I suppose this one is up to @Boo 's sleeve:
I am considering getting my feet wet into spray painting, after having bought a small cheap airbrush setup for touch up work in guitar repair.
To do the occasional guitar (re-)finish, what would you guys and girls recommend ( spray gun type/compressor/accessories )?
I already have the mask and spray booth ( ikea clothes rack )
I need to be able to do both nitro and water based finishes.
Budget: As low as possible
I would suggest that for your air compressor you make sure it has an accumulation tank included (that way the volume of air available is always more than you need). Also. make sure you bleed/drain the tank after every use, so that no rust can develop by water remaining in the tank.
For accessories: have an extra pressure regulator on your spray line - that way you can adjust the pressure locally AND for the job at hand and not always having to change the pressures at your tank. Another must have is a device that allows you to drain water from your line after the 2nd regulator.
Since you are only using a spray gun (or at least that is what I understand from your question) there will be no need to add lubrication to the air, so that is where you can potentially save some bucks.
@peter-c-f In which case would I need to lubricate? nail guns and such?
Anyway, yes only spray paint and maybe just air to clean out something, but I believe most of the ( cheaper ) compressors already come with a water and oil draining reservoir/valve?
My little airbrush compressor certainly has a water release valve.
The extra pressure regulator is indeed handy, I am missing that on this airbrush kit.
I am a bit uncertain about the volume I need to have to be able to handle a guitar finish, would I go for a cheaper compressor with a LVLP spray gun or do I definitely want to go for a HVLP?
I don't know to what numbers Low Volume or High Volume refer in this so I am not sure what the specs must be.
Would something like this be sufficient as a compressor? https://www.einhellwinkel.eu/einhell-tc-ac-190-24-8-compressor.html
@Koendb that looks like an adequate compressor for small jobs like finishing a guitar.
Go for low volume airgun - that way you wil have more control over the thickness of the finish layer. High volume is more suitable for say spraying the paint coats over cars. Look around for something that gives you an adjustable spray width for further control.
Lubrication is indeed only needed where you have mechanical components such as nail guns or compressed air cylinders. Not needed for painting.
One more thing, choose a hose with quick release couplings at the spray gun end - it is easier to disconnect the spray gun when you want to fill it up with whatever finish you want to use. Make yourself a jig that have the container sit level on your worktable without having to sorry about hoses etc.
I would still install both an extra pressure release valve and a drain valve as those fitted to standard (cheap) compressors are not always able to keep out all the water from the compressed air (particularly on a wet day).
I am considering getting my feet wet into spray painting,
Is this some sort of strange thing that people do in Belgium?
Over here in outside-Europe, most people aim at the guitar rather than their feet, and keep their feet dry.
🤣
Online guitar making courses – guitarmaking.co.uk
I am considering getting my feet wet into spray painting,
Is this some sort of strange thing that people do in Belgium?
Over here in outside-Europe, most people aim at the guitar rather than their feet, and keep their feet dry.
🤣
now, that made me laugh. Many thanks for that.
Having said that, the Americans in the Large Scale Plane forum do tend to say they stick a fork in their kit at the end of the work. I rather put it in me steak...(the fork that is, not the scale plane, just to be clear to all you clever people)
One more thing, choose a hose with quick release couplings at the spray gun end - it is easier to disconnect the spray gun when you want to fill it up with whatever finish you want to use. Make yourself a jig that have the container sit level on your worktable without having to sorry about hoses etc.
Ah I did buy these quick release thingies for my little compressor, it is super handy, I dont understand why they dont add these as a standard 🙂
Is this some sort of strange thing that people do in Belgium?
Over here in outside-Europe, most people aim at the guitar rather than their feet, and keep their feet dry.
I knew I was doing something wrong, no matter how much black paint I was spraying, I always ended up with a clear guitar body.
and the weird thing is.. After a day painting, I always ended up with black feet. I thought it was an alergic reaction of some sort 🤪 😜 🤡
@koendb Right, quick run down.
You should buy the compressor with biggest tank you can afford and with the highest CFM (cubic feet per minute) rating. Also, stay clear of HVLP spray guns if you are buying a smaller, cheaper compressor, they use too much air and will soon drain your tank of air. This will result in a continuing drop in pressure and your paint will not atomise properly. This basically means your guitar paint job will not turn out good.
In terms of guns, I would look at LVLP (low volume low pressure).
Quick explanation of these terms:
HVLP means: a high amount of air used at a low pressure.
LVLP means: a low volume of air used at low pressure.
Standard (old fashioned): uses somewhere in the middle and a good all rounder.
Guns:
Whatever gun you choose, you should get a range of needles and air caps with it. Different paints require different size needles and caps for proper paint transfer.
Dont settle for very cheap guns, like everything in life, it’s a false economy and you won’t get the best results. You also don’t need to spend a fortune on a Sata flagship model, we are only using spraying guitars as a hobby. If after time you are building a guitar building empire and you want to go all in, fine, upgrade to expensive stuff but we don’t need it right now in this context.
Advice:
I would prefer you to spend a bit more money on a compressor than a really cool gun, you can always get a better gun at a later time. I have mainly used standard guns for everything and I have used a bigger compressor with a 150L tank. Not only does it easily run my spray guns but other air tools such as sanders, blow guns, air ratchets etc. Compressors are always a great thing to have in any workshop but I appreciate the initial investment costs can be high and/or workshop space is not always available.
I’ll have a look later when I’ve got more time and see if I can give some better suggestions. I’ll need to look around and see what I on the market and look at all the specs.
Hope this help for now.
Boo
Make guitars, not war 🌍✌️🎸