Spraying small items

[echnidna]

I make small items and am considering spraying them.
Would a touch-up gun be better than an airbrush.

Or should I forget spraying and work out a way of dipping the items.

I am inclined to use lacquer coz it dries so fast but would consider shellac or other finishes..

[bitingmidge]

If they are really small, like turned knobs or doorstops or whatever, the airbrush is the go, and a really cheap one can be made to work for that purpose quite satisfactorily.

I use a touch up-gun once the surface area is about 6" square or bigger (because my el-cheapo airbrush gets a bit difficult after that).

I'd be interested to hear others views!

Cheers,

P

[journeyman Mick]

Bob,
I'd be inclined to go for a full size spray gun unless you're planning on buying several guns. You can spray small stuff with a big gun (just turn it right down) but you'll be at it forever and a day if you're spraying a larger item or multiple small items.
At times I've had to spray lots of small mouldings for a boat. I usually stick them to a sheet of ply with some no more gaps, I've found this to work well. I figured that PVA mightn't want to let go and screwing through from underneath is slow and not always feasible. The no more gaps stops the air pressure from blowing the small pieces away but you can still remove them easily. (I've never left them stuck down for hours though, probably best to remove them as soon as the lacquer has hardened up.)
I don't own a touch up gun but I did borrow one once (touch ups on the ute) and didn't like it at all, but that's probably a personal like/dislike thing coupled with the fact that I'd been using full size guns for years.

Mick

[bitingmidge]

I had a big gun before any other too, but can never come to terms with needing to load it with ten times more paint than the job is going to require.

Mick's dead right, it is just a personal thing! My touch up gun gets more use than the big one these days, because it seems to have just about the right size paint pot!

cheers,

P

[rodm]

I use a touch up gun on all my work including large cabinets. I find it much easier to manouvre inside the cabinets than the large gun. You can get a fair volume of material through a touch up gun as well. I find the pot just the right size to take a break and let all the airborne spray clear. To get consistancy I mix my material in a large coffe jar before starting and decant to the gun.
I guess it is just what I have been doing for years so I am more confortable with it.

[gatiep]

I only use gravity feed guns. I have a standard gravity feed spray gun, a HVLP spray gun, standard gravity feed bowl on it and a small gravity feed touch up gun. I have resprayed a white colorbond sheet 1800 x 900 mm to red with one fill of 2pack paint.Only needed one coat. Those little guys can go a long way if the paint has good solids content.I have two airbrushess but find them useless unless only spraying small model stuff or special effects on signs. When using gravity feed guns you can put as little as 30 ml of paint in a full size gun and spray away. So I guess my answer is: I'll use my gravity feed touch up gun.

Cya

:)

[echnidna]

Thanks for all the comments everyone has been very helpful.

I already have a large gun but it pushes so much air out it probably isn't practical for the light veneers that I am finishing. So today I got a touch-up gun and an airbrush.

Down the track I will get a new gravity feed gun as they are great for woodwork. My last one found itself a new owner without telling me.

Micks suggestion about sticking things down is brilliant but I might try blue tack instead of no gaps. Just hope the clear lacquer goes over the back without showing where the bluetack had been but theres a solution to every problem so I'll sort that out in due course.

[bitingmidge]

Bob,

Not trying to upstage Mick(!), but I keep a roll of double sided tape beside me for all sorts of uses...not the padded permanent stick sort, the clear
"sticky tape" sort with stick on both sides.

It's quite easy to peel off once the bond is broken, but works for all sorts of things, like holding things to router templates for example as well as any temporary hold-down.

Cheers,

P :D

[soundman]

I have a few guns full sized normal, hvlp gravity.....

I spray quite a lot of small parts, like bits of theatre lanterns... I find the suction type touch up gun is great. they can run on reasonably low preasure & will pick up small ammounts of product.
I find it easey to manover & gives a gentle airstream that doesn't blow things about. Spraying the inside of confined spaces (like inside a lantern, imagine spraying inside a letterbox) you get much less back in your face.

I havn't tried one of those little gravity touch up guns but they might be worth a look.

I'd go the touch up gun. the little star is much nicer than the cheapes & worth the extra.

a good moove is to fit a swivel to the air connection, makes the hose less of a drag.
cheers

[Cliff Rogers]

... I'll use my gravity feed touch up gun.

Cya

:)

OK, I'm interested... I have 2 Airbrushes, a small gravity feed & a larger bowl type.
I also have one of those reverse vacuum cleaner thingos that's good for repainting
old cane lounge suites & applying a new coat of matt black to muso speaker boxes.
(& applying liquid fert to the plants in the bush house :eek: )

I'd like something in between for turned items.

[soundman]

The little touch up gun gets a lot of work but I'v gota say the the HVLP impresses me more & more.
By accident it sits in the middle because the cup only holds 600ml but you can put very little in & it works just as well, sprays evry last drop.

the little touch up gun only holds anout 150ml & most of the bigger guns hold 1L.

I'm using the HVLP more & more but it still isn't as agile as the touch up gun.

[Cliff Rogers]

...I'm using the HVLP more & more but it still isn't as agile as the touch up gun.

Names, darling, names, names, names... :D

(Quote from Ab. Fab.)

I'm looking for names, what's your HVLP & what's your touch up gun?

[scooter]

Cliff, I have one of those old Electrolux vacuum cleaner sprayers, r u fair dinkum, can you actually use it for spraying paint or varnishes?? Is it better with thick or thin stuff?


Sean the wonderer

[vsquizz]

[QUOTE=Cliff Rogers](& applying liquid fert to the plants in the bush house :eek: )
QUOTE]

And I thought that type of thing only happened down at Machens Beach:D

Cheers

[Cliff Rogers]

Cliff, I have one of those old Electrolux vacuum cleaner sprayers, r u fair dinkum, can you actually use it for spraying paint or varnishes?? Is it better with thick or thin stuff?


Sean the wonderer

I use mine with plain old water based paint. I works fine but the biggest problem is the sheer volume of air carrying overspray everywhere.

When ever we move house, the old cane lounge usually gets a bit dinged up so we take it out in the back yard & sit it on some flattened out cartons & give it a new coat.

I do the same thing with my MDF speaker boxes when ever they start looking a bit sad.

[soundman]

The HVLP is a porter cable but ist is similar(amasingly) to the star unit the porter cable was cheaper at the time.

the suction touch up is the star that you can buy from trade tools or glenfords or others

no idea of the numbers but they are both easy to find

[Cliff Rogers]

Thanks bloke, I'm going past Glenfords later today, I'll wheel in for a look.

[Cliff Rogers]

OK, smee again...

Went to Glenfords, looked at lots of guns, (all Chinese,) talked lots of BS with the bloke there & I'm still a tad confused. I think he was too when I'd finished with him.
They only had one HVLP gun, a cheapie with a .8mm nozzle.
I know fug'all about spray'n licquer & the plastic laminated cheat sheet in the shop says I need a nozzle that is 1.8mm or bigger for the job. :confused:

I've left it all on the shelf & come home & gone ferret'n through this forum searching on "lacquer spraying" & come up with lots of good stuff BUT I still don't have all the answers.

What's the story with nozzle size & lacquer spraying?

Where can I find a good HVLP gravity feed gun for spraying lacquer on small stuff?
Woodturning size stuff, not the workbench, the shed, or the Mrs' bum.

Should I be looking in a spray paint'n shop?

[journeyman Mick]

Cliff,
go and talk to Dave at Cairns coatings, very knowledgeable bloke. Used to (probably still does) repair sprayguns for people. Sells some guns as well, I'm sure he'll be able to tell you what nozzle size you need. BTW they're the local agents for Mirotone lacquer etc.

Mick

[scooter]

Woodturning size stuff, not the workbench, the shed, or the Mrs' bum...

Shouldn't that be the tailstock Cliff ? ;)

Or perhaps the lead screw...

Uh oh, gone too far again...


Cheers..........Sean, who hasn't turned :rolleyes:

[Cliff Rogers]

Shouldn't that be the tailstock Cliff ? ;)

Or perhaps the lead screw...

Uh oh, gone too far again...


Cheers..........Sean, who hasn't turned :rolleyes:

Yeah all of that & more BUT.... the propotions are damned fine... :p

[Cliff Rogers]

...
go and talk to Dave at Cairns coatings...

Cool, they are just a couple more blocks down the road, less than 2 Kms from here.

Thanks Mick.

[soundman]

I'm not sure what needle sizes are in any of my guns.
Unless you are looking up the price range you don't get much of a choice.
the needle & seat sizes my also be a completely different story on HVLP because the aircap design is the major difference.
The porter cable from carbatec seems fine for a variety of stuff to me no choice of needle size is offered.

cheers

[Cliff Rogers]

OK, I've been to see Dave at Cairns Coatings, (recommended by a friend locally as well as Mick)

I now have a Star Mini S-106T/J 12G.
It's a Gravity feed touchup gun with 130ml cup & a 1.2mm Nozzle.
They have a web site but it hasn't been updated for a while & some of the stuff on the website doesn't match the stuff in the glossy brochure that came in the box with the gun.
http://www.star-sprayguns.com.au/index.html

The friend has the same unit but with a 1mm Nozzle & he says it's great for Mirotone Lacquer.
Dave at Cairns Coatings also sells Mirotone & he recommends at least a 2mm Nozzle but he knows the friend & says he knows that it works for him.

Anyway, I'm going to find out soon enough.

[RETIRED]

Reason: to fix cup size. :D

A,B or DD?

[Cliff Rogers]

Reason: to fix cup size. :D

A,B or DD?Close, tonight I saw my first pair of those new rubber/silicon (?) "inserts" that you can get from 'crazy clarks' for about $14..... scary stuff.... it's a wonder the people who wear them don't get done for false advertising. :D
When I say, "I saw them" I don't mean, I found a pair in use by surprise. :eek:
Some one had bought a pair & they were showing them off.
And, no, they weren't modeling them either.

[2shane]

Love spray painting Koff Koff.............

Well I am a bit tired and can't think too well....

I have a $30 on special Super Cheap "compressor" bits and fittings kit (or was it more???) that came with a spray gun... 1 liter pot on it...

I picked up a touch up gun with a 1 liter pot, after a protracted fight with a seller on ebay , who took my money and wouldn't send it.... that was ummmmm $45 all up or something.

And I also have a CHEAP plastic air brush - a super cheap auto special....

Now I figure that I have all bases covered, until I need to spray ships.



The air brush is FANTASTIC, cause it sprays such an incredibly fine and soft spray, that turns even (thinned) ordinary oil based enamels into super shiny colored things.

I sprayed the back and sides of my remote controls, my mobile phone etc., etc., etc..

Like Whaaaaaaaaaa this is brilliant.


A heaps better finish than the spray can's.

And the touch up gun is brilliant too.. sprays heaps more than the air brush, both in volume and area, for bigger jobs.

And the 1 liter pot gun is fantastic too... only it puts down even more paint over a bigger area...

So I guess spraying and gun selection is all surface area, and you match your paint loads in the guns too that.


I am going to be using my touch up gun to spray poly-urethane paints over my guitar when I have stripped, modified, de-painted, reknobbed and rewired it......

It's a good size for that job, 2 or so coats per side and all around.

Wash the gun and leave it all dry for a day or two and then a couple more thin coats...

(I have not read the instructions for the paint yet.. so I am making up the respraying cycle).

If I want to do faint or fine highlighting in small areas, I'll use the air brush...

And when I want to respray my car, depending up on the size of the part, and the amount of paint I need to put on... (a few light coats etc.) I use the 200ml touch up gun or the 1 liter gun..

So it's ALL marvelous..

I am now right into plain enamel paints and turps for thinners....

Bingo.


And I run my compressor on OLIVE OIL, the air is fed through a vapor seperator, then through about 40 feet of hose to allow it all to cool down.

The air is fed through a condensate trap, an activated charcoal cannister of my own design, I use a fresh air respirator of my own design, and it's all wonderful.


No stinky oils.... clean dry fresh air... great guns... excellent paint jobs....

Excellent!:yippy: