spray system...

[Phil Winn]

Hi,
I am looking to purchase a spray system-I do not have a compressor yet-
for spray small items such as pens as well as larger items such as tables
and bookcases,,,,with various products, currently Lacquer, stains, poly,
(most likely no paint---but who knows in the future?). I am flexible on the
price-I want to get a system which will work very well and last a long time
with proper care--I would rather not have to upgrade in the future.
Is there one company which is better to purchase from for support and information? Are there perhaps two or three different units which are
clear standouts? I have spoken with Jeff at Homesteadfinishing.com
and he suggested the Accuspray HVLP 240c...any thoughts, help, comments?

Thanks again,
Phil

PS: Wishing all of you a very happy holiday and a healthy New Year !

[Steve Elias]

I clicked on your post to recommend Jeff, but I see you have already availed yourself of that resource. However, if you would like to have an air compressor for other uses as well, I can recommend the Walcom Slim HVLP gun as a mid-priced spray gun ($219-239?) that produces excellent results. I believe it is on sale at the moment. For the range of objects you mention, from pens to tables, you might wind up with two guns - a smaller touch up gun and a larger gun such as the Walcom Slim HVLP. If you want to go top shelf in an air compressor/HVLP setup, take a look at the Asturo ECO line. One other HVLP opinion of mine: go with a gravity feed gun rather than a suction or pressure pot gun. They are simpler to clean and use, for one thing.

I'm not suggesting that you ignore Jeff's advice and go with an HVLP/compressor set up instead of an Accuspray set up, but if you're still thinking about an air compressor based system the guns I mention above are worth a look. Also, check out the Target (USL) spray lacquer that Jeff sells; it's good stuff.

-Steve

[Jim Becker]

Unless you plan on spraying in large batches, aerosol cans of finish are probably a better and more convenient way to spray small items. Why? The cleanup. Even with the water-bourne finishes I spray on furniture projects, there is time and material waste involved in cleaning up afterward. But if you still want to spray them, consider a SMALL (touchup size) HVLP gravity feed conversion gun and a compressor. These are far easier to clean since they are simpler devices and are easier to manuver for working on small objects.

Now, for furniture, I happen to love my Wagner HVLP conversion gun. Nice price at $129, great balance and consistant results. Review on my site.

Sometimes having more than one gun is the right answer!

[Paul Dwight]

I spray almost all of my finishes with a Walcom Geo FX conversion gun. I bought my brand new gun on Ebay -- here's the url to a current Ebay auction xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx . This particular auction is for a gun with a 1.3mm needle/nozzle setup. I have a 1.5mm setup on my gun, which I think is better suited for the waterborne finishes I usually spray. I spray a lot of shellac with this setup as well, and it does a good job. This is, without doubt, the best spray setup I have ever used. Very flexible, easy to adjust, lays down a beautiful finish, and easy to clean. No affiliation with the vendor -- just a satisfied customer.

I run my gun off a medium-sized Porter Cable air compressor which has no trouble keeping up. If I was spraying cars or other huge surfaces, I would probably need a bigger compressor. For furniture, the P-C compressor does fine.

Turbine systems can produce excellent results, as well. In some situations, it can be convenient to load up the turbine and spray gun and take it out to a job site -- much harder to do with a conversion gun and a compressor. For shop use, though, I think my Walcom gun is more flexible, and I like having the compressor around for other uses.

For the ultimate in flexibility, it would be nice to have a pressure-feed gun that can be configured either with a remote pot or with a quart cup on the gun. The remote pressure pot configuration would let you spray in any position, including upside down, and the gun would be more maneuverable since there would be no cup hanging under it. Before I bought my Walcom, my plan was to buy a good pressure-feed gun with a one-quart cup, and then add a remote pressure pot at a later date. I bought the Geo FX, instead, simply because it was a better gun than I could otherwise afford. Anyway, if you're looking for an "ultimate" setup, it would be worth talking to Jeff Jewitt about the pressure-feed option.

Sorry about the long reply. Hope something here helps. -- Paul