Finally, some decent spray equipment, and results to match

[Arron]

Just a heads-up on a recent purchase which may be of interest to anyone else contemplating taking up spray-finishing. I'm talking here to dedicated amateurs and possibly semi-professional woodworkers. Most of us get scared off spraying because of the cost usually quoted when you enquire about a decent outfit.

Like most people, I started with entry-point guns and nitrocellulose lacquer. I bought a 3 hvlp conversion gun pack from SCA for about $140. It was Ok to learn with but the finish was never very good and there was always a slight orangepeel from poor atomisation which persisted no matter what I tried. I therefore decided to upgrade to a better gun. However I found the $600+ price tag for a pro-level hvlp a bit scary, and of course that gun would need a lot of air to drive it, so an upgrade to a 4 or 5 hp compressor would be required, and therefore conversion to 3 phase power as well.

What I bought instead was this SMASH SUPPLIES :: Specials :: Star V3 Evot Spray Gun Pack . Thats quite a good deal. The guns rrp at $359 and $225 and the reg at about $25 so the promo price of $350 plus gst (ie 385 in total) is good value. The guns are LVLP, meaning you dont need a lot of air to drive them and I have stayed with my 13cfm compressor. Being low volume low pressure means they are able to atomise on a relatively low volume of air, but it also means they are slower then an hvlp, and I suspect a professional spray painter or furniture workshop would not even consider using them for this reason. Slow suits me though, in fact I mostly use the larger gun turned down to the absolute minimum that I think will not compromise atomisation.

The amount of spray-time I get with my setup is quite adequate if you are doing turnings, treen, boxes or smaller furniture items. You would be nuts to try to spray a car with it - I guess I'd hire a petrol driven compressor if I needed to do that. Larger furniture items I'm really not sure about. I did a small slab table top and it ran out of puff half way through and I had to wait a few seconds for the tank to refill, but it had no impact on the final quality - nitrocellulose is forgiving but other finishes may not be.

LVLP should also have less overspray then HVLP and hence less product consumption - I cant comment on that because I've never been hands-on with a pro level HVLP outfit.

Anyway, the most important bit is the finish and I'm pretty impressed with that. I feel its as close to mirror smooth as a spray finish ever will be - but be aware that, as I've said, I have never had the opportunity to compare with a genuine pro-level outfit. The guns seem to be free of vices like spitting out gobs on startup like my old airless spray outfit used to, though in fairness the SCA cheapies never did this either. My conclusion is that its cheaper then a $600+ sata or devilblliss because its LVLP and therefore not of interest to a busy pro shop, but probably able to deliver a similar quality of finish for those who can adapt to it.

Now the standard disclaimer. I have no connection with the Star brand or the online retailer who I bought it from. I chose the gun based on its features and the retailer based on price and the fact I could do a pickup. His service was excellent, however.

cheers
Arron

[antiphile]

This is very helpful info. Like you, I've been put off by the price since its just a hobby and I'm not swimming in funds. I'd really love to see some pics of your results if that's possible.

Cheers
Phil

[Arron]

I'd really love to see some pics of your results if that's possible.

Yeah, I thought about that, but I think the limitations of digital photography and my photographic skills mean that it would probably be meaningless. The difference between a good coat and mediocre one is probably down to surface characteristics that are measured in microns and I dont think I could produce a set of photos that would show that.

Of course next time you are in Sydney you are welcome to come have a play - just PM with a day or twos warning.

cheers
Arron