For the record....I have checked the search feature and there are no recent posts on this. The discusions previously posted are at least a few years old, and the 3M Accuspray spray gun system from what I can gather has evolved quite a bit in recent years. I am looking for pros/cons based on actual experience with the system, and in particular spraying metallic base coats (solvent, not water based). Info on spray tip sizes recommended for the mentioned base coat, air consumption, etc.Also info on using for european type hi solids clear. Any tips appreciated. Thanks
I have an accuse ray gun I use with a turbine. From what I can see my stuff is kind of dated and may not be the same as what you are seeing.
I use one for primer every day, I love it. I know guys like spraying water base through them, but I don't know about solvent base. They make a ton of different tip sizes for them now, I wouldn't doubt if you could spray base without issues.
No, it's not, and that's the problem I'm running into with searches. Apparently years ago there was a turbine spray system called accuspray. This is a hvlp spraygun 3M started marketing about 6 years ago, and the first few years only had primer sized tips available for it, but has also refined the guns available. You tube has some videos, including one or two by Foose demonstrating it on some signage with flame jobs. Big difference in spraying signs and spraying a full car. There are other videos on You Tube, but most are from back when it was just a primer gun. Last week I was at the local paint supply shop and I was looking at it when a Hispanic guy came in to pick up some paint he ordered for his body shop. Unfortunatly my Spanish is almost non existant, and his English is about the same. He kept saying "good gun, good gun..all I use now. My Sata take 4 passes, this gun 2 passes" Unfortunatly because of our language barrier, I couldn't ask any technical questions. He showed me some cell phone pics of some jobs he had finished with it. Anyway, I made this a long story, but he made his point and I bought the gun...now I'm just trying to find out what to expect when I go to use it. Plastic disposable tips available from 1.2 thru 2.0, and disposable cup system all but eliminates cleaning, and the tips are cheap box of 5 for 22ish bucks. The starter kit is 200 bucks. I'm also trying to find a 1.3 and 1.4 tip for my older Sharpe Finex FX300 if anybody has a source. The FX300 is no longer available, btw.
Ok....I'm a 3M rep and work with collision shops every day. It's an outstanding gun for the price and can spray everything fromclear coat to polyester due to the disposable heads available from 1.2 - 2.0 check out the what's new section at www.3mcollision.com for tons of info
Thanks Anthony, and thanks to the 3M rep for the link..found one that answerd my questions and confusion http://3mcollision.com/products/fea...nt=AccusprayOne&utm_campaign=on_site_tracking
i was really surprised using the 1.3 & 1.4 tips, I was a lil skeptical before using it, but it really sprayed nice. ive used it for metallic base coat , clear coat and Essentials single stage poly urethane,
I don't know how often you plan on using the gun, but the tips can be cleaned and reused. My boss would kill me if I threw them away after one use. One word of caution if you plan on daily use... The gun will wear out eventually, the plastic tabs spread and the tips may blow off under pressure. But hey, just like Everything 3M makes its disposable.
I was put onto this gun by a friend of mine who set me up with a nice package deal that included the gun, cup with liners and a box of tips. Whole set up was about $200 I think...really just the cost of all the disposables and basically got the gun for free. So far I have used it on the repaint of my Merc. Sprayed high build, sealer, metallic base coat and clear coat (all solvent based) with the same gun and just swapping to the appropriate sized tips. Prior to this paint job, my only real car painting experience had been primer and spot acrylic enamel jobs.....I had never sprayed a whole car with color and clear. I am real pleased with the result. No streaking, nice coverage, two small runs (my fault). The clear laid out real nice, although I did end up with a few bugs and a little trash simply because I wasn't painting in a booth (I hung plastic in my garage, but the top was open to the rafters). There is a little orange peel, but frankly, it is smoother than most clear you find driving around on new factory cars. I haven't gotten around to wet sanding and polishing it yet, which of course will take care of the peel and the trash. I've thought about buying a "real" gun, but this one has produced results better than I expected and in no way looks like the amateur job it really is. Hope that helps.
Yes, I read the tips can be reused about 4 or 5 times....which drops the cost down to less than a buck per usage. I'm only trying to get a better setup to respray the car in my avatar after repairing the damage from sideswiping a building! (yep, an owiee!, and no I wasn't drinking...nobody was in the car when it happened...neutral safety switch issue). It may never get used again, which is why I couldn't bring myself to pop for a 700. Sata. I just discovered the gun I sprayed the car with (4 years ago)that I thought had a 1.3 tip in it actually has a 1.8...explains the difficulty I had keeping the metallics from puddling in tight areas. I thought it was because of my never having sprayed a metallic base/clear job before. Live and hopefully learn a few things along the way.
Have used one for about a year now, do a few cars/year. Sprays primer and sealer real well, think it would do base/clear as well, use my Sata for that. I'm with Ol Stinky about the tabs, it's quite a surprise when the cup drops upside down...may try to depress the tabs with some pliers to keep from wearing the ears off. It does spray well when you have a new tip....
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