Welding Tips and Tricks

Looking to buy a spray paint gun. I see Ingersoll Rand has models with the paint holder mounted on the bottom or on top of the gun. Is one better or has more advantages over the other? All help appreciated!

One is gravity fed and one generally pulls from a tube. They both have their own benefits and drawbacks. Are you going to painting flat and horizontal or doing tube frames that require manipulation of the gun in odd angles? It may be a matter of personal preference and which one "feels" right. I've used both and personally like the standard cup gun that draws from below.

I'd be painting at all angles. Thx

A painter has just painted a tractor being restored by my brother in my big shop. He just bought and first use of a DeVILBISS FinishLine the type with the can on top. He also used a can liner I think from 3M. The liner is disposable each use and saves on cleaning other than the head. He was spraying heavy equipment paint at 8lb pressure. This thing sprays all position with no leaks . This guy has been painting for a lot of years with a lot of different guns and he said this is the best he's had. His son is a full time painter in an autobody shop and he told his dad this was the gun of choice in the shop. He paid about $260.00 in Ontario Canada. Also with the low pressure overspray is minimal.

Thank you for the information!!!

No matter what look for high volume low pressure gun type (HVLP) or low Volume low pressure gun (LVLP). The gravity feed sprays at lower pressure then the siphon feed. They also have less over spray and better atomization then siphon guns. Control of spray is better with a gravity spray. Clean up is easier with gravity guns. I find gravity guns easier to maneuver around also, such as when painting racecar frames and tight places. If you really want a standard type sprayer with paint cup at bottom, then look for one that pressurizes the cup instead of using a siphon. Since All siphon guns spray at higher pressure. You can tell if its a pressurized cup type if it has an air tube that extends from the air supply to the cup. The pressure forces paint up into gun instead of being sucked up. These pressurized cups have a better atomization then siphon guns too and less over spray then siphon guns. The gravity guns still seem to have better atomization in my opinion and better control.

LVLP guns are some of newest guns on market and if you have a smaller compressor would be something to look into. The HVLP uses a high volume of air at low pressure to spray a high volume of paint. The Lower pressure means less over spray but uses high volume of air so if you have a small compressor might have issues of it keeping up. Typical HVLP guns spray 8 to 20 CFM gun and paint dependent. LVLP guns use low volume and spray at low pressure so you get good over spray control due to low pressure plus doesn't use large volume of air which is great if you have smaller tank and lower horsepower compressor. LVLP guns operate around 5 CFM. I have not used LVLP gun. Typically better guns of either type will use lower CFMs so consider spending extra money on gun so your not fighting yourcompressor.

I should also add that the old style conventional guns that used high pressure actually wasted up to 2/3 of paint in over spray that is what led to development of the low pressure guns. Sorry about the edits kept adding stuff.

I mentioned a pressurized gun in the previous post they are not as common as gravity feed and siphon feed. Here is a pic of a pressurized tank gun I pulled off net. Notice the tube that runs from the air inlet to the paint cup. That allows cup to have air pressure coming in at top of cup and it pushes the paint up the tube vs the tube using vacuum to siphon it up. I have a brand new one of these in a box some where bought it prolly 15 years ago still haven't taken it out of box.
Edit
I should have added a more common pressure style gun it uses a pressure pot. Works same as pressure gun above just allows you have a larger volume of paint available. Tank gets pressurized with feed from air compressor then has 2 hoses from tank going to gun. One is the paint supply and other is air to atomize paint. Didn't include it at first cause I assumed you weren't looking for something to have this large of a volume of paint.

this is what i like about this forum, other welding forums
would have issues with a question about painting but here
we have a large mix of talents without egos.
thanks to those who are willing to
contribute info on mixed topics.
craig

motox wrote:this is what i like about this forum, other welding forums
would have issues with a question about painting but here
we have a large mix of talents without egos.
thanks to those who are willing to
contribute info on mixed topics.
craig

Well heck even painting has to do with welding. Gotta be able to make a part look fancy and nice or be able to sell it. A lot stuff in a round about way can relate if you think about it. And besides the brain always needs a little break from welding.

Thank you all very much! I need the spray gun to paint my welding projects. Gotta make them look sweet! Looks like I'll be getting a gravity hvlp spray gun. I have a large compressor so I'll be good there. Thanks again!

Blaze659 wrote:Thank you all very much! I need the spray gun to paint my welding projects. Gotta make them look sweet! Looks like I'll be getting a gravity hvlp spray gun. I have a large compressor so I'll be good there. Thanks again!

What project you working on. Pics?

I build anything really. Whatever someone needs. I just received the metal this week to build a garage door cutting simulator for my volunteer fire department. But my favorite is custom fire pits. Don't know if the pic will show up.

Blaze659 wrote:I build anything really. Whatever someone needs. I just received the metal this week to build a garage door cutting simulator for my volunteer fire department. But my favorite is custom fire pits. Don't know if the pic will show up.

Very nice, would like to see this at night with a fire going

I H A T E painting, but will do it if required on a larger job. What I usually end up having to paint has weird contours and hard to get to areas. It usually comes out fairly nice but I'm always disappointed in the results. It's just one of those aspects of the job that I don't enjoy. I don't mean to poop on the thread, just expressing myself. I like to tell the small walk in customers that request paint that "you don't ask a plumber to install windows in your house meaning" this is a fabrication shop, don't ask me to paint, then I point them to the powder coat shop that is literately next door, we share a wall.

Strangely I enjoy painting because after all the work of making something from scratch a nice paint job is like a transformation --kinda like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon!!

Blaze659 wrote:I build anything really. Whatever someone needs. I just received the metal this week to build a garage door cutting simulator for my volunteer fire department. But my favorite is custom fire pits. Don't know if the pic will show up.

That is one mean looking cooker you got. Knowing other volunteer for departments I'm surprised they don't just call it a day and take the chop saw and hack it up or cut the wall or beat a man door down.