Touch up gun

[Evan Stewart]

I am thinking of purchasing a small touch up gun mostly for getting into tight corners and some on site installation touch up. A couple of weeks ago one of you guys posted a link to a small gun on amazon that was like $30 and i cant seem to find the link. There are about a hundred little touch up guns on there.

I have a fuji mini might 4 but i dont necessarily want to spend $150 on their touch up gun if i can get one that can do a decent job with a small compressor. I would mostly be using it with target coatings em6500, which sprays pretty well with a 1.5mm set for me.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks

[Andy Giddings]

I am thinking of purchasing a small touch up gun mostly for getting into tight corners and some on site installation touch up. A couple of weeks ago one of you guys posted a link to a small gun on amazon that was like $30 and i cant seem to find the link. There are about a hundred little touch up guns on there.

I have a fuji mini might 4 but i dont necessarily want to spend $150 on their touch up gun if i can get one that can do a decent job with a small compressor. I would mostly be using it with target coatings em6500, which sprays pretty well with a 1.5mm set for me.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks

Evan, I would look at buying the 3M PPS adaptor for the Fuji and the mini-cup. It might give you the ability for tight corners you need. The pressurized 3M system (H/O cups) and you can get large or mini. The Large works with a midi and large disposable cup. Mini works with their smallest cup. Depending on which Fuji gun you have, you'll need either the #2 adaptor (Gravity gun) or #18.
If that doesn't work, Homestead sells small detail guns (QS-08) that will run on a small compressor for around $50. I've not used them as my work doesn't need a detail gun

[Evan Stewart]

Andy, do you have a pressure pot for your fuji? I held off on the pps or pressure pot until i had a chance to get the feel of the new system. Honestly based on how long it took me to be able to get a decent finish with my old airless gun i was expecting there to be quite a learning curve with the fuji. However i was shocked that after some experimenting it was way more user friendly than expected. I would say that probably 70% of my finishes are emtech6500 so using a pressure pot wouldnt be out of the question. When i talked to jeff at homestead he was describing the pps as basically a system that makes cleanup faster. It does also allow you to spray upside down correct?

I have the new T series gravity gun and im spraying my cabinets before installing the backs and the only criticism i have is that i am finding that it is a bit challenging to spray the upside down surfaces. The other thing im thinking of is when i do my installs i do use a pin nailer and some caulking between crown molding and ceiling and around base trim etc. In the past i have used a small foam brush to touch up the spackle and caulking. So i guess im wondering what a good solution would be for these issues.

[John TenEyck]

Being able to spray at any angle, including upside down is a huge advantage of the PPS system IMO. Fast and easy clean up is the bonus, not the main event for me.

I would continue to use a foam brush to touch up your installs. Spraying is never w/o masking, overspray, etc. And when you're done with a foam brush you just throw it away, with a spray gun you have to clean it, pack it away, etc.

John

[Andy Giddings]

Andy, do you have a pressure pot for your fuji? I held off on the pps or pressure pot until i had a chance to get the feel of the new system. Honestly based on how long it took me to be able to get a decent finish with my old airless gun i was expecting there to be quite a learning curve with the fuji. However i was shocked that after some experimenting it was way more user friendly than expected. I would say that probably 70% of my finishes are emtech6500 so using a pressure pot wouldnt be out of the question. When i talked to jeff at homestead he was describing the pps as basically a system that makes cleanup faster. It does also allow you to spray upside down correct?

I have the new T series gravity gun and im spraying my cabinets before installing the backs and the only criticism i have is that i am finding that it is a bit challenging to spray the upside down surfaces. The other thing im thinking of is when i do my installs i do use a pin nailer and some caulking between crown molding and ceiling and around base trim etc. In the past i have used a small foam brush to touch up the spackle and caulking. So i guess im wondering what a good solution would be for these issues.

Evan, the Fuji is pressurized in both of the T series gun configs. Using the PPS is easy as John indicates and will enable you to move the gun in any direction. The H/O cup comes with a pressure tube which you connect to the Fuji gun's small pressure port and replaces the small tube with the directional valve that connects to the top of the existing gravity cup. Its literally a 10min job to switch between the existing config and PPS. You can also switch back to the original at any time.

Also, if you do ever need a larger pressure pot, Fuji sells a 2 qt one that the Mini-Mite 4 runs natively (no compressor required). Finally, I assume you are using the whip hose as the long, thick hose is unwieldy for confined areas

[Evan Stewart]

Ok, sounds like the pps system is the best bet in all directions and it is certainly less expensive than a pressure pot. I really appreciated jeff not trying to upsell me on stuff but i do see that for my needs i will have to have something that will allow me to easily spray at a higher angle. I did end up getting some paint into the pressure tube and then it started dripping out of the cup when i tipped it too far back spraying an upside down surface. And it was pretty crappy to have to stop and rush to clean out the tube and gun when i was in the middle of spraying.

Andy, one more question on the fuji system and ill leave you alone. So yes i bought the whip hose with the gun and for sure it is necessary. The other concern i have is that i may need to get an additional 25' hose. Right now i have the turbine about 10-15' away from my spray booth. I checked the filters after 2 uses ans there was definitely some over spray on them. I soaked them and cleaned them out last night and also got an extra set. I have read a couple of horror stories about people killing their turbines from over spray. Would it be a good idea to run a hose extension to get the turbine further away? If so will doubling the hose length negatively effect the performance?

Thanks for all the help.

[Andy Giddings]

Ok, sounds like the pps system is the best bet in all directions and it is certainly less expensive than a pressure pot. I really appreciated jeff not trying to upsell me on stuff but i do see that for my needs i will have to have something that will allow me to easily spray at a higher angle. I did end up getting some paint into the pressure tube and then it started dripping out of the cup when i tipped it too far back spraying an upside down surface. And it was pretty crappy to have to stop and rush to clean out the tube and gun when i was in the middle of spraying.

Andy, one more question on the fuji system and ill leave you alone. So yes i bought the whip hose with the gun and for sure it is necessary. The other concern i have is that i may need to get an additional 25' hose. Right now i have the turbine about 10-15' away from my spray booth. I checked the filters after 2 uses ans there was definitely some over spray on them. I soaked them and cleaned them out last night and also got an extra set. I have read a couple of horror stories about people killing their turbines from over spray. Would it be a good idea to run a hose extension to get the turbine further away? If so will doubling the hose length negatively effect the performance?

Thanks for all the help.

Evan, your working distance is about the same as mine. I don't get much overspray on the filters. I take it you've got some kind of fan taking as much of the overspray straight out of the spray area? If so, it sounds like it may not be enough extraction. How much of an area did you spray in those two sessions?

My understanding is as long as you keep the filters clean (like you are already doing) then there should not be damage to the turbine. I suspect the horror stories were for users that never cleaned them and the turbine couldn't get any air through. I would recommend you call Fuji to get their input to be sure though.

[Evan Stewart]

Andy, it was probably about 35sqft. I just put a new box fan in there last week and i just checked out the ventilation and i think part of the issue is that my window is one of those bellow ground egress windows with foundation wall around it and i have a cover that keeps the rain out. With the new box fan on high it seems like the air is hitting the wall that is about 3' in front of the window and deflecting back toward the fan. When i turn the speed down it doesnt blow back. I think that combined with my tendency to spray really fast since that was the only way to do it with the airless was putting a lot of paint in the air that was not getting cleared fast enough.

I also think you are right that the damage is probably from poor maintenance. I was just surprised because there didnt seem to be any paint at all outside the booth.

Im still trying to figure out a way to do a turntable setup like you and wayne suggested. The majoirity of my projects are full height pieces 92"H x 16"D x 30+" W. Im not sure what type of rotating assembly would work for this. At this point im thinking i will have to build another 8' table with wheels like i use for my assembly.

[Andy Giddings]

Box fans are ok as long as there is no resistance to flow. If there is anything in the way of said flow at all, the fans don't really do a lot apart from distribute overspray over a wide area :-) If you can find a way to clear the exit of any obstruction the fan should work.

In terms of a turntable, simplest method I've found for large items such as yours is a lazy Susan bearing between two scraps of ply resting on the ground. Makes life a lot easier as you can continue to spray toward your fan while rotating the work.

[John TenEyck]

When I have large cabinets to spray on all sides I put them on a couple of cheap HF dollies. Then I can roll them into/out-of my spray booth and rotate them as needed to spray them, then role them back out, and wheel the next one in. Cheap, simple, and works well.

John

[Evan Stewart]

Box fans are ok as long as there is no resistance to flow. If there is anything in the way of said flow at all, the fans don't really do a lot apart from distribute overspray over a wide area :-) If you can find a way to clear the exit of any obstruction the fan should work.

In terms of a turntable, simplest method I've found for large items such as yours is a lazy Susan bearing between two scraps of ply resting on the ground. Makes life a lot easier as you can continue to spray toward your fan while rotating the work.

The lazy Susan was my first thought but I was questioning if it would be stable enough to handle such a big piece since the largest ones I have used are 12" diameter. Every other piece of advice you have given me has made life significantly easier so I will give it a try. I can see how it could work if it was mounted between 2 large pieces of 3/4 ply and the bottom one was anchored to the table and assuming the table is heavy enough to remain stable when the cabinet is perpendicular to it. I'm sure putting it on the floor would be the easiest thing but being hunched down like that is about the most painful position for me since all my back procedures.

This is what I was using as an exhaust fan before
20170708_220344.jpg
The blades definitely moved slower but it didn't have the blow back that the box fan has, I think I'll try that one tomorrow.

Here's the way my table is set up in relation to the window currently

20170708_220423.jpg

I really appreciate all of your help

[Andy Giddings]

Here's a link to the bearing I use - has plenty of weight capacity and is thin https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1. I sandwich this between two layers of 3/4 ply that are about 2x4ft but these could be any reasonable size. Regardless of which method you use (John's HF Dolly method obviously works), a turntable of any kind is ideal - not just for the ease of access but for the direction you're spraying in.

[Wayne Lomman]

Evan, I have always made my turntables from old axles on a decent steel frame mainly because of the good heavy bearing and a handy hub to bolt a ply top onto. This set up easily carries plenty of weight and the dimensions you talk about.

I would bite the bullet and get a pressure pot. Saves heaps of stop and start to refill and you don't have anything like a cup in the way when spraying.

Cheap touch up guns are as reliable as any cheap spray gun. Look for quality of machining because quality of materials is chancy and you need it to work reliably. Pick one that is patterned on a reputable brand. I can't say I have time for foam brushes. Most finishes I use eat them in about 3 second flat. Cheers