# Opinions on which HVLP system?



## Barn owl (Jul 1, 2013)

I believe I have decided to move towards a true HVLP system, moving away from a compressor / HVLP gun system I use today. 

I make custom tables for a living. Some of these tables are large (50"x16' for example). The size of some of these tops doesn't lend themselves to be sprayed with a compressor unless I'm spending thousands of dollars on just the compressor...Hence, 4 stage HVLP....right? Never mind the material waste with not using a true HVLP set up

I spray mainly water base finishes, but do also spray some lacquer, etc. 

After a bit of research, I've got more questions than answers. Can anyone help or provide opinions on where to start? Way too many options out there! I've looked into earlex, lemmer, Apollo, etc, etc. 

Is their a brand to stay away from? 
Specific features I must have? 

I don't mind spending money on a quality system, but obviously don't want to over-pay for features I'm not needing. 


Some basic guidance would be really appreciated! Thank you


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I've never actually tried any of the sprayers you have listed. I'm able to spray everything I need with a siphon sprayer. If the job it large like your 16' tables I just use the siphon sprayer attached by hoses to a 2 1/2 gal pressure pot. The cost of the pot is about 100 bucks and the sprayer is about 23 bucks at harbor freight.


----------



## Barn owl (Jul 1, 2013)

Steve Neul said:


> I've never actually tried any of the sprayers you have listed. I'm able to spray everything I need with a siphon sprayer. If the job it large like your 16' tables I just use the siphon sprayer attached by hoses to a 2 1/2 gal pressure pot. The cost of the pot is about 100 bucks and the sprayer is about 23 bucks at harbor freight.


Pardon my ignorance, but the use of a pressure pot then reduces the need for a larger compressor?


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Barn owl said:


> Pardon my ignorance, but the use of a pressure pot then reduces the need for a larger compressor?


The pressure pot wouldn't help the compressor issue very much. It would just enable you to spray longer and easier because it will spray at any angle. I imagine you have trouble running out of finish with a cup gun spraying a 16' long table. I had an assembly line going one time spraying tables and I just used a 1hp speedaire compressor and the pressure pot. I never ran out of air. The pressure pot will spray more finish than air so it helps in that aspect. It functions more like an airless sprayer but with more control.


----------



## Trav (May 30, 2011)

I have a Fuji mini mite and think it works pretty good. No complaints what so ever. It did take me a while to learn to use the viscosity cup correctly. Once I did it had been smooth sailing ever since. 
http://www.fujispray.com/hvlp-systems/


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Barn owl said:


> I believe I have decided to move towards a true HVLP system, moving away from a compressor / HVLP gun system I use today.


If that's what you're after, be patient and those that actually use the equipment can respond, as you are already getting response from those that don't use HVLP.


















.


----------



## shoot summ (Feb 21, 2014)

I have a Fuji 4 Gold system with a (small) gravity feed cup gun(pressurized). I've only used this system for spraying oil based enamel on some trim, and large bookcases I've built, but I do have some very specific feedback.

First, like any setup it takes a while to get used to the system, mixture adjustment, fan adjustment, etc. This wasn't a big deal but different from the last spraying I did many years ago(more about that later).

The capacity of the cup on the gravity feed is a hinderance for me on the larger items like the book cases, not so much on trim.

The huge hose, even with a whip takes a little getting used to, and extra care when you are spraying to make sure you don't drag it across your work.

The cup cap on my gun has been a problem, you really have to make sure it seats well and is sealed so you don't have material blowing out of the cap.

The hose/filter for pressurizing the cup is a service item, keep them on hand as they clog and the gun wont spray when they do.

Watch where you put the turbine, they move a lot of air, anything in the air(paint) will be filtered from the supply air, but the motor fan will disperse the paint onto whatever it is sitting on(like my bench)...

Beyond that I am happy with the finish I am getting, I'm still getting a bit more overspray than I anticipated but some of that may still be my adjustments. My history is that many years ago I sprayed hundreds of gallons of lacquer using a small Wagner airless rig with a 2 gallon hopper, or pickup tube on cabinets, furniture and trim that I built. Although the attributes of lacquer weren't so great, the system was fantastic. I had a small 3/16" feed line, the gun would spray in any direction, and overspray was minimal. Cleanup was easy, and in the 5-6 years I used that system I replaced a diaphragm in the pump, nothing else. The HVLP system hasn't gotten there yet for me, I'm looking at different gun options, but I honestly do this for only myself, and can't justify spending $300-$400 on a gun to resolve the capacity issues.


----------



## Tim G (May 10, 2012)

I have a Graco finish pro 9.5 and added the pro comp pack. The pro comp pack is a setup where you have a additional compressor attached to the kit that pressurizes a remote pressure cup. Sort of like a pressure pot. But much smaller. I like This setup very much. I was able to do professional looking finish " right out of the box". The remote cup eliminates the cup being attached to the gun making it easier to fit tight spaces also makes it able to turn the gun upside down. I finish furniture and small cabinets in a two car garage. I've got around $1500 dollars into it about 3years ago. I've had no problems with it. Some might say the one quart cup is to small but so far I haven't run out in the middle of the spray. Or even come close. You'd be surprised at how little product the system uses. But that goes for all HVLP systems. Hope this helps. Search Graco finish pro. For more info.


----------



## Al B Thayer (Dec 10, 2011)

Tim G said:


> I have a Graco finish pro 9.5 and added the pro comp pack. The pro comp pack is a setup where you have a additional compressor attached to the kit that pressurizes a remote pressure cup. Sort of like a pressure pot. But much smaller. I like This setup very much. I was able to do professional looking finish " right out of the box". The remote cup eliminates the cup being attached to the gun making it easier to fit tight spaces also makes it able to turn the gun upside down. I finish furniture and small cabinets in a two car garage. I've got around $1500 dollars into it about 3years ago. I've had no problems with it. Some might say the one quart cup is to small but so far I haven't run out in the middle of the spray. Or even come close. You'd be surprised at how little product the system uses. But that goes for all HVLP systems. Hope this helps. Search Graco finish pro. For more info.


Is this unit you have HVLP?

Al


----------



## Al B Thayer (Dec 10, 2011)

Ttharp said:


> I have a Fuji mini mite and think it works pretty good. No complaints what so ever. It did take me a while to learn to use the viscosity cup correctly. Once I did it had been smooth sailing ever since.
> http://www.fujispray.com/hvlp-systems/


Does that system allow adjustments for fan Fluid and air?

Al


----------



## Tim G (May 10, 2012)

Al B Thayer said:


> Is this unit you have HVLP? Al


Yes. It's a Graco Finishpro HVLP 9.5


----------



## Al B Thayer (Dec 10, 2011)

Barn
I have two systems. One is the Earlex 5500. They are a great company and the product is of good quality. I like that I can set it up in a flash and the gun cleans easy. Its not short on power and you can spray latex with ease. If you needed to. I burned one turbine up and they sent me a whole new unit ASAP no problem. 

This model doesn't allow adjustment for air. So you dial in the fan spray and the amount of material and spray away. I found this a small problem because I spray slower and couldn't get the gun to do also. But then found on another forum. If I unscrewed the tip cap a few turns it had the effect of adjusting the air and solved my small problem. Someone with experience would probably just increase the fluid and be fine with it. For the money it's not a bad unit. But I wouldn't recommend it for painting a car or piano.

My other unit is a Neiko $65 conversion gun I can run with my little Emglo compressor. It produces a finer finish and all I have sprayed with it is pre cat lacquer. It sprays a fine finish but is probably a throw away. I have my doubts it will hold up.

Al


----------



## Barn owl (Jul 1, 2013)

As a follow up for those that may be looking. I ended up buying the Fuji Mini-mite 4. Since I received it last Wednesday, I've sprayed 26 table tops with this system and I cannot be more pleased with how this unit performs. Everything that I've experienced so far has been great and it didn't take very long to learn the ins and outs, proper adjustments, etc. So far, I'm glad I made the choice I did. My finishes are better than they ever have been. 

Thanks to all who have input along the way.


----------



## Rick Mosher (Feb 26, 2009)

If you're spraying that many tables you might want to look into a Kremlin 1014 system.


----------



## Bob the Painter (Jan 24, 2012)

I am reasonably happy with my 5 Stage from Sherwin Williams, I get plenty of power. Mine came with two styles of cupgun. I tend to use the older version. The old SprayTech equipment has been modified by Titan and the turbine to me is not as sturdy as it used to be because the two sides which hold the very important foam filters are locked on (and I use the word locked on -"loosely") because they pop off and you might find it hard to stop and put them back on--so I suggest duct taping them to make them stay on. I complained to their tech department about this downgrade so maybe it is better now. You must keep the cupguns very clean, and you do have to learn how to put new packing in them but it is easy, just remember to loosen the screw a bit to remove a needle set. From what I have heard, the cupguns are better on the SW/Titan/SprayTech equipment---but I suspect the Graco turbine is built to higher standards. If you are painting table, you will want to put a generous coat on it and the five stage is great for that, with a #4 tip it can resemble and airless with latex if you ever shoot that. Just my experiences, but I think a 5 stage is the way to go. How I clean my guns if I am running a waterbased clear is to wash out the cup, clean the edge at the top because stuff tends to build up and break the seal (the solution is the duct tape the cup if you can't stop, the newer style which breaks into two parts seems less prone to that); run water from a hose or tub, sink etc., through the siphon tube till the water is clear, also run water (or whatever thinner) through the air hose connector since material seems to run back there somehow, and then take off the air cap stuff so you can see the needle tip and if it looks good put it all back together and run some water or whatever solvent though the gun with air pressure. I have found those little dental tools from Harbor Freight are great to check the threads, the little air hoses, the fittings to the clear checkvalve tubes etc. If you get a dirly gun, what I do is take it apart and soak it in some of the awesome KrudCutter spray gun and parts clearner. It is waterbased and foams out the materials and does not melt the packing etc. I keep a small can, once had some mushrooms in it, which is just right for dipping the front part of the gun into the clean to soften up any small cruds which might have gone back in the housing or around the tip, etc., you tend to knock these guns over easily because the cupholder is on the turbine and you probably have set that pretty far away to prevent the thing from picking up your overspray dust. A light goes on if you do clog it too much. The bad news about HVLP repairs etc., is you just about have to do them yourself, but rarely do you have any problems, I keep extra guns. Hope this helps you some. I have found that if you strain your material, clean religiously, you get awesome trouble free spraying.


----------



## CarpenterSFO (Jan 30, 2014)

Barn owl said:


> As a follow up for those that may be looking. I ended up buying the Fuji Mini-mite 4. Since I received it last Wednesday, I've sprayed 26 table tops with this system and I cannot be more pleased with how this unit performs. Everything that I've experienced so far has been great and it didn't take very long to learn the ins and outs, proper adjustments, etc. So far, I'm glad I made the choice I did. My finishes are better than they ever have been.
> 
> Thanks to all who have input along the way.


I'm glad you like the Fuji - I've been a happy Fuji user for perhaps 8 years now. I recommend looking into the 3M PPS cup/filter system with the Fuji guns - it improves not only cleaning, but spraying also.


----------

