HVLP sprayers

[Paul Dawson]

I'm exploring HVLP spray kits. Practical Classics gave the Apollo Spraymate a good review, but I suspect that was an earlier version. The new one has a gun that looks very plasticky.

I don't have space for a compressor, but some of the better quality HVLP kits are as expensive as a compressor anyway.

In the Apollo range there is the Spraymate at under £100. Then the Spraymaster 1200 and 1500. The 1500 looks a better bit of kit, but it's over £300.

Just wondered if anyone here had experience of these things?

(I need something I can work in a confined space and do a bit at a time over a long period. Otherwise I'd hire a compressor and gun. With work and family issues I get about 2 mornings a month to work on the car at best. Hence I need something that's to hand when I get a bit of time free.)

[1972nail]

A friend of mine used an Apollo to spray his Minor. You need to put plenty of paint on and be prepared to flat it back quite a bit. Don't expect perfect results straight from the gun.

Why not buy a second hand or cheap portable compressor a small gravity feed touch up HVLP gun and sell on when finished. No space? A 25L 2HP isn't much bigger than an Apollo and certainly up to the job of spraying 'bits at a time' if using a touch up gun. That's what I used for years!

It's portable so just roll it outside when needed, or ask a neighbour to store it for you. It will also be much easier to sell on than the Apollo as well.

You might even get away with a full size gun if chosen correctly, the Devilbiss SLG 610 looks good at about £60.

[Paul Dawson]

You are putting temptation my path! I'd have a small compressor just to run an air wrench off it. If a small compressor will run a HVLP spray gun I'm interested. For the price of the Apollo 1500 I could buy a decent compressor.

I didn't know you could run a HVLP spray gun off a normal compressor.

[fistfullofV5's]

Having used both set ups it would be compressor and gravity gun for me when spraying a car. You have to experiment a little with the paint viscosity to get best results with apollo type kit. Car paint can be fairly pricey stuff so you don't want to be wasting it trying to get the viscosity just so. I found it easier to get good results with the compressor kit,it's more forgiving,more adjustable and easier to get along with. Just my opinion and others may disagree.
Regards, Dave

[Paul Dawson]

When it comes to compressors I get confused - so much conflicting information!

If I went for a compressor I'd need some form of water trap - right?

What's a sensible size to go for which will allow me to spray a car panel at a time, and run an air wrench? Some places say you can use the smaller type (as mentioned above) - other places seem to say you need bigger & more powerful.

Oil - or oil-less? It's a minefield out there!

[fistfullofV5's]

Okay,I'll do my best to answer your queries. All compressed air will have some moisture content but it's in proportion to atmospheric humidity. For the occasional sprayer on a reasonably warm day,you could probably skip the water trap. With regards to oil v oiless, the oil gets into the compressed air which while beneficial for air tools,it isn't desirable for painting for obvious reasons and in such situations an oil water trap is more of a requirement. Air output requirements vary from tool to tool and gun to gun, so have a look at some guns in your budget and see what air they require. It's best to have slightly more than under supply a gun. Oiless compressors are noisier which may be an issue.
Regards, Dave.

[1972nail]

I used. 20L 2HP direct drive one with oil for years. I sprayed our Minor a panel at a time using a Sealey full size HVLP gun. The compressor would run most of the time trying to keep up but it was OK so long as I was only spraying one panel. I would with experience, however, recommend a 50L tank as the min and would go for the Devilbiss SLG 610 spray gun which is very economical on air at about 5cfm.

Yes, you should use a water trap in your air line but if you drain the compressor every couple of hours and use it on days when the weather is fine and not pouring with rain you will find that the water trap is empty at the end of the day, so is it really necessary?

When spraying my Firenza I invested in a new compressor, a Wolf 3HP belt drive with 100L tank from UK Home Shopping Direct at less than 1/2 the price of a Sealey one which looked exactly the same, had the same spec and was even made in the same factory! I also bought a secondhand Devilbiss GTI spray gun.

For airtools you really need a 3HP with a big tank as a minimum spec, even then you will need to wait till it catches up every so often.

[Paul Dawson]

Thanks David & Dave. I'll have a look around for something in the 2HP 50L area. Machine Mart do a Clarke Hunter series, 25 & 55, both 2.5HP, 8.7cfm, 24L & 50L respectively.

Similar machines are the Airmaster Tigers 11/250 & 11/510, slight higher cfm (9.5) but I'm not sure they're as well made in terms of the regulators. I'll have a look at them.

And I'll keep an eye out for a second hand one locally, might strike lucky.

Re. air tools, I know things like saws and sanders are out of the question, but I use electrics there anyway. It's really just a air wrench and needle gun I'd find useful and I think you can run them off a smallish compressor as they don't seem to need huge amounts of air.

On the original question - if I was to spend over £300 on the Apollo 1500 then looking into a compressor and gun seems better kit for the same budget.

Just spotted this Wolf kit on ebay - seems to be the same seller you used David - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SALE-SAVE-Wol ... 3a88ff96fc

[1972nail]

Have a look on the Home Shopping Direct website their deals on compressors and air tools are great. Seriously consider the Devillbiss SLG 610 gun - plenty of them on eBay. It was designed for small compressors and very reasonably priced.

Also buy yourself a tiny touch up gun for those annoying little bits that are too small to dirty a big gun for, £15 well spent in my opinion.

[Paul Dawson]

You had me there - I searched for Home Shopping Direct and all they sold was knickers.

Found the site you meant under Wolf - ukhs.tv -

Next job is a major sort out of the garage see if I can make any room in there. This may take some time

Mucho later.....

Garage sorted - many trips to the shed and one to the tip. Then I discovered there's no power near to where the compressor will be and you can't use extension leads. Fortunately there was an external socket on that wall so I pulled the cable back through and mounted the socket inside.