you can load the compressor. I believe that the turbine gun is an idea much with the small but quality table saws. The turbine gun is a must tool in the remoldeling arsenal. It is not however a replacement for an airless.
Tim Mooney
What are you spraying?? Latex and HVLPs are usually mutually exclusive except for some of the higher end sprayers... If you're talking oils/alkyds/stains than HVLP will work great for you.
Has anyone rented this HVLP units at a local rental yard?
Accuspray has come out with a LVLP gun, It can run off my 4 gal 1 1/2hp emglo. I got it its pretty slick Darkworksite4: When the job is to small for everyone else, Its just about right for me"
Ron; i posted a message of questions in the "what tool etc".
The Graco at $1200 is what i was looking at. That is a high end machine that sprays everything. Does yours? With the pot? What is the cfm? I have the PC 4 gallon 2.5 horse panake compressor. Do the specs say?
Not be a expert I would say definately yes it would work. The compressor they sell with the gun as a "kit" is a 2hp 4 gal compressor. Check out http://www.compliantspraysystems.com I think its called the versaex or something close to it. Darkworksite4: When the job is to small for everyone else, Its just about right for me"
i recall seeing recently (within a year) that the newer LVLP was going to overtake the HVLP systems. That article really was in favor of the LVLP saying it was going to slowly take over the spray systems. Anyone recall this?
An HVLP moves a large volumn of air.
A compressor is designed to provide pressure, not volumn.
There are guns that apply paint with air supplied by compressor called HVLP guns but are not an HVLP system. The problem is that, unless you have a large compressor with a large storage tank and are on a short line, it will not keep up with the needed flow well enough to lay the paint out smoothly or it will overwork the compressor motor if used constantly. Doing an occasional small job is fine if you stop regularly, as with doing doors. Painting a whole house would tax many compressors.
HVLP is nice to work with and wastes less paint than an airless. Some turbines can be loud (think vacumn cleaner motor) so that's another thing to keep in mind when shopping
I bought a Fuji 3-stage HVLP turbine back in...'96 or so?
Picked up a set of needles. It sprays most everything excellently, with the right needle it does latex well enough.
Note...I'm not a pro painter or finisher...I use it for incidental jobs. An occasional room, a wall of cabinets, or a run of wainscotting, for instance...but not full-scale production.
I think the cost then was about $600 for the set-up.