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Mini HVLP tip size

Firebrick43

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May 12, 2015
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Location
West central Indiana
I have a full size HVLP gun and tip size was always on the material chart, most of the time 1.2 or 1.3 for the 2k paints and 1.6 or 1.8 for the primer I have used on two trucks.

Not being an expert, I thought this was due to the viscosity and particle size of the material being sprayed?

I all of the sudden come upon a need for a mini HVLP gun for several projects. I tried an .5 airbrush but it just didn't have the lack of a fan pattern and struggled for the coverage.

Anyway I started looking at mini HVLP guns and probably decided on an Iwata LPH50 which is a side cup version of the LPH80.

They have several size tips but most mini guns have 0.8 tips as standard.

Looking on youtube there is PetesHobbies that has a lot of mini HVLP and was surprise that he was even spraying clear on motorcycle tanks with 0.4 tip size and on another video did a multiple tip size test to show fan pattern.

He seems to be one of the few with a lot of content about mini HVLP guns.

Since I don't want a 6" fan pattern is the tip size recommendation not so much of a material viscosity related but what that viscosity will produce a standard size pattern?

Is it ok to reduce the recommended tip size if you want a smaller 2-3" pattern?

Has anyone used the fan cap airbrush based mini guns such as the NoName minigun, PS290 or Iwata HP-TR2?
 
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dnschmidt

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Oct 3, 2014
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Phoenix, AZ
The best bang for the buck is the green ASTRO Europro Minigun. Just did a bumper repair on my Toyota Camry with it and it sprayed Adhesion Promoter, Sealer, Basecoat, basecoat blender, Clearcoat and fad out thinner flawlessly. Fan is adjustable from spot to 6" and anything in between. I have at least 10 miniguns from SATA, Sagola, Iwata, ANI and many others and I like the ASTRO the best.
 
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Firebrick43

Well-known member
Joined
May 12, 2015
Messages
14,183
Location
West central Indiana
The best bang for the buck is the green ASTRO Europro Minigun. Just did a bumper repair on my Toyota Camry with it and it sprayed Adhesion Promoter, Sealer, Basecoat, basecoat blender, Clearcoat and fad out thinner flawlessly. Fan is adjustable from spot to 6" and anything in between. I have at least 10 miniguns from SATA, Sagola, Iwata, ANI and many others and I like the ASTRO the best.
which tip size? They can be had in 0.8, 1.0, 1.2, and 1.3

And just out of curiosity, is your Iwata's one of the 50/80 series or a derivative of the 400 series?

An astro is cheaper than just a different nozzle/needle of the iwata. That is a plus but is also twice the pressure/cfm of the LPH50/80 which would typically indicate a lot more bounce back/overspray.
 
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dnschmidt

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Joined
Oct 3, 2014
Messages
7,289
Location
Phoenix, AZ
which tip size? They can be had in 0.8, 1.0, 1.2, and 1.3

And just out of curiosity, is your Iwata's one of the 50/80 series or a derivative of the 400 series?

An astro is cheaper than just a different nozzle/needle of the iwata. That is a plus but is also twice the pressure/cfm of the LPH50/80 which would typically indicate a lot more bounce back/overspray.
I like the 1.0 for most things and I have the 1.2 for thinned down primer and epoxy. The overspray isn't bad. I have the LPH80, W400, LPH400, 4 of the Supernova's (two each of the LS and the WS) and two of the W400 Bellarias. Iwata does make good stuff.
 
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