DeVilbiss Finish Line Spray Gun

I finally got around to doing some paint work on my old Caddy and used a new paint gun, a DeVilbiss Finish Line HVLP spray gun. You get what you pay for, this thing is simply awesome. I've never laid paint so easily and it came out so nice. It took just a couple test sprays to tune it in so it wasn't too dry or conversely runny. I probably could have used just a touch more reducer but it wasn't bad for such a hot day. I may just paint the whole stinkin' car this fall when the humidity is down some and a little cooler.

This would make short work of Rocket sheetmetal, especially if you had stands to put it on.

http://www.spraygunworld.com/Information2/FinishlineIIIKIT.htm

Tom,

I have a Sears 33 gallon air compressor, is that enough to drive something like this? Also did you just start painting on your own one day or did you get some training? I have been thinking about getting my own setup like this and just practicing on scraps until I get better at it (hopefully!).

Here is my unit now...
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/prod...ir+Compressors+&+Inflators&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes

Never mind the compressor question, I see mine isn't good enough as it is a 2HP and it mentions needing a 3HP for automotive....

Nice tool Tomo.

How are you keeping the moisture out of your air lines? By the way, the College has an extensive body shop course and I believe they have Saito? HVLP guns. They also have a DeVilbiss downdraft waterfall spray booth that fit's a car or truck.

I'm a rattlecan guy myself. I do have an airless for the big jobs.

Probably 3 HP is the smallest, mines a 3 1/2. I have a water separator on the tank. It helps if you drain the tank after each use.

I have some buddies in the body shop biz that give me tips and advice. I just kinda started spraying back when the paint wasn't so expensive, and I used to spray some real junk so I didn't really worry about it coming out bad. You basically have to get the paint/air mix right so it isn't too dry or too wet. You can reduce it down too far so it runs. You just gotta mess with it. I try to get all set up before starting and spray some cardboard or paper to see where I'm at before laying it on the car.

This new gun helps. very little overspray and it doesn't fog the whole garage, the paint that is sprayed sticks to the car. Very sweet . I've painted using a high pressure siphon cup and after about two minutes you couldn't see much less breathe. That's why you see those things for sale now at Harbor Freight for $5.99.... I don't think anyone uses them anymore.

Hey Flip... I've seen some very nice rattle can jobs, it just takes more work. I used to have a neighbor back in the old "hood" who had a Gremlin and a serious drinking problem. After leaving the bar one afternoon he stopped at a local discount store and they had foo foo cans on sale for a buck each. He picked up about 10 cans of forest green, drove home and proceeded to paint his Gremlin in the driveway. The problem was... he didn't mask anything off and there was about a 25 mile an hour wind that day. Everything got painted, glass, chrome, bumpers, the neighborhood cat. It was a real mess. Gremlins don't look good in forest green either. Ahhhh, the good old dazes..

Hey Tom... they make touch up guns that would be good for motorcycle work that require a lot less pressure, plus they cost less. I think DeVilbiss has a series called Starting Line that is more of a standard quality but still a very good gun. Binks makes a lot of good stuff also, but expensive. You are going to want a pressure regulator on your line to keep things smooth and under control. That's why that Finish line kit was such a good deal... it came with 4 tips and a pressure regulator, a gun holder, a case and a cup lid. But really... it is more of a "production" gun for spraying larger stuff.

Tomo:

I guess I'm a compressor freak of sorts. It takes quite a bit of air power (CFM) to run 60,000 rpm die grinders and mist coolant units so I have twin 5 horsepower IR compressors with horizontal receivers running in tandem. That gives me 22 CFM with both units running but I have the pressure cutoff switches set 10 psi apart so just one runs unless I exceed 11 CFM and then the other kicks in. I have the main air line plumbed into an IR refrigerated air dryer, 'cause moisture ruins air tools. To keep the rust and scale (in the hard lines at bay, I plumbed the whole shop in schedule 60 solvent weld plastic pipe with 1" diameter main runs and 3/4" drops. I also bought a nice pressure pot sandblaster for outside stuff and that unit takes 22 CFM at 175 psi and that's at the limit for my twin 5's. Out in the barn I have an American IMC twin stage after cooled unit on a 175 gallon horizontal receiver that makes 30 CFM at 175 psi. If that one had an electric motor, my wife would commit Harry-Cary if I ran it much. It don't. It has a 20 horse Onan opposed twin on it.

Moisture will ruin a paint job and it's hard to remove that moisture. Even with the refrigerated dryer I run Norgren water separators at my outlets and because moisture will destroy a plasma cutter, the plasma cutter has a Motorgard cannister filter as well.

Years ago, I started with a little CH compressor and kept needing more and more air so I just kept getting bigger. My neighbors have all my other compressors. They like 'em.

I have automatic tank drains on the receivers but I still drain them every time I run 'em. This hot and humid weather really builds the condensation. Something to do with the dew point. It don't look like dew when the auto drains dump though.

I'm try'in to keep my posts shorter, this is just a technical one.

Are you sticking with white Tom or is that going to be a pink caddy? Shoot you could paint it gunmetal gray but you would have F-16s wanting to land on the hood of it.

Pink?? Will it say 'Mary Kay' in the back window and have fuzzy dice in the front???

Tom will be wearing his pimp suit.