Thread: Anybody use a Spray Gun???

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I Was thinking of getting a Spray gun to paint props and other odds and ends. Just wondering if anybody uses them and if so what kind do use and recommend? Siphon? Gravity fed? Pressure feed? And anything else I might need to look for. Thanks!

Gravity feed,you only need low pressure ,siphon requires alot more pressure.pressure feed are best when doing ALOT of painting without reloading,with gravity feed you use less pressure means less material wasted not being blown in the air & instead of what your painting.A good quality spray mask/respirator (not a dusk mask) like 6300 or 6400 series respirator.you can find them at homepeot/lowes,etc. for $40-$50 & get extra filters.store the mask or remove filter housings & put into a plastic zip bag-air shortens the life of the charcoal filter unites. keep alot of ventilation were ever you paint & always were a respirator. even with waterbased paints. I shoot anything from hot rods to boats, houses, airbrushing & of course halloween props,... & can never stress your health saftey issues with spraying.......unless your a heavy smoker.....then i guess it doesn't matter.
Also look for a gun with about 1.5 (min) to 1.8 - 2.0 (orfice needle/seat),really depends what you want to push thru it paint wise. If your using primers then a 2.0 is best as it is thicker. Strain your paints real good before spraying,it's a pain when ya get a little bit of something plug your gun.
Hope that helps ya a bit....-DL

Thanks D.L. ! A lot of useful info, I really appreciate it. Sounds like Gravity Feed it is. Are the ones at Lowes/Home Depot ok? I mean I wont be doing anything like you do, mostly just the props and maybe a home project here and there, nothing too fancy. Are Spray guns pretty easy to clean? I have a Wagner Power Spray that is just a pain in the butt to clean so I rarely even use it. Thanks again!

Ken

Ya,thats da thing,ya gotta clean them r e a l goooood. I pull mine apart after every run,cheaper than buying a new one. What kind of paint are you planning on using ? Your wagner would be fine since you have it if your just spraying in general . But yep ya gotta clean it, thats the part i hate , but a clean gun is a happy wallet !!
I've never seen the ones at lowes or home, but if there is a tool shop around your area that has off brands/surplus store.... i get a few "beater" brands at swap meet near me that sells alot of off brand/nonames & so far they do just fine for like $25-$35, so shop around. Unless I'm doing a special job requiring that kind of finesse that I like to use my good ones-but that on cars..... & if your are using waterbased paints you are going to want to clean it to eat off of, acrylics hardened are a f ******** **** **** ! to get out. They are easy enough to clean,just got to take the slow time to pull it apart a little & run cleaner thru til they sparkle.

I've got a cheap HVLP set up from Harbor Freight. It uses a turbine to produce the air pressure (think vacuum cleaner in reverse) You would not want to paint your car with it but it works great for painting props, I've used it to paint my tombstones, columns, fence. I've also use it to stain several decks, paint a front door and some exterior shutters.

to clean it I fill the cup with water or thinner and spray awhile then take the nozzel off and rinse and wipe it down.

For $69 on sale it was a worth while investment Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

Thanks Scareisburg, Something else i should definitly consider. Appreciate all the suggestions guys, thanks!

I second the Harbor Freight ones. I use a cheap $20 Harbor Freight spray gun to paint my props.

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

I use APPLE BARREL paint from Michaels. About $4 for a large bottle.
I mix the paint with some tap water to make it spray easier.
So far , my spray gun is doing great , even after two years of spraying halloween props , baseboard,...

To clean the paint out of the gun , I put some water in the cup and spray till there's no more paint coming out of it.
I wash the nozzle with water afterwards.