Paint advice

Need some advice. I've never painted anything with real equipment and I plan to cut my teeth on the rough M38A1 I just bought and then move on to the 715. I have a very good industrial air compressor and that's about it. I don't mind spending some money to get set up right. I believe I'll need a good filtration system and air water seperator for the line. Those of you in the know, what are your recommendations for filters, air pressure, type of gun, etc. This is military truck quality I'm going for mind you, not high gloss hot rod stuff. I do want a quality job that will last for quite a while.

Just about any of the HVLP guns you find these days will get the job done. Used to be DeVilbliss was THE name for good guns. Now, CNC machining have evened the field a lot.

I would recommend a metal/aluminum cup instead of a plastic one since it will last a lot longer. Same with the lid. Those two things being not plastic will drive the cost up though.

Then, buy a case of filter funnels, a 32 ounce or bigger mixing cup thick enough to hold in one hand and not collapse on you that has ounces and stuff on the side of it.

Use a new filter funnel every time you pour anything to or from the mixing cup. Along with a new mixing stick everytime and you should be good to go.

Since I use the filter funnels, I removed the little plastic filter under the cup inside the gun. That little plastic filter will gum up and stop paint from flowing on big paint jobs that require you to use multiple cup fulls. I just removed it and haven't had that problem since.

That the kind of stuff you were wanting info on?

Like Barrman said a metal cup takes alot more abuse in the long run. I recommend a gravity feed with the cup on top, alot easier to clean and handle. All spray guns as of January 10,2011 better be HVLP.
The next thing you should check is that your air is DRY. This will kill a paint job quick.

I would put an air dryer on the air line. They can be had at most places that sell compressors. This will help keep water out of the line when your painting.

I have witness with my own eyes soldiers painting a MV type truck with a paint roller, roller pain, and brushes like they were painting the walls in an office. So there is always that path to take... :lol: I'd stick with the air gun though... :)

Yeah, thanks guys. I was writting away thinking the only kind of HVLP you could get was a gravity feed. They aren't all that way. Get one with the cup on top. If it comes with a stand, much better because you will have to build one. How much is your time worth.

With the cup on top, it is very easy to tilt the gun and have all the paint splash out. Or, have a nice little dribble do the same thing. I alway put a rubber glove over the top of the cup to prevent that. It will deflate over time as you paint and could create a vacuum, so let air in every so often.

I also like to have the psi regulator at the other end of the hose from the gun. Less weight and less stuff to hit fresh paint with.

Yes, that's the type of stuff I'm looking for. I love this site. Feel free to add more as you think of it.

I painted my truck this summer. I had no experience prior. It was easier than I expected but still really nerve-racking.

I used an HVLP gun by DeVilbiss (this link is for Eastwood but you can find them elsewhere for cheaper)
http://www.eastwood.com/dvb-finishli...-w-3-tips.html
The gun is far better than I am at painting. I would agree with the guys above, get the aluminum cup. Things get nasty after putting that much paint through the gun. The plastic cap that came with mine ended up a little beat up but the aluminum cup still looks great.

I had a cheap dessicant/regulator on the main line off the compressor, then I used some of these inline filters on the air supply near the gun, and replaced them occasionally.
[http://www.eastwood.com/mini-desicca...r-2-pack.html]
I think 6 or so were enough to do almost paint almost every piece of the truck. I painted in high humidty conditions in the middle of summer and as far as I can tell, none of the stuff that ended up in the finish was a result of water in the line (I had some sand from the blasting get stuck in some spots - PREP WORK IS EVERYTHING). The gun ends up a little long with these filters, pressure regulator, etc... but I managed to get paint into most places on the truck.

For air pressure, I just tuned the gun and used the recommended setting that came with the paint gun instructions. I thinned the paint according the paints instructions (I used the Gillespe paints thinned with Xylene). I was able to shoot paint from morning to night without too many adjustments to it.

Get lots of mixing cups - you will need more than you expect. Same for stir sticks and the paint filters that you pour every batch through. I used a new filter every batch and didn't have any problems with contamination.

In the end, it didn't turn out too bad - actually much better than I expected. It was much more forgiving than I expected it to be. Good Luck!

-Brian (and Angry)

I've beem painting cars since I was a kid. Last car I painted was my Ford Maverick Drag car almost 10 years ago, That was in Deltron basecoat clear coat. When it was time to paint the m715 this year. I decided it was time to get an HVLP. it killed me because my sharp gravity feed gone was well over 300.00 back when I bought it. I ended up getting a pretty good Napa gun. figured when not painting semi flat OD, it would be my primer gun. I was pretty happy with the result. I did 3-4 coats on the entire truck and used 1 1/4 gallons of paint. The HVLP gun flowed well. nice coverage. no dry spots. and no runs. I use a devilibiss water seperator on the wall, and the throw away on the bottom of the gun. I would recomend getting one to everyone that is painting themselves. gonna upgrade to the Sata when I paint my 69 Charger.

Duane