# What spray gun can you guys recommend me?



## TrevortdogR (Feb 1, 2013)

I have never used a spray gun before and don't plan on getting into painting so this is for one job.

I'm going to use it with my husky 8 gal. compressor that is 4 CFM at 90 psi that I'm painting cabinet face frames & doors that are maple with mdf panel. 

Do I need to add an air regulator to it?

Here are some I have been looking at:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200365248_200365248

http://www.harborfreight.com/detail-spray-gun-91011.html

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/149388/WoodRiver-Pro-HVLP-Spray-Gun-with-600cc-Plastic-Cup.aspx

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UVR458...640a40c5f2b12b306d933_S&dra_hfr=1&dra_ohs=0-0


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

If it were me I would pick the northern or harbor freight sprayers. Either of them would spray most wood finishes. None of which will spray latex well. You would have to thin the paint so much to get it to spray it would be more like colored water. I normally use an airless or pressure pot sprayer to spray latex. 

If you compressor does not have the means of adjusting the pressure then you will certainly need a regulator. Most of the time you will need to spray paint at around 40 psi.


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## TrevortdogR (Feb 1, 2013)

Steve Neul said:


> If it were me I would pick the northern or harbor freight sprayers. Either of them would spray most wood finishes. None of which will spray latex well. You would have to thin the paint so much to get it to spray it would be more like colored water. I normally use an airless or pressure pot sprayer to spray latex.
> 
> If you compressor does not have the means of adjusting the pressure then you will certainly need a regulator. Most of the time you will need to spray paint at around 40 psi.


So an HVLP gun isn't good for latex then?


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## TrevortdogR (Feb 1, 2013)

Harbour Freight does have an LVLP Gun http://www.harborfreight.com/33-oz-lvlp-general-purpose-air-spray-gun-61455.html


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

TrevortdogR said:


> Harbour Freight does have an LVLP Gun http://www.harborfreight.com/33-oz-lvlp-general-purpose-air-spray-gun-61455.html


I don't know but I can't picture buying that gun. I use only harbor freight sprayers but that one looks pretty bad. I use the #97855 sprayer. 

Neither the siphon sprayer or the HVLP sprayers will spray latex paint well. Latex paint is so thick it needs pressure behind the paint to make it work right. I think latex is what they had in mind when they invented the airless sprayer. It pumps the paint to the nozzle under high pressure. For painting large areas like inside walls or the side of a house I bought a airless sprayer to do that. It puts out too much volume for spraying something like cabinets in my opinion. I use a HF #97855 sprayer hooked up to a pressure pot. It doesn't put out so much volume and also gives you all the adjustments like you would have spraying with a cup gun. I've painted cabinets in a customers house before using that setup. I am able to spray cabinets inside and out with latex paint after they have been installed in a customers house. With a minimal masking I am able to have enough control to keep the overspray off the walls. The last job the weather prevented me from getting to the job on time and the contractor had the flooring people go ahead and install the flooring. I just had to cover the floor with a plastic drop cloth and was able to keep the paint off the new floor.


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## pweller (Mar 10, 2014)

TrevortdogR said:


> Harbour Freight does have an LVLP Gun http://www.harborfreight.com/33-oz-lvlp-general-purpose-air-spray-gun-61455.html


I've used that gun to spray Rustoleum oil paint that was slightly thinned. This was sprayed onto wood. It worked well.

I don't think I've tried to spray latex with it, so I can't comment on that specifically.


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## Masterjer (Nov 6, 2012)

Steve, what are your thoughts on the HF pressure pot and the purple HF gun for spraying latex?


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*3 types of guns ...*

GRavity feed with the cup above the gun, siphon feed and pressure feed with the cups below the gun's frame.

A pressure pot is made for spraying larger amounts of coatings and works better in close quarters because of it's smaller size ... no cup, only a hose. They are more time consuming to clean because the paint hose has to be drained and flushed. It's a better choice for doing large numbers of cabinet doors and other flat work since you aren't having to fill the cup that often. You will have to purchase larger quantities of the coating to fill the pot and hose, a quart may not be enough.

I used to use a pressure type gun for all my paint work, most automobiles and trucks. I now use a HVLP gravity feed gun from HF, about $20.00 or so. They do make a pressure feed gun and it gets 4.5 star review for $25.00:
http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-air-paint-spray-gun-97855.html


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Masterjer said:


> Steve, what are your thoughts on the HF pressure pot and the purple HF gun for spraying latex?


I'm sure the HF pressure pot is fine. I would make sure the rubber seals are replaceable. From time to time the rubber seal around the top gets paint on it and glues the lid on. Then when you remove the lid it can tear little pieces of rubber off the seal and then the tank leaks. I haven't had very good luck getting parts from Harbor Freight so you better see if that part is available. In fact I think if I were buying a HF pressure pot I would go ahead and buy a couple extra seals and put them up somewhere. The two pressure pots I have I bought at Sears in the 1980's. The last time I replaced seals I had a difficult time finding them. I fear the next time I may not be able to. Then I was using the pots on a daily basis and replacing the seals about every six months. I now only use them two to three times a year and it's been probably ten years since I've had to do that. I've also gotten better at watching the rim and washing any paint off that gets on them. 

The purple sprayer if it's the one I'm thinking about is a gravity feed sprayer (cup on top). This wouldn't work for the pressure pot. I believe HF has a kit to go with the pressure pot that has the hose and sprayer. I'm not sure of the length of the hoses though. The rig I have I use a 25' long hose. It's long enough you can set the pot in one spot in the room and spray everything.


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## TrevortdogR (Feb 1, 2013)

Alright guys thanks for all the suggestions, but with research there are far more difficulties in using a sprayer with latex. I didn't want to invest to much into tools for spraying since it would be for 1 job and I don't have a garage to spray in, I would have used my basement.

I think I will stick with brush & roller to paint my face frames & doors.


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## ringmuskie9 (Nov 19, 2014)

I second the harbor freight sprayer. The guys on this forum recommended this to be and I'm glad they did. I sprayed over 50 8-16ft boards with no problem. This was my first time spraying too. It saved a lot of time and didn't wast as much as you would think. I did lose a nut out of the trigger but I took it back and they replaced it for free. Good luck


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## TrevortdogR (Feb 1, 2013)

I really would like to use a spray gun but I don't have garage and have no experience thinning so I wouldn't know the proper amount for spraying.

We're going go with Benjamin Moore acrylic paint and sponge roll over zinsser primer.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

TrevortdogR said:


> I really would like to use a spray gun but I don't have garage and have no experience thinning so I wouldn't know the proper amount for spraying.
> 
> We're going go with Benjamin Moore acrylic paint and sponge roll over zinsser primer.


On days the weather cooperates you could spray latex outdoors. It dries pretty quick so unless there is a high wind you can get away with it. When I paint kitchen cabinets for a customer with latex I usually spray the doors and drawers in their back yard.


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## TrevortdogR (Feb 1, 2013)

If I do decide to spray should paint be thinned with floetrol and water or just one of them?


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## TrevortdogR (Feb 1, 2013)

woodnthings said:


> I used to use a pressure type gun for all my paint work, most automobiles and trucks. I now use a HVLP gravity feed gun from HF, about $20.00 or so. They do make a pressure feed gun and it gets 4.5 star review for $25.00:
> http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-air-paint-spray-gun-97855.html


Is the 1.8mm tip that comes with that gun sufficient to spray thinned latex through?


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*I donno, never done it*

But the largest tip you have 1.8 is the best. Thin only 10 % at most. Good article here:
http://aomspray.com/documents/TIPSFORSPRAYINGLATEX.pdf


other good tips here:
http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Spraying_Latex_Paints.html


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## TrevortdogR (Feb 1, 2013)

woodnthings said:


> But the largest tip you have 1.8 is the best. Thin only 10 % at most. Good article here:
> http://aomspray.com/documents/TIPSFORSPRAYINGLATEX.pdf
> 
> 
> ...



Thanks for the links!


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I have a 1.8mm tip on the HF guns I have and they won't spray latex without over thinning it.


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## honesttjohn (Jan 27, 2015)

Then are there any "cheap" sprayers that can spray latex right out of the can?

HJ

Got me wondering now


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## TrevortdogR (Feb 1, 2013)

What do you guys think about this one for spraying latex?
http://www.tcpglobal.com/TCP-G6600-...sFN_Gy9UYcPUwTSw7Q6PLBoCkJbw_wcB#.VXJggkYST8Y


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

I'd like to preface everything I say with this disclaimer; I'm not an expert, everything I'm about to spout off is speculation

Okay, checking one of Sherwin Williams data sheets for their interior grade latex paint specifies for spraying you should use a .017-.025 (somewhere around .5mm) tip, so it stands to reason that the particles in the paint are smaller than that. Theoretically, this means that you could run the paint through a 1.2mm spray gun tip, like the harbor freight model if memory serves, without clogging the gun. In reality, you probably wouldnt get very much very fast out of said gun. Getting around this issue, you could thin the paint a bit, add a retarder like floetrol, up the air pressure and lower the fluid flow rate. This should allow you to get decent enough atomization for good coverage, and the floetrol should keep the paint from drying before it can flow and level out, even if the paint stutters a bit. 

I'd say its worth picking up the HF gun to give it a test. Like I said, I'd be willing to bet it'd work, and even if it doesnt, you're only out $17 and you have a gun that still sprays most other finishes like lawyer or shellac with no issues


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## Masterjer (Nov 6, 2012)

I saw that HF has a sale on their airless sprayer setup for $170. It has gotten solid reviews and is designed for paint.


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