Need Help Getting started with HVLP Spray and 8 Gal. Portable Tank

[Collabo-Beatworx]

Hi, this is my first post here. I like to paint canvas and organize murals on and off in the town I live. I realized that if I switch from the brush to the spray, i might be more efficient and could paint as a trade with time constraints. My first commission is to cover a sculpture that has been donated to my family for display in my town. I would like to use the spray gun I got a while ago for this project.

I bought a too long hose I realize and I have heard that the quick release valves are not necessary. Can someone tell me what are the essential parts in "tandem" to run a hvlp spray gun on a portable (refillable) air tank. This is what I have and I can fill it with a tire compressor. I am fantasizing that down the line I can bring this anywhere and do live painting without a wall plug. Does anyone else do this, or am I just deluded? Peace y'all.

 

[Billct2]

Look up the manufacturers specs for your gun. I'm no expert but unless it's an airbrush i think you are out of luck

 

[Eric H]

Not going to work you'll need a decent sized air compressor to run an hvlp gun

 

[Collabo-Beatworx]

Not going to work you'll need a decent sized air compressor to run an hvlp gun

And what about the fittings on the hose? I have heard that when you run a short line you need a filter. Is it the amount of air (volume) that will disqualify the hvlp versus the smaller airbrush?

 

[Eric H]

If your using an air compressor it should have a water trap / filter on it no matter the length of hose. Yes it's the volume of air you will need, I don't know off the top of my head but it will be a couple of cubic feet per minute at a certain psi fo a hvlp gun.and then you need an appropriate sized compressor that can provide that much air.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Don't worry about the fittings. Just use regular 1/4" air fittings and 3/8 hose like all other air tools. They sell expensive high flow fittings but nobody really uses them. The tank won't be enough, they use a lot of air, 15 +/- cfm, so your compressor will need to be able to replenish that amount and remain within it's duty cycle. Tank size doesn't really help or matter for things that are continuous use like painting.
We only use cheap water traps. You can get motoguard filters for the air inlet but they are really only single use. If you buy a cheap compressor and run the snot out of it, you will likely end up with a ton of water in your air too.
We plumbed our air into the paint booths so that it goes up high and loops down with a drain on the pipe where it goes up and a water trap at the other end where it connects in the booth. The main line also slopes back to the compressor so that the water remains in the tank that has an auto drain. It is hard to make water run uphill.

 

[netsol]

nota realsignguy

in a perfect world, you would wsnt a refrigerated drier. removes all the water & cools the air at the same time. i would add this to my "search list" for craigslist, offerup. there are some real bargains to be had. once your air is dry and cool, add a mini oiler for tools that need it. you will be stunned how reliable your air tools are. just to be clear, no oil needed for the paint gun or airbrush, i assume everyone has made the trip to harbor freight for cheap air tools

 

[Notarealsignguy]

nota realsignguy

in a perfect world, you would wsnt a refrigerated drier. removes all the water & cools the air at the same time. i would add this to my "search list" for craigslist, offerup. there are some real bargains to be had. once your air is dry and cool, add a mini oiler for tools that need it. you will be stunned how reliable your air tools are. just to be clear, no oil needed for the paint gun or airbrush, i assume everyone has made the trip to harbor freight for cheap air tools

We had a drier and it crapped out on us about 8 years ago. We run a screw for the shop air so moisture isn't much of an issue like it was with our reciprocating compressor. The way that we piped everything and the auto drain valve blowing off every 20 mins seems to do the trick. I never had good luck with HF air tools except their rivet guns. Got 3 of them, 1 is 10 years old and very well used.

 

[spectrum maine]

Hi, this is my first post here. I like to paint canvas and organize murals on and off in the town I live. I realized that if I switch from the brush to the spray, i might be more efficient and could paint as a trade with time constraints. My first commission is to cover a sculpture that has been donated to my family for display in my town. I would like to use the spray gun I got a while ago for this project.

I bought a too long hose I realize and I have heard that the quick release valves are not necessary. Can someone tell me what are the essential parts in "tandem" to run a hvlp spray gun on a portable (refillable) air tank. This is what I have and I can fill it with a tire compressor. I am fantasizing that down the line I can bring this anywhere and do live painting without a wall plug. Does anyone else do this, or am I just deluded? Peace y'all.

i have a true hvlp. it is a turbine and a gun, no air tank. no water issues as it sprays warm dry air. the turbine runs off 120 and is about the size of a milk crate.i love it compared to a regular spray gun. it sprays matthews really well. very efficient transfer also. I can spray an entire car with 2 quarts of paint. My system is a lex- aire with the pro gun.

 

[Harmanize]

I also have a turbine to run my hvlp gun. So much better than a regular compressor setup, dry air, lots of it. Small size, easy to transport. I have sprayed out in the field, bought a small Honda generator to run the turbine, can spray anywhere. The quick release hose fittings are nice. With a turbine, no concerns on hose length. Turbines come in different numbers of stages, so a five stage turbine is most powerful and flexible, can spray heavy latexes. A four stage is great, not as strong, a three stage would be minimal.

 

[signage]

Harmanize post what your set is.