Gravity feed or siphon sprayer

[Jake Minarcik]

Hi all,
I'm in the market for a HVLP spray gun. Right now I have a Binks # 7 and I'm looking forword to using an HVLP. I like the Apollo that I seen at a woodworking show. I noticed that a lot of guns are gravity feed instead of siphon. I can understand using a gravity feed for metalflake paint but can't seem to figure out any benifits for woodworking. The salesman at the show had said the gravity guns don't spray up very well. That seems to limit them to flat or side work. Any help on this subject or any favorite spray guns would be really appreciated. Thanks in advance. Have a good one.

Jake.

[Todd Burch]

I have three guns, soon to be four. My oldest (1987), a Binks 2001 siphon, is a good gun, but wastes a LOT of material. My second oldest (2002) is an Asturo pressure feed setup. It's OK, but still conventional like the Binks 2001. I bought it to spray paint (aka Latex, Acrylic, etc.). My third is a SATA LM2000 presure unit, a "reduced pressure" gun, that has the same transfer rate as an HVLP, but does not have the CFM requirements of a non-turbine HVLP. My next gun will be a SATA K3-RP - the Cadillac of the traditional-style "reduced pressure" units.

In 1996, I bought a CROIX/GRACO turbine HVLP unit to spray a kitchen job. The turbine unit was OK, but the Graco gun was REALLY bad. I sold it after the kitchen was complete.

The Apollo units (and others) that I've seen at shows are turbine units, and in that sense, are self-contained, which means that you don' have to go out and buy a compressor capable of producing 15CFM @ 90psi, and, that means they are fairly portable (or at least lug-able).

I'm not familiar enough with the Apollo line to comment on their products.

I'll also be purchasing a small gravity "touch-up" gun to do samples and small items. I've never realy cared for the gravity design as a whole, but lately I've convinced myself that for clean up, it's got to be easier and faster than a siphon or pressure unit. Did I say faster too?

I like the pressure units I have because I can be upside down or right side up or sideways and spray in any direction without concern for drips or not having a cup full enough and causing a spit or spatter. Inevitably, this happens when sraying the top of a table or the front of a cabinet (aka - the MONEY side). UGG!!

That's all I know. Todd.

[Jim Becker]

I am incredibly happy with the <a href="http://store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?gleempaint+YUxZ9y+hvcongunnew.html+" target="_new">Wagner HVLP conversion gun</a>. It's a pressurized tool and can also be converted to use an external cup or pressure pot if appropriate for your project needs. According to Nathan at Gleem, it's easy to switch back and forth between the regular cup and an external system. What I like about this tool is the excellent balance it has in my hand so I can concentrate on what I am spraying, rather than struggling with holding on to the gun. (I had that problem with other spray guns I've used) This is really important to me since I'm a relatively novice finisher.

I looked at turbine systems, but the conversion gun made a lot more sense to me...and depending on the type of finishes you use, you won't have to deal with the heat that a turbine creates.

I've sprayed WB lacquers (Target PSL), WB Acrylic (Fuhr 9100), shellac and oil-based paint (slightly thinned lavender Rustoleum) with great results to date.

[Eric Apple - Central IN]

Well the sales guy is wrong. The gravity feed guns do not spray any worse or better then any other style. They use less air then a siphon feed. But more then a pressure pot. I don't have any experience with a pressure cup gun, but I would guess they use slightly more CFM then the pressure cup.

Gravity fed utilizies more material in the gun that a cup/pot design.

Cleanup is easier with gravity feed then any other gun design. Many conversion HVLP,LVLP gravity feed guns require less then 8 CFM at 40 PSI. So the air demands can be very small, or very high depending upon the gun.