Using an HVLP Set up to Spray Latex Paint...?

Stuart Ablett

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Tokyo Japan
I have the Wagner FineCoat HVLP system..........

wagner_finecoat_hvlp.jpg

............ the manual says that you should use a better system to spray latex, but this is the system I have. I also read online things like this..........

The FineCoat ™ is a true high volume, low pressure (HVLP) sprayer designed to give do-it-yourselfers excellent control and professional results. Materials to use: Medium viscosity lacquers, latex, enamels, oils, and stains... See more » The FineCoat ™ is a true high volume, low pressure (HVLP) sprayer designed to give do-it-yourselfers excellent control and professional results. Materials to use: Medium viscosity lacquers, latex, enamels, oils, and stains Includes: * High Density Plastic Gun * Metal #3 projector set * 15 foot air hose * Turbine with built in holder for Gun * Manual * Viscosity tester Cup ------Editors Short Review and comments: Tried this unit out for myself. I was actually impressed for the price. ( Meaning this is not as good as a SprayTech CS8100 HVLP, but nor is it $800.00 ) Sprayed an Acrylic water base Gloss, thinned about 20% to 25%. It put on a nice finish, with very little over spray. Would work great for fine finishing spray projects. (Sprayed a couple of one gallon paint cans for the test.) I remember selling one to a local furniture finishing shop, the owner came back the next week and bought two more. Said they loved it. Used them for spraying water-based stains and water-based finishes on chairs, nightstands, rockers, and such. We also sell quite a few of these locally to home owners for spraying wood projects. In fact every person we sell these to seems to like them. The most comments we get is on how adjustable the spray pattern is on this gun. (Three different spray patterns) We also had a lady call in who ran a craft business. She had been using a Finecoat (bought from somewere else) for about four years. Her main use was spraying latex paints on her small crafts. Anyway, bought another one from us for a backup. She said she used Floetral with her latex paint when she sprayed. (20-25% Floetral) One thing to keep in mind is that it needs thinner materials to work well with. (this is a fine finish sprayer, not a high production house sprayer) Wagner does include a viscosity cup tester which makes it easy to get your material thinned properly. (a viscosity cup thinning chart is included in the manual) After you get the hang of it you do not need to mess with the viscosity cup.

Obviously I will most likely just give it a go, but I was wondering if anyone here has any experience with this unit, or a similar one (I think HF sells one very much like this).

Cheers!
 
I have the similar model from Harbor Freight. I've sprayed unthinned Polycrylic with good results. I think it'd handle latex paint as long as it was properly thinned, although I'd suspect you'll need more coats, too. At the worst, all you'll have to do is clean up the gun, which shouldn't be too hard.
 
I can't comment on your unit, but I've tried spraying latex with my conversion HVLP gun twice now. The first time was pretty horrible so I bought the largest nozzle set for it and tried again. Still pretty bad, even when I added a little water to thin. Then I read about Floetrol so I picked some up but haven't had an opportunity to try it yet.

The problem I've had is that it just won't atomize the goopy latex paint and spits out gobs of it.
 
I guessing that you are painting the aparto. And I would guess that one could roll that out in less time then it takes to bring the sprayer in, set it up, and clean it after. With a short roller handle you can reach all the walls from the center of the room:thumb:
And even if you spray it on you will still have to back roll it to even it out. So why clean an extra tool?:thumb::dunno:

I hate painting, I REALLY HATE THE ROLLER!

I also have an airless, well, I have one somewhere I'll have to look for it :huh:

maybe it would be better than the HVLP unit.

Matt, I've heard that the "Floetrol" works wonders, but I've not been able to find what they call it here in Japan, let alone actually find it here in Japan........ hard to go to the hardware store and ask for something if you don't even know what it is called :dunno:
 
I did find my airless, I bought it years and years ago, I found the main unit in one place, the bag of tips etc in a second place, and the manual in a third place :thumb: I'm honestly amazed I found them all within about half an hour. I need to get one box to put everything into :doh:

The airless should do a good job.............. right?

According to the manual, I have the right tip and such, and with the viscosity cup, I should be able to get the thinning right............ I hope..........

I'm looking at doing the interior walls of the aparto, I know I could use the roller, but I have really bad luck with roller jobs :eek:

Heck I even found the bendy thing that lets you spray ceilings with it...

So, is the airless a bad idea?

Cheers!
 
Lots of over spray! Cover everything up with tarps that are heavy enough not to blow around. The force of the paint coming out of the tip will cause a wind turbulence that can make those light plastic films float away. If you have standard height ceilings I'd recommend using a short ladder or step stool and paint with just the gun without the extension. Unless you're very experienced using the extension you will find you don't have enough control over the movement of the spray tip. Again the force of the paint thing. Might be that I'm just a slow learner but I learned my lesson!:eek::doh:
 
Lots of over spray! Cover everything up with tarps that are heavy enough not to blow around. The force of the paint coming out of the tip will cause a wind turbulence that can make those light plastic films float away. If you have standard height ceilings I'd recommend using a short ladder or step stool and paint with just the gun without the extension. Unless you're very experienced using the extension you will find you don't have enough control over the movement of the spray tip. Again the force of the paint thing. Might be that I'm just a slow learner but I learned my lesson!:eek::doh:

Shouldn't be any over spray with a good airless. At least there wasn't back when I worked for a painter.. I didn't do any painting he did but he never hung any plastic. Then there is nothing to move around, and he could cut in within a quarter inch or better without over spray.
Garry
 
Shouldn't be any over spray with a good airless. At least there wasn't back when I worked for a painter.. I didn't do any painting he did but he never hung any plastic. Then there is nothing to move around, and he could cut in within a quarter inch or better without over spray.
Garry
I have a cheap Wagner airless unit, and the one time I used it, I wouldn't call it overspray...it was more of a fog that filled the whole room. :doh:And I still had to get out the roller to even things up. I'm sure a good quality airless sprayer won't have the same problem. The guys who painted my house trim last summer used a good airless system, and like you said, they were able to cut to within about 1/4" with it.
 
Vaughn
What does your airoless look like?

Garry
Garry, I think it's the equivalent of this model.

ccddd8b0-8ebb-4b0c-b436-350f1bd58c07_300.jpg

It would probably be fine for staining a fence or something, but I didn't have much luck trying to cover a popcorn textured ceiling.
 
Garry, I think it's the equivalent of this model.

ccddd8b0-8ebb-4b0c-b436-350f1bd58c07_300.jpg

It would probably be fine for staining a fence or something, but I didn't have much luck trying to cover a popcorn textured ceiling.

I "OWN" one of those but never used it, and finally had a need for it and after searching for it for two months, discovered it had found it's way into my daughters car a year earlier and was 360 miles away.:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Soooooo the "Shop Contractor" had one of his guys use the exact same model Wagner and he painted the exterior of my 8' x 10' concrete block wellhouse. It took three coats to get it completely covered due to the roughness and little crannies in the Blocks, but has looked good and held up well, but it sure created a FOG while he was spraying AND it was really slow as well.:eek:

Oops!!!! I forgot that the reason for the third coat was due to the fact that the second coat turned out to be mixed wrong and was not the correct color, soooooo.....one more coat of the proper color was needed.
 
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In addition to the fog aspect, mine is very loud. It's painful when used indoors. I also had poor luck getting it to pull paint through the suction hose. I ended up using the jar mounted on the gun itself, and refilled it about a bazillion times.
 
In addition to the fog aspect, mine is very loud. It's painful when used indoors. I also had poor luck getting it to pull paint through the suction hose. I ended up using the jar mounted on the gun itself, and refilled it about a bazillion times.

Aha, you have the NEWER model, 'cause mine and the one the Contr used didn't were made BEFORE they came out with that model with the hose, I don't think they even had the flexible extension to turn up to paint ceilings, (but can't remember for sure, as I haven't seen mine since).:dunno::rofl::rofl:
 
Garry, I think it's the equivalent of this model.

ccddd8b0-8ebb-4b0c-b436-350f1bd58c07_300.jpg

It would probably be fine for staining a fence or something, but I didn't have much luck trying to cover a popcorn textured ceiling.

Vaughn
Those are airless in name only but function nothing like a real airless. A real airless is closer to a power washer in the way they work. I guess the word "real" isn't really correct here but the one like you have is very similar to one my mother had over 50 years ago. They buzz and have a vibrating type device that "pumps" the paint out. Where as what I am refering to as a "real" airless is really nothing more than a pump that actually pumps paint out. Now I don't know what Stu has but if it one like this I also would rather use a roller. Wagner make a low end pump system for around 300.00 that I have heard decent things about...
Garry
 
This looks like it might be a decent home use unit on the cheap...

http://www.gleempaint.com/paint-crew-770-recon.html

Looks like they are going to discontinue them as the prices are coming way down. I saw one yesterday at HD for 198.00 new. I think I paid 180.00 reconditioned couple of years back. It's OK for what I need. I'd go rent one if I needed to paint the house. Do miss the old CH. though. Stick the tube in the 5 gal bucket and go to town! I kept the 50' hose when I got rid of it.
 
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