Krebs Spray Equipment

[warmtone]

I am looking for an economical solution to painting doors with enamel and achieving a pro finish.

After some research I believe an airless spray gun can achieve very good results with minimum overspray and provide versatility in being able to spray undercoats, finishing coats and laquers.

Has anyone used Swiss Krebs Airless equipment - which I understand is a good entry level solution?
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[Neil]

Krebs are very good as are Wagner but don't buy the cheap ones they have a small bore on the piston and won't move anything too viscous, buying the slightly more expensive ones will give you a bigger bore and the ability to suck almost anything in and spit it out the nozzle.

The Krebs 45 is about the best value for money in an airless spray gun and works pretty well. Don't get anything less than a 200 in Wagner.

Hope this is of some help.

Cheers - Neil

PS The cheapest entry level, low pressure spray guns, that work really well, are the one that used to come with the old Electrolux vacuum cleaners. There are thousands of them around in 2nd hand shops and at markets etc and they cost only a few cents. Team one up with a cheap 2nd hand vacuum cleaner that blows and you can have a pretty good spray system for well under $50. :eek:

[warmtone]

Neil,
thanks for the "heads up" I've bitten the bullet and bought the more expensive KREBS 45 kit @ $330.00 and a couple of fine nozzles for spraying enamel paint. Happy to provide feedback once I've had a chance to use the gun. Looks very well made and came with a few useful accessories.

[warmtone]

Thge krebs gun has been finally put to use and I can say it works exremely well. Having a number of louvered doors to paint I was astonished how quickly you can finish 5 doors - and obtain a superb finish.

I bought the 412T kit which provides a few extras like a viscosity checker (important) filter and spare nozzle.

I am currently using acrylic paint and yet to try oil based - but expect an even better finish! You need to buy the optional smaller spray nozzles for oil.

Top marks for a top gun!

[DaveInOz]

Warmtone, thanks for taking the time to let us know how it went. Where did you get your system?

[graemet]

PS The cheapest entry level, low pressure spray guns, that work really well, are the one that used to come with the old Electrolux vacuum cleaners. There are thousands of them around in 2nd hand shops and at markets etc and they cost only a few cents. Team one up with a cheap 2nd hand vacuum cleaner that blows and you can have a pretty good spray system for well under $50. :eek:

Neil, I totally agree. I have an old Vactric unit which is just a barrel vacuumcleaner blowing not sucking, and I have used it for everything from aluminium paint on an old corrugated iron roof, enamel on louvre doors, two part paracryl on my boat to water and oil based stains on furniture and Dulon laquer on car repairs. The low pressure, high volume Arnold spray gun just needs the correct viscosity and you can use it with anything. I also had a Wagner airless spraygun which made an unholy mess everytime I used it, so I gave it away.
Graeme

[AshleyM]

Hi Graeme
Any chance of getting a pic of one of the Vactric units so I know what to look for?
I bought a Wagner 140 thinking I could spray stains/clears on but I have only used it on scraps and it comes out looking like s**t. I would hate to have spent hours sanding etc and then ruin it using this system.
I think it will be put in the evergrowing "things that should not have been bought" pile or it might just make it to the "it seemed a good idea at the time department.
Ash

[graemet]

Ash,
I will get out the camera over the weekend. Vactric have been out of business for over 40 years to my knowledge. CIG made a unit called (I think) 'easysprayer' or something like that but with the blower - I nearly called it a compressor - in a housing which sits on the floor rather than a barrel that you sling on your back.
Graeme

[bsrlee]

A friend had/has one (haven't seen him for yonks - since he moved) - it was a 'Beaver' with some other sound bite tacked on before or after - Easy-Beaver??? It all coiled up with the spraygun fitting into a socket in the housing

[journeyman Mick]

Pretty sure that the smaller unit CIG made, which had a corrugated hose and ran off a blower was called the "Little Beaver". There was also a larger unit which ran off a small oilless compressor called the "Big Beaver".

Mick

[graemet]

Any chance of getting a pic of one of the Vactric units so I know what to look for?
Ash

This is the beast, my Dad bought it secondhand about 45 years ago and it's still going strong

[AshleyM]

Thanks for the pic Graeme. I don't think I have ever seen such a unit.

I started to stain my latest project over the weekend and I could have done with one of those. After spending the usual hours in completing the construction I put the first coat of stain on and it looked s@#t-house. Damn I hate fininshing a project.

There has to be an easier way. It's a real pain in the butt when fininshing a project has you questioning whether to bother woodworking at all.

I will have a look around for one of these units (or similar) and see whether I can get back my will to create sawdust.

Ash

[warmtone]

Dave in 0z

The Krebs equipment was purchased from JustTools in Clarenden St South Melbourne.

[Harry72]

Why not just buy a automotive spray gun like a Sampson S90?(around $150)
You only need about 20-25psi(constant)so one of those elcheapo $99 air compressors will do the job easy.
This will provide far better finish because these guns atomise the paint much finer than those silly airless units and eager beavers.
If you dont believe me go outside and look at your car then look at a eager beavered fence!

[Cliff Rogers]

Why not just buy a automotive spray gun like a Sampson S90?(around $150)
....
This will provide far better finish because these guns atomise the paint much finer than those silly airless units and eager beavers.
If you dont believe me go outside and look at your car then look at a eager beavered fence!

Yeah Harry, I'm with you, to a point, I have a "little bever" & an "eager bever."
Mate, the "eager beaver" is a chainsaw....

I'm sure it'd put a good sort of a 'finish' on a fence.

I have mentioned in other posts in this forum that I have one of those reverse vacuum cleaner guns, it's the the CIG 'little bever' & it's great for water based paint on cane lounges, speaker boxes &, most likely, fences BUT, while it is low pressure, it is VERY high volume & the overspray goes bludy everywhere.

I'm looking for something that will put a good finish on a smallish bit of wood, IE turned item, without painting everyotherthing else in the shed/driveway/paddock at the same time.