Guest matt Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 I am thinking of investing in an HVLP spray rig as it's going to prove costly to get all the parts I want sprayed if I have to take them to a pro,not to mention the hassle of getting small parts done. I have a suitable building I can turn into a spray booth,the only snag is I have never sprayed ANYTHING before but I am more than happy to learn and I would welcome any advice from anyone who has experience of spraying with HVLP. My plan is to do a bare metal respray using colour matched primer,how many coats of primer and top would be best? I will be using flat OD as per the original(I know it's not as hard wearing as gloss or semi-gloss but I prefer to go with the original look). Any advice would be great! Thanks, Matt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 Speaking from a classic car view point as opposed to an MV one - the HVLP set-up is better for use at home as the amount of over spray is greatly reduced. If the gun is gravity feed you need to be more carefull in the mix of paint & thinners than yo do with a suction feed gun. When painting a car panel I tend to use 2 coays of primer, allow to harden then flatten back using a guide coat of matt black lightly dusted on from an aerosol to get rid of any high/low spots. Make sure the bare metal is cean and free from oils or silicon contamination before starting Once a flat surface is obtained then a third, thinner, coat of primer is applied followed by three coats of the top coat, flatting back in between each one and dusting off with tack-rags. Again the third/final top coat is applied "wetter" than the previous two. The panel is then allowed to harden off for a couple of day before cutting and polishing For the flat O/D finish I guess you can apply the third coat at the same mix as the other two and you will be skipping the cutting and polishing that follows!! :-) :-) Oh yeah - maybe a dumb thing to raise but make sure the paint, primer and thinners are all compatible otherwise somewhere along the line you will get a chemical reaction and have to start from scratch Good luck with the project!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardyferret Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 Hi, HVLP you will have a problem if using a 'home compressor' as these are normally a maximum of 3 hp giving an output of approx 12 cfm fad ( free air delivered). A hvlp gun like a Devilbliss GTI will need quite a bit more than this. A trick I have seen done is to fit high flow type quick release coupling, allowing a higher flow with a standard gun and thus you can lower you spraying pressure, with the resulting reduction in bounce back and wasted material. Hope this is of help. There are a number of dedicated HVLP rigs which have a low pressure hiflow blower feeding via a large bore hose to the gun, BUY THE BEST YOU CAN AFFORD, if you go this route as the cheap ones are dire, poor performance tiring to use. I question why you want to go HVLP, as if only painting for yourself, do not come under the legislation, that encompasses HVLP, ok there is the saving in paint, but I suspect it wouldn't warrant the cost. I personally would suggest, buy a GOOD compressor, high end of Sip/Sealey ranges. Then look on Ebay for a clean used Devilbiss JGA suction or gravity gun, which has been the benchmark of sprayers for years. It should have a 30 aircap and 1.2 or 1.4 fluid tip, Brown brother still do the JGA for about £120-£150 depending on how hard you push.. If you want any advice please ask, my business is supplying servicing and repairing air compressors and associated equipment. Regards Hardyferret :-D :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest matt Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 Hi Guys, Thanks for the replies. I have been thinking/worrying about the spraying situation for a while and this is what lead to the questions regarding HVPL systems,however since posting a solution has presented itself. This afternoon I went to collect hay from the guy we've been buying it from for years,now this chap collects and restores tractors but as far as I knew he didn't spray himself,well it turns out he does and would be happy to do all the spraying I need :-). Hardyferret,I didn't know you are in the compressor business! I will eventually be looking for someone to service/rebuild my 1942 LeRoi 210 CFM compressor,is this the kind of work you would be interested in doing? the compressor has not run for at least 15 years... Thanks, Matt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian2b Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 Hi, Has anyone every used one of the Earlex HVLP spray systems. They say it can be used on vehicles etc. http://www.earlex.co.uk/html/hvlp_html/hv3000.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ackack Posted March 5, 2007 Share Posted March 5, 2007 If you have never sprayed before I would suggest not spending too much money. You only need a fairly basic compressor but get the highest airflow (CFM) you can afford. I use a very cheap spray gun £17 from Machine Mart and I can get perfest results, I had a old Devilbis and it was crap. And before people say not possible with cheap equipment I have won "Best in Show" with my restorations. I use Cromadex paint direct from them, red-oxide primer and matt finish top coat, yes matt isn't quite as durable but I guess you won't be driving it every day for years and years. Spray on your primer until it looks as if you have good coverage 2 or 3 coats, then 2 or 3 coats of top coat, the technique is to spray as thick as you can without getting runs, the surface should be wet when you are spraying if not there is not enough paint landing on the surface and will result in a rough powdery finish. Getting the consistency right is also important, just the right amount of thinners, follow advice from the paint manufacturer. Move the spray gun in different directions with each coat to avoid heavy build up in lines. It all comes with practice, don't worry because paint sprayers were not perfect in factorys I have seen runs in original paint finishes. It is more important to get the spraying conditions right i.e. temperature and a little breeze to evaporate the solvent, and dust free of course. Stick with proper synthetic Xylene based paints, it is legal, don't bother with this water based rubbish, you will get better results. Don't get celulose as it can be troublesome with damp and get bad reactions with other paint types. Good spraying, its easier than you think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Hardyferret Posted March 5, 2007 Share Posted March 5, 2007 Matt, Haynes manuals do a bodywork book which I would reccommend to you, loads on spraying. Hardyferret :-D :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rambo1969 Posted March 7, 2007 Share Posted March 7, 2007 When my dad and I had a garage, I used to spray with two pack using a army gas mask!. Not ideal I know, but I used to get good results. As with anything, practice makes perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian2b Posted March 7, 2007 Share Posted March 7, 2007 When my dad and I had a garage, I used to spray with two pack using a army gas mask!. Not ideal I know, but I used to get good results. As with anything, practice makes perfect. So who sprayed the champ Richard, I saw it at Chatham a few months back and it looks good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest matt Posted March 7, 2007 Share Posted March 7, 2007 Thanks guys for all the advice! Once it's done I'll post some pics. Matt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Notton Posted March 7, 2007 Share Posted March 7, 2007 Matt, Some sound wisdom available herein and as you see everyone has their own way of doing it! What works for you, works for you I guess. I have noticed people having trouble from time to time with the inexpensive paints from some of the known MV sources, sure its a cheaper option at the outset but has gone wrong I have observed, whether poor quality, bad application or perhaps out of date, re-packaged ex-mil stuff, I have no idea. Good commercial paint is now rather pricey, I have 10L of the stuff coming tomorrow for trade use and at just over £176 (inc) it does make you think. One thing I haven't spotted in the thread is the finish options, all those I know don't go for full matt paint but rather an eggshell finish, its far more durable (full matt will mark quite easily) and its non-porus, but is very hard to tell from a full matt finish. Of course have you ever been right up to a slightly older, in-service, army vehicle? They get "painted" one a year by the driver with a big brush, generally without any prep and over what ever is stuck to it at the time; of course they are unconcerned about concours finish but rather to make it low-vis at a decent range. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest matt Posted March 7, 2007 Share Posted March 7, 2007 Hi Richard, I know only too well what cheap paint can look like :-o I intend to get the colour and finish I want mixed by the "Vintage Paint Co",not cheap but I know several folks who have used them with good results. As to finish I want to go with the full matt as per the original as I want the vehicle to end up with the odd scuff and oily mark as it no doubt would have in service. As you say in use the repaints often varied in quality,although most USAAF vehicles were sprayed as the base moterpool was usually equipped with spraying equipment. Matt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rambo1969 Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 Ian, the green on my dad's champ was done with a gloss roller and the black with an aerosol. If your there this sunday you will see my 110, painted the same way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rambo1969 Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 I buy my paint from my local car paint supplier, synthetic, satin finish and thin it with white spirit. About £18 per litre, and I did my 110 with 2 litre's. One thing I have never done though is prime a vehcile, I just make sure it is well flatted first, very easy with an orbital sander. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian2b Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 I buy my paint from my local car paint supplier, synthetic, satin finish and thin it with white spirit. About £18 per litre, and I did my 110 with 2 litre's. One thing I have never done though is prime a vehcile, I just make sure it is well flatted first, very easy with an orbital sander. Gonna see if I can get to Chatham sunday so hope to see you there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scammell4199 Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 The first spraying I ever did was my Willys MB, and I just learnt by trial and error. I use a 3 HP Clarke compressor and a Devilbiss Finishline suction fed HVLP gun, the compressor keeps up with plenty in reserve. There are lots of variables to deal with: Air pressure, paint viscosity, fan width, distance from panel, trigger pressure (affects paint flow rate), speed you move gun over panel, temperature, humidity the list goes on. Make sure you have a good filter in the air line to trap water, you can also get mini filters to go on the gun air inlet to remove the last traces of water. If the pressure is too high and /or the gun is too close to panel, the paint can be blown around once it is on the panel making it look like it has run - urgh. A nice day and clean, dry greasefree surfaces a must. On the Jeep I used an etch primer and OD from Rex Ward and the result has been really good and one which I have been complemented on. On my Scammell i'm going to put a couple coats of deep bronze green in between primer and top coat, because gloss paints and less porous than matt paints and this will help keep the damp out. Other than that practice makes perfect, happy spraying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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