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Spray Guns

#21
Great input guys...

Musiclogic: I really like the simplicity of the Critter spray gun, but I'm looking for something that I can use outside of refinishing damaged basses. I've got a couple motorcycle tow-behind trailers that I need to complete and they'll need paint. I'm thinking I'll need something more substantial than the Critter so I may be off to Harbor Freight or one of the box home improvement stores to look at guns tomorrow. You are very knowledgable about this and I look forward to hearing much more input from you.

Hopkins: I live just north on Houston in Willis. I'd love to have the opportunity to watch you throw some paint so I'll have a reference point. Pasa-Get-Down-Dena is a hop skip and a jump for me. Where do you purchase your supplies?
 
#23
Thanks man, it's a few months behind, - have been working on a simple website that has become much more involved with all the business this year, so I have a bunch of pics to be put up and just haven't had time, Customers first, and it's been a great year so far...LOL

Yeah look to the Depot or Lowes, I had a chinese gun from Harbor freight, not something I would buy again. The big box dtores you can expect a little better quality and reliability. Good luck with the trailers. Used to love painting cars, those are close. ;)
 
#24
camardelle said:
Great input guys...

Musiclogic: I really like the simplicity of the Critter spray gun, but I'm looking for something that I can use outside of refinishing damaged basses. I've got a couple motorcycle tow-behind trailers that I need to complete and they'll need paint. I'm thinking I'll need something more substantial than the Critter so I may be off to Harbor Freight or one of the box home improvement stores to look at guns tomorrow. You are very knowledgable about this and I look forward to hearing much more input from you.

Hopkins: I live just north on Houston in Willis. I'd love to have the opportunity to watch you throw some paint so I'll have a reference point. Pasa-Get-Down-Dena is a hop skip and a jump for me. Where do you purchase your supplies?
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Well, I live in an apartment, so I do my building and keep all of my tools at my parents house in Wharton. You are welcome to make a drive down that way if you want.

I buy my lacquer from Woodcraft, there are two locations in Houston. I use Nasen (basically dupont) urethane for solid colors. I buy it at a place called Finish Masters here in Stinkadena. O'Reilly and Autozone sell a product by Duplicolor called Paint Shop. It comes in quarts, and sells for about 25 bucks a quart, I bought a quart of clear just to try it. It works well and is easy to use, but it doesnt really save any money, because it comes ready to spray, so a quart doesnt go as far as one that has to be reduced before spraying.
 
#25
This is the next gun I am going to buy, from what I have read about them its the best gun you can buy in the sub 200 dollar price range.
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The guns lowes and home depot sell are pretty much either the same, or very similar gun that harbor freight sells or over priced. I have had good luck with the cheap convensional guns, but, I dont like the cheap HVLP.
 
#26
I'm learning to shoot with an Iwata LPH-101 LVLP and a 4-gallon EMCO compressor from Lowes, I'm getting really good level finish with Cardinal nitro thined 1:1, I hold the gun about 4 inches from the work, really close. But I'm having a problem with it coming out cloudy on humid days...

Hopkins said:
...I can get nitro to lay down ok if I mix it 4-2-1, lacquer-thinner-retarder. The retarder is necessary because its a hot mixture with that much thinner, it dries to quick.
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Musiclogic said:
R-e t-a r-d back your lacquer, and you can shoot all day in 90%+ humidity.....
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Hopkins said:
I never spray lacquer with out retarder. It makes it lay down so much nicer than without.
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This is why I hang out here. Retarder it is.
 
#28
Hopkins said:
If your lacquer blushes in the future. Let it set up, then spray it lightly with 100% lacquer retarder. It will clear it up instantly.
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This is why I hang out here:) There is an old guy that I go to church with that plays golf and sprays furniture, and that is about it. I am going to talk to him on Sunday and see what he thinks as well. His work is unbelievable, he sprayed my in-laws kitchen table a flat black and it looks like he put the moonless night on the table. The depth of the black is crazy.

lowsound
 
#31
Musiclogic said:
I build and repair instruments and play golf....sounds like a pretty good gig he has.....LMAO

Does this mean I'm old???
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Me too, except I have this horrible thing called a day job that takes up most of my time.

Just today, I was bending some 1/2" .065 wall tubing in the 102 degree heat, wearing long sleeved FRC clothing, thinking I was going to pass out, thinking how nice it would be to be working on a stringed instrument in my shop listening to the radio, or on the golf course. I'm sure tomorrow when I'm running conduit or pulling wire Ill be thinking the same thing.
 
#32
Well it's going to be 100+ here tomorrow, so that A/C in my shop will be crankin, as I sweat a little radiusing fretboards.....LOL. This is my day job....that is why I left Intel in the early 90's. I don't make a lot, but I'm happy, and everything is paid for, so I can't complain too much. Maybe I'll fire up the spray booth tomorrow and get the last few coats of lacquer on the 8 string tomorrow. ;)
 
#34
Thanks man, I dreamed of a shop with A/C and a spray booth for a long time, I built it about 7 years ago after my former storefront was burned down by a meth lab in the unit next to mine. Added a 585 sq ft shop with a 90 sq ft spray booth to my house. Small, quaint, and away from the public, and I recoup most of the value when I sell and move back to Arizona...LOL (one day hopefully)
 
#35
Here's a spray gun tech question.

I want to lay a couple coats on a guitar body/trailer/whatever....do I need to dismantle and clean the gun between uses if it's only going to be a few minutes between coats or will the paint be ok left in it?

And how long should I wait between coats to throw another one on the guitar body?
 
#36
You can leave the finish in the gun between coats. Just be sure to clean your gun after the last coat. I run lacquer thinner through it a couple of times untill it comes out clear. After I am completely finished spraying I will break the gun down and clean it really good to avoid contaminaton with the next type of finish I spray.

Flash time between coats is dependant on the type of finish you are spraying. That information should be on the can.
 
#39
Nice thread. I too am looking at guns and getting into finishing. I`ve done a couple of rattlecan refins and learned a lot, but nitro / lacquer is a whole new game. Is there a book you guys would recommend on lacquer spraying - is there a "bible" or must-read ?
 

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