Would an Earlex Sprayport 6002 make sense for what I need to do?

[Rob Young]

I have a 4 stage unit from Turbine Products, A401. Very happy with it. I did some comparison shopping by borrowing time on a high end Apollo and a 3-stage (I think it was 3) Fuji.

Other than price, the biggest difference to me was that the A401 comes with a bleeder gun. According to tech support from Turbine Products, I could put on a non-bleeder gun as the turbine has a bypass valve but it will shorten the life of the turbine. After a little practice, I just haven't been bothered by the continuous air flow. In fact, it came in handy at least once as a quick way to blow off some crud that has settled. I spray outdoors so there are risks of settling crud, but so far no bird poop.

Keep in mind that there are extra costs involved with any system. The cost of the needle/nozzle sets for example. In the case of the A401, sets are $30 each. Compare that to the price for Earlex, Apollo and Fuji sets which can push $70 each.

All in, I got a 4-stage rig plus 3 extra N/N sets plus some other odds and ends and shipping for right around $650. For maybe $550 you could load up with a 3-stage unit, extra N/N sets, replacement gaskets, etc.

[Curt Harms]

Thanks for all the responses.

Mike Henderson - I do have a compressor but since I have never used a spray gun or even seen one used, I am trying to minimize the variables that I have to consider. If I use my compressor and a HF gun and get a crummy result I wont know if its due to the gun, the compressor, the tip, the finish or the user. If I buy an all in one system I reduce the number of decisions that can go wrong.

I see that I can get an Earlex HV5500 for less than the Sprayport 6002. John says that he has heard of people getting good results with that unit and their web site says that it sprays thinned latex. Would it be reasonable to assume that it would also do a good job with thinner finishes?

Is it fair to say that my desire to spray paint is what makes this decision a challenge? Seems like there are many systems that will spray more typical woodworking finishes but the paint is what makes this choice tough.

Thanks for your patience.

I've sprayed old wall paint with an Earlex 5000. The application was very much utility, not fine furniture. I used a 2 mm tip and thinned with distilled water & floetrol. I make sure to filter whatever I spray. I overcoated the 'latex' with water based poly. It worked but I'm sure something intended for spraying like water base tinted lacquer would be a better choice. The Earlex guns are pressure feed which I suspect is critical for thicker materials. IMO there is no substitute for experimenting with spray equipment. Large pieces of cardboard are handy.

[Dave Schreib]

If I was to go with this gun http://www.ebay.com/itm/QualSpray-AM...item3ac3e11561 and my compressor, what else would I need to get spraying? Accessories, hoses, etc?

Thanks

[John TenEyck]

If I was to go with this gun http://www.ebay.com/itm/QualSpray-AM...item3ac3e11561 and my compressor, what else would I need to get spraying? Accessories, hoses, etc?

Thanks

You will need a hose long enough to spray whatever you want. The larger then hose and shorter, the better; go with at least 3/8". You will need an air regulator within about 30 ft of the gun to control the gun inlet pressure. The regulator on the gun only controls the cup pressure. If your compressor is nearby you could just use its regulator. You also will need a way to remove any oil/water contamination so it doesn't get into your spray air. I use the cheap little ones from HF that cost less than $5 and screw on to the gun inlet. They last a really long time for me - years, but it will depend upon how much water is coming from your compressor. Of course you need a #4 Ford viscosity cup, too, which costs about $6. You will need some paper filters, too. I buy them by the 100 at HF. And you'll need a place to spray so that contamination doesn't get onto your work and is safe from blowing yourself up if you choose to spray solvent based products, and to contain the overspray. With WB products it's easier, and that's all I spray, but you still need a way to exhaust overspray to keep it off your freshly sprayed work. And you will need a good respirator with organics cartridges, regardless of what you spray. So you don't need a lot, actually, but they are all critical to good results and maintaining a safe and healthy environment to spray.

I'm sure you will be pleased with that gun.

John

[Dave Schreib]

Could you talk some more about the spray area? My workshop right now is my garage in Syracuse NY. I have 2 propane heaters that can get the temp up to about 60 on cold days but I cant keep it there for more than 12 hrs or so. My garage is also where I make my saw dust so it's pretty dusty. I also have the problem of containing any over spray (this is actually a rental home). In the new house I will be able to cordon off some basement space for finishing but right now I am stuck in the garage. What would I need to do to make this space acceptable in terms of cleanliness, temperature and overspray protection? Thanks

[Andy Giddings]

Dave, if the area is dusty, I would recommend waiting for it to settle and using a vac to clean up as much as possible in your chosen area for finishing (regardless of whether you spray or use some other method). There are various designs for knock down spray booths and some people don't even bother with that. When I started, I hung disposable drop cloths up in the garage as a backdrop and a drop cloth over the floor to form an open ended tent look. I cut a hole in the backdrop and mounted a box fan behind it to exhaust the air out through the garage window. The main reason for the fan is to take overspray away from the piece you are finishing, and avoid dried overspray settling throughout the garage as a light adhesive dust. You'll be wearing a face mask so the fan is not really for you.

Temp wise you need to look at the instructions for the material you are spraying. If you can't get the ideal conditions, you can still spray but it will take longer to dry and cure. I wouldn't recommend below 60. Also, when you're using heaters and exhausting outside, you're going to be disposing of your nice warm air. Get the garage up to temp first, turn off the heaters, spray then turn the heaters on again after the air has cleared and you can shut down the exhaust.

Depending upon when you are moving to your new place, all of this setup may seem less than worthwhile until you get there

[John TenEyck]

What Andy said. You need to clean up but you don't need to go nuts. Most sprayed products dry quickly (except BM Advance) so dust is not that much of an issue unless you stir it up while spraying. I spray in my basement shop an hour after making sawdust and don't have problems. I use plastic sheeting hung from the ceiling joists and brown paper on the floor. You definitely need exhaust as Andy said to carry away the over spray. A box fan will work fine in your garage setup, just don't bother with filters in front of it because they will plug up. Overspray won't hurt the fan and even if it does they are cheap.

Temp. is a huge issue for curing. If you plan to spray WB products (and I would not spray solvent based through a box fan although I know it's done by some brave souls that are still here) they have minimum cure temps., around 60 F for some products, even higher for others. So definitely do as Andy suggested to avoid heartache. Shellac you can spray at nearly any temp. however and it will be fine.

John

[John TenEyck]

I actually have the AM-6008 SmartPak HVLP gun, not a 6002 (I don't know if that even exists). Sorry for any confusion.

John

[Dave Schreib]

"I actually have the AM-6008 SmartPak HVLP gun, not a 6002 (I don't know if that even exists). Sorry for any confusion." That's what I figured.

I actually decided to hold off on the spray gun for now. Mostly because I do not have an acceptable place to spray in the rental and in the new house I will only have an acceptable place (the garage) in the warmer months. I will have a basement workshop but it will not have any real ventilation.

I just bought a gallon of BM Advance and I am going to drag my pieces from the garage (37 degrees here today) into the dining room to paint. Thanks for all the advice.

[John TenEyck]

"I actually have the AM-6008 SmartPak HVLP gun, not a 6002 (I don't know if that even exists). Sorry for any confusion." That's what I figured.

I actually decided to hold off on the spray gun for now. Mostly because I do not have an acceptable place to spray in the rental and in the new house I will only have an acceptable place (the garage) in the warmer months. I will have a basement workshop but it will not have any real ventilation.

I just bought a gallon of BM Advance and I am going to drag my pieces from the garage (37 degrees here today) into the dining room to paint. Thanks for all the advice.

You don't necessarily need much "real ventilation" to have adequate ventilation. Let me explain. If you use a box fan for ventilation you will need a window as large as the fan. That would a case of needing real ventilation. But if you use a blower you can vent it through a much smaller opening. I only have a vent window in my basement shop, just wide enough that I can jamb a 5" plastic hose through it. I run that to the fan of my dust collector, which is rated at about 1200 cfm. That all sounds inadequate but I have no overspray problems with my temporary spray booth, which is pretty large. I bypass the bags and run another hose from the back of my spray booth to the fan inlet.



You will be able to spray year round in your basement shop - with just a little bit of planning to make sure you have a vent port.

John

[Mike Henderson]

Very nice, interesting door, John. I like the way you divided the glass.

Mike

[John TenEyck]

Very nice, interesting door, John. I like the way you divided the glass.

Mike

Thanks Mike. It's actually one of two arched French doors I'm working on, plus a companion rectangular one, to match some doors/trim in a house. The tempered glass lites are truly divided. It was quite a build process w/o a shaper to make and fit the molded muntins. I'll post some pictures when they are all done and installed in a couple of weeks. By the way, the wood is Sapele and was my first time using it. Beautiful stuff.

John