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Looking for airbrush or small spray gun for small automotive jobs

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by peterp, Aug 24, 2014.

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  1. peterp

    peterp F1 Veteran

    Aug 31, 2002
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    #1 peterp, Aug 24, 2014
    I'm looking for recommendations for an airbrush or spray gun for small projects such as painting an air filter housing or a small panel. I currently have an Iwata Revolution airbrush and it works great except:

    1. It doesn't hold nearly enough paint (requires many refills even for small jobs)
    2. It has a round spray pattern where I've read that a "fan" pattern is better (not sure if this is true).

    I like the idea of an airbrush over a gun since I mostly do detail work rather than large jobs. My compressor is a small Makita MAC700 (rated at 3.8CFM at 40PSI and 3.3CFM at 90PSI). It works great with the airbrush but might be marginal for a larger spray gun.

    Can anybody recommend a good airbrush or air gun for small automotive jobs?
     
  2. HotShoe

    HotShoe F1 Veteran
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    #2 HotShoe, Aug 24, 2014
    I am a huge fan of Iwata brushes but you have to make sure you get one that can handle urethanes. Most have seals that can't handle solvents and they won't last. I have several.

    I would also recommend looking into a small touch up or jamb gun if you are doing some larger pieces or panels like described above. The airbrushes are really meant more for extreme detail and very small touch ups. A small touch up gun is perfect for larger pieces or panels.
     
  3. pnicholasen

    pnicholasen Formula 3

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    #3 pnicholasen, Aug 24, 2014
    I suspect all air brushes give a round spray pattern by design, so art work can be done. For the fan pattern you'll have to go with a gun. There are small guns like Iwata L50 or Devilbiss Starting line, but if you are painting small areas, then you might be able to get away with a normal sized gun. The compressor output stats you give are for continuous use, like painting large panels or a whole car which obviously won't work with a small compressor. If, however, it's a small piece you can probably put enough paint on before the compressor has to kick in. Then when you up grade your compressor at some point, you won't have to get another gun. Considering the cost of a good gun, the fewer you have to buy in the long run the better.
    (for what it's worth, the Iwata Lph400lv is a great gun, and lays out a great clear coat)
     
  4. peterp

    peterp F1 Veteran

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    #4 peterp, Aug 24, 2014
    Thanks for the great feedback. I didn't know about the touch-up guns, but that seems exactly like what I need. The Iwata guns are probably more than I want to spend since I use it so rarely (maybe once a year at max). That said, I'd spend more if it's worth it in improved paint quality. I looked at Devilbiss and this 2-gun kit looked good at Eastwood (Devilbiss 2 Gun Kit & DeKups System). I assume I probably only need the smaller gun, so I see it standalone on Amazon (Amazon.com: DeVilbiss 802405 StartingLine HVLP Detail and Touch-Up Gravity Spray Gun: Automotive). It seems too cheap to be good, but the reviews are pretty good.

    Would these Devilbiss guns be a good choice and is it worth it to get the 2 gun kit rather than just the mini sprayer?
     
  5. Meister

    Meister F1 Veteran
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    #5 Meister, Aug 24, 2014
    For years I've used a Husky HVLP gun you can find at Home Depot on everything from auto parts to my kitchen cabinets and been very happy with the results.

    My biggest key to any spraying is having dry air via a good filter system
     
  6. pnicholasen

    pnicholasen Formula 3

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    #6 pnicholasen, Aug 25, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    The biggest mistake I made when I started doing some painting was getting the correct pressure setting. If your gun recommends, say 20psi for a spray pressure, that means the "cap pressure" which is measured with trigger fully open. So if you set your regulator (a cheap one from Harbor Freight works fine) to 20 psi with the trigger closed, which is what I initially did, you'll find when you pull the trigger, the pressure reading drops very low, which means lousy atomization, which means big-time orange peel. To get the correct cap pressure, I need about 40psi setting on the regulator when the trigger is closed. The long and short is the better the atomization, the better the paint lays down, which means less color sanding to get a nice finish. Those Iwata and Sata guns put out a very fine mist (with the correct cap pressure) but they are pricy.
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  7. 4rePhill

    4rePhill F1 Veteran

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    #7 4rePhill, Aug 25, 2014
    Loving the X1/9! - Reminds Me of the one I owned years ago! (it was known in the family as: "La Bambino Ferrari!")

    :)
     
  8. peterp

    peterp F1 Veteran

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    #8 peterp, Aug 25, 2014
    Thanks. Good point about dry air. I have an Eastwood inline water filter (Disposable In Line Air Filter) and an inline water separator (Amazon.com: TEKTON 4755 Oil/Water Separator: Home Improvement).

    I have the water separator in all the time, but only use the Eastwood dryer when painting. I never need to drain any water in the separator, so I'm not sure it's doing anything. Are these inline good enough or do you need something better?

    PS: I also have had positive experiences with Husky products. I rarely bought them assuming the were junk as an HD brand, but I've been impressed with their stuff. The Husky retracting extension cord I bought is built like a brick and works great several years later (I went through 3 Craftsman reels failing before trying Husky out of frustration).
     
  9. peterp

    peterp F1 Veteran

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    #9 peterp, Aug 25, 2014
    Thanks -- this is great info. I'm also loving the X1/9 -- both the paint and the car. I still remember driving one around 1980 and it was like a go kart around corners.
     
  10. vincep99

    vincep99 Formula 3
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    #10 vincep99, Aug 25, 2014
    I have the Devilbiss 2-gun kit and I use it all the time. The smaller gun is good for detail work, I have used the bigger gun to paint entire cars.
     
  11. bpu699

    bpu699 F1 World Champ
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    #11 bpu699, Aug 26, 2014
    Eastwood has a nice 3 airbrush kit plus compressor for sale at $89 (70%) off...

    I got it, and its very nice.

    Bo
     

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