# How to spray with a HVLP



## ponch37300 (Feb 27, 2008)

Ok I just bought a HVLP conversion gun to use with my compressor. I have been searching and trying to learn how to use this new toy. I have used airless sprayers for painting walls and other things before so I have a little spraying experience but none with HVLP sprayers. My first job for this gun will be painting my kitchen cabinet doors with a sherwin williams oil based prep right primer and then sherwin williams pro classic oil based white paint. Then in the future I will be painting doors and staining and polyureathaning trim and other things.

As far as pressure I have read to set the compressor regulator at about 70 psi and then the gun regulator at around 7-9 psi. Does this sound right?

Also how do you thin out paints and stains and poly? I have read that I should thin the paint/stain to spray better, is this right? I know that for oil base you use minerail spirits and latex you use water. Should I use penetrol with oil based along with mineral spirits or instead of mineral spirits? Also do I need to thin stain/poly and if so what should I thin it with? 

And last any tips on adjusting the air and liquid controls on the gun to get the right spray?

Thanks for any advice on this. Just trying to learn as much as possible before I try spraying and screw something up!


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Ponch,
There are a few variables. I have a couple of hvlp guns, both from sherwin williams. The first one is a big setup with it's own compressor and 2 1/2 gallon pot on it. I was able to get together with the rep from the company that made it. He stopped out and showed me some initial setups, spray patterns, etc. I normally thin paint or varnish 20%. I use paint thinner with the varnish, and floetrol with the latex. There are also different tip and needle sizes you need to be concerned with depending on what you are shooting. You'll have to check with the manufacturer with that. I don't recall off the top of my head what mine are. What I would recommend is that once you determine you have the right size tips to spray thicker materials, get some big pieces of cardboard and practice on them. When I shoot woodwork, I usually set the material flow knob so it takes me three passes to get a wet coat. This gives you a little more fudge factor. It helps to minimize runs. You can normally adjust the flow pattern (width) to suit what you are shooting. You just have to get it out and play around with it and get a feel for it. Make sure you clean everything very well. You might want to even consider getting a second gun and shoot latex through one and varnish through the other. good luck.
Mike Hawkins


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## Rick Mosher (Feb 26, 2009)

We need more info, Is this a gravity cup, siphon cup or pressure pot system. I am guessing I can rule out air assisted airless but they come in HVLP also. Setting up the gun is different for all of these systems.


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## ponch37300 (Feb 27, 2008)

I'm sorry I thought i put a link in to the gun. It is a cup gun that you hook up to your compressor. http://www.gleempaint.com/hvcongunnew.html

I know it's not the best gun but it's all I can afford for now and every review I read said it was a good gun, even some woodworking magazines so I thought I would give it a try. Hoping it will leave a better finish than a brush or roller.

I plan on mostly using this gun for oil based paints and stains. I have an airless that I use for latex. Just trying to learn as much on how to treat the paint/stain/poly for HVLP spraying and how to adjust the gun. I bought a couple cabinet doors from the local habitat restore to practice on but really not to sure about what I should do to paint or stain to get it to spray good.

One other thing. This may be obvious but I read that you don't need to wipe stain off when you spray it?

Thanks for helping a noob out with a new tool:smile:


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