Paint Spray Gun Question

I have a 2 1/2 gallon, pressure paint pot. Do I need to find a spray gun specifically for use with a pressure pot, or can I use a regular siphon spray gun? Later on, I'll be having other questions on how to set it up, tank pressure, gun pressure, etc. But for now, I need to find a good lacquer gun. Thanks, guys...

 

You can use a siphon gun on your pressure pot.

I have no idea what your experience level is but I assume it's at the very front end of the curve..... The absolute most important lessen to learn in doing your own painting is to become aware of the health risks with using the chemicals. Not only to yourself but to ANYONE (wife, kids, dogs, neighbors) that can also be effected by merely breathing the vapors.

Painting is easy and it's a simple, simple matter to get yourself a decent acceptable paint job IF you can read a label and follow directions.

On the other hand....it's back breaking, knee ruining, lung eating work.

Good luck.

 

RICH WRIGHT - I've only ever painted with either a siphon gun/quart can, or an HVLP gravity feed. It was alwas a big PITA, to just get cooking, then have to refill...and slop paint all over, doing it. Then there's tipping the can to the right angle, dragging the hose over something, etc. I got this pot for $20 (new, unused), no hoses or gun though. Figured I'd pick up a set of 20 ft hoses, cable tie them together, dump the whole 2 gallons of lacquer in the pot, then have at it. That, to ME, is luxury...

 

Hey DeSoto,

Pressure pots are great for production work on big jobs. The down side is the clean up work and amount of solvent needed to clean them once you're done shooting material.
When I shot lacquer on a complete, I'd generally shot 5-6 coats on the job, and left that until it fully flashed, usually several days to several weeks. I would then resand the job, and shoot another 4-6 coats with the last few usually knocked up with retarder. This produced a finish with little or no peel, and made for easy polishing .

A pressure gage is nice , but not necessary, as you'll soon train your ear & eye to proper pressure, reduction & distance from the painted surface.

" Meanwhyle, back aboard The Tainted Pork "

 

The typical pressure pot used for automotive painting has a 2 quart capacity, hoses that are about 5 or 6" maximum length.

Painting lacquer usually requires successive coats to be thinned at different rates. Typically, once the color is on the car sufficiently to cover, it's allowed to dry, then color sanded and a few more coats applied with a hotter thinner. This process pretty much eliminates dumping all your paint in one bucket and applying it in one session.
Another problem with trying to spray it all at once is that the paint almost always requires occasional (sometimes constant) agitation to keep it from settling.
Painting one quart at a time is a standard that evolved over the last 100 years for a good reason.... that being the ability to control the material throughout the spraying process.

It's not difficult to keep a single air hose out of the paint job; easier, I think, than trying to re-invent the process. Keep in mind that you're still going to have a hose sticking out the end of the gun, Makes little difference whether it's the hose from the compressor or the hose from the paint pot.

My best advise at this point would be to stick with an HVLP gravity feed gun and practice till you are confident in your ability to handle the gun and keep it full while the paint on the car stays wet.

It's all about being organized and stressing efficiency at the paint bench.

 

345 Desoto, Stick with it! Pressure pots are EXTREMELY nice to use. I will agree that 2-1/2 gallon is ALOT more than you're gonna need. I have a couple - a 1 quart and a bigger one - it's 2 or 3 I can't remember. The "bigger" one is nice because you don't have to plan so much when shooting a car - I could make a complete coat with one mix. The other thing I love about them is that operator fatigue is GREATLY reduced!!!

Still there's lots of guys who shun these - I never understood why, but since you already have the pot - get some hoses and give it a whirl. If you decide that you like it you can always pick up a smaller pot.

IIRC not all guns are Pressure Pot ready. I remember DeVilbiss had a chart on their website showing how to set up your gun for pressure.

I love mine - the Pro's far outweigh the Con's IMHO.

 

If you are doing a home paint job the key is to keep everything simple and consistent. You are heading in the opposite direction. Most modern guns weigh almost nothing full so unless you have some medical condition I can't possibly see that as a problem. Mix all your paint at once in a paint bucket and the refill as needed?? How is that a problem?

Pots are great for spraying large quantities over and over. You now have to not only set up and clean a gun but also set up and clean all the associated hoses with a pot. How is that less or easier work? Unless you are painting a bus, motorhome, airplane, etc?? If that is the case you wouldn't be shooting lacquer.

Get your self a good low pressure gun with a bag or cannister set up where there is just about zero clean up and you will have no problem. Get the RIGHT gun for YOUR application and it would be money better spent.


Then you can work on the lacquer deal. Not it isn't easier in any way.

 

the 2 1/2 gal pot is cool. just mix your paint that your going to need and put it in a gallon can. then put the gallon can inside the pot put the lid on pressureize it and spray. and their's no pot to clean up unless you tip it over. allso shop ebay and pick up a devilbiss MBC or jga the jga is the smaller gun but both work perfect on a pot

 

Not all siphon guns are usable with a pressure pot. You have to look under the handle where the air comes in and see if there is a port blocked off, if there isnt then you need to find one that does for your second line.

 

A regular siphon feed gun will work, BUT, you will need a much smaller air cap and fluid tip. In normal siphon feed configuration the tip is about 1.3-1.5 for top coats ( I.e. Color, clear, sealers). If you hook that same gun to a pressure pot the paint will spay super heavy. Because the the pot is under pressure, you won't need that large of a tip. If the paint has a low viscosity use a 1.0 or lower air cap and fluid tip. It will help atomize the paint better.

 

In addition to what JKerb said you will also need to change the needle to match the fluid tip.

 

ALL good advice...keep it coming...

 

I've sprayed hundreds of gallons of synthetic enamels and catalyzed materials through my 2 quart pot. I've had since '73 and did completes with it for years.

When I felt foolish enough to want to spray a lacquer job with a pressure pot I used my JGA. For enamel work, the MBC is about as good as it gets. Don't forget, though that using this technology is going add about 20% or more to your material costs due to the waste.

It is a great tool, but NOT to learn with, especially with lacquer. Someone posted earlier that he could go all the around a car without filling up the paint cup..... As I posted... the 1 quart system was developed and evolved for a reason... one of which is that it's the average amount of material needed to spray a full coat on a typical car. Bare in mind that '60's,'70's cars are much bigger than '30's, and '40's car. I had to reload many times painting full size Chevys and Fords, Chryslers, and Cad,s but most other hot rod bodys should not typically require more than a 1 quart pass for each coat.

Also as I pointed out earlier...Painting is simple. It's well within the grasp of anyone willing to read a label and pay attention to details. It starts getting complicated and filled with problems when a person forgets about the KISS principal.