# spray gun differences



## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

So what's the difference between gravity feed hvlp spray guns vs siphon type spray guns? I've been using a gravity feed but I hear some people are using siphons. Ill be spraying pre cat lacquer


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

ryan50hrl said:


> So what's the difference between gravity feed hvlp spray guns vs siphon type spray guns? I've been using a gravity feed but I hear some people are using siphons. Ill be spraying pre cat lacquer


Well I use nothing but cheap guns now. There are others that use better quality guns that say there isn't much difference in the guns. Anyway I have a HF gravity feed gun and I can't stand it. It has a lid like a mason jar and I'm often fighting trying to get the cap off of it. Then some finishes need to be agitated from time to time and instead of the mix going to the bottom of a cup where you can stir it on this sprayer of mine the solids go into the nozzle of the gun. I have to take the mix out of the gun to stir it and then put it back in. I prefer to use the siphon sprayers. I have 4 of them. I keep one for stain, one for paint, one for sealer and one for clear topcoat. The guns are only $24.00 with a 20% off coupon and they work very well. They deliver more volume than the gravity feed sprayer and are easier to work with. I spray anything from mahogany table tops to automotive paint with them. The main reason I bought the gravity feed gun is I painted a tractor last year with a 2k urethane. The paint was more than $200.00 a gallon and when mixed with hardener what is left over can't be saved. On a siphon sprayer it takes a couple of ounces of paint in the cup before it will pick up where on gravity feed gun you could use every drop. For woodworking I find having the sprayer cup on the top of it cumbersome. For example going on the inside of the table you are working on the cup would hit the top of the table trying to get inside.


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## bzguy (Jul 11, 2011)

Maybe Steve or someone can settle this?
When I was in the states a HVLP looked something like a vacuum cleaner.
It had a large diameter hose and the finish misted out in a large pattern but at a very slow speed.
These were used to finish high-end woodwork that was already installed.
They had virtually no over-spray, this is why they were used for woodwork already in place.
The top loading guns they sell now as HVLP are nothing more than a normal spraygun with an extra pressure gauge on the gun.
I think you can do the same work by adjusting the the pressure on your compressor with a cheap gun like Steve mentions for a lot less money and trouble?


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

ryan50hrl said:


> So what's the difference between gravity feed hvlp spray guns vs siphon type spray guns? I've been using a gravity feed but I hear some people are using siphons. Ill be spraying pre cat lacquer


The gravity feed guns come in HVLP and non-HVLP. The 20oz cup is above the gun body. The style of the gun is popular with auto painting, as most of the paint direction is down or horizontal. You would need a stand or a hook to set the gun down. 

For conventional style guns, they are available in HVLP, and siphon. The cup holds more media than a gravity feed...1 qt. They are easy to use, and to set down. Some prefer the siphon gun, as the spray can be more easily seen. The HVLP produces less overspray, and at times it doesn't look like anything is coming out.

For any type and style of gun, check the CFM requirements to see if your compressor would be adequate.

HVLP also is available in a self contained turbine unit that eliminates the need for a separate compressor. Most have a 15ft or so length of air tubing, and the ones I have used utilize a conventional style cup and gun. It's very convenient and effective.


















.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

bzguy said:


> Maybe Steve or someone can settle this?
> When I was in the states a HVLP looked something like a vacuum cleaner.
> It had a large diameter hose and the finish misted out in a large pattern but at a very slow speed.
> These were used to finish high-end woodwork that was already installed.
> ...


Is this the sprayer you are thinking about? This is a turbine sprayer. I really don't know anything about this type sprayer. I can tell from looking at it I think I would quit spraying paint before I started using this one. It looks as cumbersom as it can get.


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## del schisler (Nov 5, 2009)

ryan50hrl said:


> So what's the difference between gravity feed hvlp spray guns vs siphon type spray guns? I've been using a gravity feed but I hear some people are using siphons. Ill be spraying pre cat lacquer


you ask the difference , some other post have answared you, i only spray cat lacquer all the time , mine is a finish line sprayer, used in auto spraying, but i use it on wood and it is a hvlp , it has a 2mm nozzel and 30 lbs of air and that work's very well for me , i use M.L.CAMPBELL lacquer , sanding sealer and simi or gloss finish, that is what i use and do good luck


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## bzguy (Jul 11, 2011)

Steve Neul said:


> Is this the sprayer you are thinking about? This is a turbine sprayer. I really don't know anything about this type sprayer. I can tell from looking at it I think I would quit spraying paint before I started using this one. It looks as cumbersom as it can get.


This is the idea but I don't remember the cup gun at the end, thought it was just a vacuum-cleaner sized nozzle.
I pre-finish all my stuff in the shop.
I spray it laying flat before assembly to avoid runs with a piston pump airless.
Everyone has their own preferred method, the bottom line is what you have learned to get good results with.
On installations however I would see guys with these units doing baseboard, wainscoting, columns, even cabinetry that was assembled on site raw, they came out amazingly well.
Thanks for the pic!


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## WillemJM (Aug 18, 2011)

I have no association with Devilbiss, but can't imagine ever going back to conventional guns.

To clean my setup is faster and uses less solvent than cleaning a paint brush, I can spray upside down, sideways, shake the gun, lay it down on the bench.... etc. Also, I can store the gun, with finish in it indefinitely, or leave the finish in the gun cup to use it several months later in a few seconds.


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## bzguy (Jul 11, 2011)

I do the same with my Graco Magnum, I like it because there is no cup at all to get in your way, just a hose and gun.
If you cut a intake hose-sized notch in the 1 or 5 gallon bucket lid, you never have to empty the unit.
It is dedicated to clear-coat, I use a cup gun for staining and painting.


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

I would love to use an airless....but too many other things to pay for now. So I'm stuck with an air sprayer.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

ryan50hrl said:


> I would love to use an airless....but too many other things to pay for now. So I'm stuck with an air sprayer.


You might rent an airless before you buy one. Most of the ones I've used including the Titan sprayer I own don't give you very much adjustment. The one I have works great for spraying latex paint on large surfaces like the side of a barn or interior walls but if you have detailed work where overspray is a issue then a pressure pot works better. The Titan is more like spraying paint with your garden hose. I worked for a company one time that used a better model spraying lacquer and I never did quite get the hang of it. It just put out way too much volume for what I was accustom to working with.


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## bzguy (Jul 11, 2011)

The volume on mine is adjustable, but even at low end you have to keep moving.
The volume is why I spray everything laying flat, assemble later.
Cross grain quickly, then another quick coat parallel.
Was trained in factory then production shops.
The guy that trained me insisted any given piece had to have an even/shiny/still wet uniform sheen.
Once you get used to it, you'll never want to go back.
Hard for me to get an even sheen of lacquer on an entire 8' X 24" end panel with cup gun without using a lot of retarder.


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