Recommend me a LVLP paint gun?

[Bolster]

Can you kindly recommend a low-volume low-pressure (LVLP) paint gun to me? For smaller projects. I've downsized my air compressor to a Ridgid 6-gallon pancake that will do 3.5 SCFM at 40 psi. (It won't run my HVLP anymore so I gotta find an alternative.) Thanks!

 

[RickP330]

I'm no expert, but I have had two of them and spent a bit of money on it. I never got them to work properly. I'll stick with my High Pressure Devilbliss thank you.
RP

PS for a small project just get a small gravity fed devilbliss should work fine with a pancake compressor in short bursts.

 

[IndyGarage]

I bought one that runs on my makita batteries - no compressor at all - works pretty good, depending on what you are spraying.

 

[dnschmidt]

You're basically SOL but something that might work for what you want to do is a mini-gun. Astro makes a very good one and for small stuff it might be just what you need: https://www.amazon.com/Astro-EUROHVT12-EuroPro-Forged-Plastic/dp/B009OXJFPA?tag=atomicindus08-20
Whether you get the 1.2 or 1.0 tip depends upon the viscosity of what you want to spray. When I spray high solids automotive clearcoats I use the 1.0 for better atomization for medium solids or low solids I use the 1.2.

 

[Bolster]

I've seen the CAT-33000 recommended for small compressors...air consumption is 3.5-3.9 CFM at 30 PSI...any opinions?

CAT-33000 LVLP Spray Gun with Gravity Feed Cup (Brand New) - California Air Tools

<< Product shipped 1-3 Days (business days) after Order Date from San Diego, CA. Allow 3 to 10 days to receive item; depends on ship-to destination, item size and carrier type. >>

www.californiaairtools.com

 

[Burl]

Amazon.com

 

[dnschmidt]

I've seen the CAT-33000 recommended for small compressors...air consumption is 3.5-3.9 CFM at 30 PSI...any opinions?

CAT-33000 LVLP Spray Gun with Gravity Feed Cup (Brand New) - California Air Tools

<< Product shipped 1-3 Days (business days) after Order Date from San Diego, CA. Allow 3 to 10 days to receive item; depends on ship-to destination, item size and carrier type. >>

www.californiaairtools.com

Clearly it is possible to make a spray gun that uses little air. What's tough is making a spray gun that sprays an automotive quality finish using little air. If you're painting **** that doesn't matter this might work fine. If you're painting a car and want a glass smooth finish you're in the 15 SCFM range of air usage. You can't beat physics. Fine atomization takes large amounts of air to break up the paint. Now do you need fine atomization? I as a person that likes to paint cars do. If you're painting lawn furniture then not so much. I just didn't spend $750 for an Iwata WS400 Series 2 spray gun because I like orange peel and yes it's a air hog but I've got a big compressor so that didn't matter to me.

 

[Ohmthis]

While I agree with dnschmidt mostly, the OP hasn’t stated what they want to paint and to what level. I have an A610 (I can’t remember who makes it as there are several variants out there). I have used it to paint the drivetrain of my project truck. I don’t have a large area to paint and this works great for smaller jobs (less overspray Ive noticed). I did not use a small compressor though. I cannot advise on how it sprays with a small compressor. Here are the results. This is 2k single stage urethane paint.

 

[Bolster]

> the OP hasn’t stated what they want to paint and to what level.

I'll be more specific. When I stated "smaller jobs" I didn't mean painting a car's exterior. I'd like to do a better job on sizes that are challenging to do with a rattle can, so to me, that means engine block / file cabinet / floor machine / house appliance sizes. To what level? As good as I can get with a small compressor.

Thanks for recommendations of LVLP guns that can operate on or around 3.5 SCFM.

Ohmthis, I'd be thrilled if I could get that quality. Nice job.

 

[gahrajmahal]

I bought this for an all over paint job for my avatar car I sprayed in the driveway this past spring. I watched a “Paint Society” you tube video and it looked pretty good. My compressor can keep up with a HVLP but it runs a lot getting water in the system when spraying for hours at a time. I was hoping this gun would use less air, then no water in the line.

So confident was I in the gun I used it for my final clear coat, and it did great! The compressor did run much less than using my HVLP. For the price it is a no brainer. It is very hard to get clean as my second paint job sprayed chunks, so I quit midway through the first coat and switched to my old gun.

 

[gahrajmahal]

> the OP hasn’t stated what they want to paint and to what level.

I'll be more specific. When I stated "smaller jobs" I didn't mean painting a car's exterior. I'd like to do a better job on sizes that are challenging to do with a rattle can, so to me, that means engine block / file cabinet / floor machine / house appliance sizes. To what level? As good as I can get with a small compressor.

Thanks for recommendations of LVLP guns that can operate on or around 3.5 SCFM.

Ohmthis, I'd be thrilled if I could get that quality. Nice job.

For all of these things you listed to paint I typically use a $9.95 on sale Harbor Freight purple HVLP gun, then throw them away. I have painted with a nail gun pancake compressor. Sometimes you have to wait a bit, but they work fine.

 

[Ohmthis]

I bought this for an all over paint job for my avatar car I sprayed in the driveway this past spring. I watched a “Paint Society” you tube video and it looked pretty good. My compressor can keep up with a HVLP but it runs a lot getting water in the system when spraying for hours at a time. I was hoping this gun would use less air, then no water in the line.

So confident was I in the gun I used it for my final clear coat, and it did great! The compressor did run much less than using my HVLP. For the price it is a no brainer. It is very hard to get clean as my second paint job sprayed chunks, so I quit midway through the first coat and switched to my old gun.

The R500, is more or less the ubiquitous LVLP gun. Good job on the car. I take my guns apart as soon as the last bit of paint has been sprayed. I completely dismantle it soaking the bits in lacquer thinner. I’ll pull the pieces out individually and using a fine brush (like in the kits above) brush and brush everything. Thinner is cheap compared to the guns. I’ll continue to brush and rinse. Pour more into the gun while pulling the trigger until it flows clean. After I’m convinced it’s clean enough, I’ll assemble it and spray thinner through the gun. If you keep the used thinner in a sealed container, you can use it again.

 

[Ohmthis]

For all of these things you listed to paint I typically use a $9.95 on sale Harbor Freight purple HVLP gun, then throw them away. I have painted with a nail gun pancake compressor. Sometimes you have to wait a bit, but they work fine.

I have a purple gun, it’s my primer and “cheap” paint (rustoleum, zero rust, thinned polyurethane sealer) gun. I will say that once it’s set up (there are a ton of videos on YouTube showing how to properly set up a spray gun) it sprays pretty good. Have fun!