Earlex 5000

[John Myer]

Has anyone out there purchased and used the Earlex 5000 HVLP Sprayer? What are your experiences? What products have you sprayed? Can it handle polyurethane without thinning?

Thanks

[Mike DeHart]

you can find a video review of it at thewoodwhisperer.com site. Looks pretty good.

[Craig D Peltier]

I used mine once to spray lacquer only.Worked great, easy to clean as well. I did thin them both.

[Randal Cobb]

I think the key to using the 2-stage turbines is liquid flow... you want to keep the liquid flow consistent and at a reasonable level. For example, if you use a large 2.0 orifice in the gun, you'll want to back on on the fluid control a bit or you'll end up with a mess (way too much liquid being sprayed at one time). When I had a turbine (my ex got it in the divorce), I always used 1.0 or 1.5 orifice nozzels and I had very good results. When I do buy another one, It'll likely be the Earlex 5000 with a smaller nozzle.

[Eric Wong]

I bought one a few weeks ago but haven't tried it yet. I'm planning on using Target Coatings water-based spray lacquer and HybriVar.

[Frank Snyder]

I just fired up my Earlex 5000 today for the first time. Wow! I never sprayed a finish before, but this thing is so easy to use, control and clean. What used to take me several days of finishing by hand has now been reduced to a single day. I sprayed two coats of Zissner Sealcoat (de-waxed shellac) first, rubbed that down with 3M pads, then shot two coats of Target USL and the finish looks like glass. Just amazing. Why didn't I buy one of these HVLP sprayers sooner?

[Mike Goetzke]

I've been using my HF HVLP gun w/air compressor for a couple of years now. I'm pleased with the results for finish and paint. My oil-less "hot dog" compressor has a 5.7cfm @ 90 rating and it runs almost all the time - NOISY. Just this weekend I painted our lawn furniture w/ oil-based enamel paint. Came out great but the compressors thermal switch actually stopped me on the last chair. I was looking to get a larger compressor but I would need to run another 220 line, wouldn't be portable, and I'd have to find space for it.

Then I saw this post. I know this Earlex is less expensive than the 3&4 stage turbines but I also see the Rockler HVLP system for $79. I don't mind paying more for the Earlex but what makes it worth 3-1/2 times more than the Rockler?

Thanks,

Mike

[Jack Ganssle]

Frank,

Can you comment about cleaning the unit? I seem to do a lot of very small finishing sessions and wonder if cleaning after a minute of spraying is too much hassle.

[Peter Quadarella]

Frank, that's a big endorsement. I've been holding out on the Earlex because of worry about explosions and having to switch to waterbased, etc. How did you handle that part? I guess I could just always finish outside.

[Frank Snyder]

Jack - There aren't that many parts to clean in the Earlex gun. I can clean the gun in about 5-10 minutes using either denatured alcohol for the dewaxed shellac or hot soapy water for the water based finishes. I just empty the pot and fill it with whatever the solvent is, spray that into a bucket, disassemble the gun, clean the few parts that need cleaning, then dry the parts and reassemble. It becomes really simple after the first time you do it. The unit also comes with a decent cleaning kit.

Peter - Yeah...I sounded like a paid actor on that endorsement, didn't I? I also meant what I said, so take it for what it's worth. I'm moving away from the oil-based finishes and embracing the water-based finishes. The Target USL dries so quickly, as does the Sealcoat de-waxed shellac, that I can knock out finishing a project in half the time or less that it used to take me. You can also spray a lot more board feet in significantly less time than it takes to wipe or brush. As far as explosions go...well, you won't have that problem with water-based finishes. The de-waxed shellac is alcohol based, so I just do that part with a lot of ventilation...it makes my shop smell like a bar.

Woodcraft has the Earlex 5000 on sale right now for $275. What better time than now to buy?

[Peter Quadarella]

And after reading your post to my wife, she told me to buy it as my Father's Day gift . I'm going to mull it over for a day or two...