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Okay, its time for me to stop hand rolling and brushing my finishes. I rent a sprayer for my big projects but now I am thinking of buying a good small hand held. Seen wagners at my local hardware store. Budget is a factor, but want something easy to clean. Will spray only acrylic paint only.
Thank you!
-------------------- Jeff Wisdom SignWorks info@oregonsignworks.com Posts: 450 | From: Oregon | Registered: Dec 2005
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I use a hvlp gun from Harbor Freight. If you watch they are frequently offered for less than 10.00. I have six in the box and have used the present one for two years. I'm shooting acrylic also. I use a little mushroom style compressor. Works great! Jer-Artworx@turlocksigns.com
-------------------- Gerald Barlow Artworx Turlock, CA
95380 artworx@bigvalley.net Posts: 198 | From: Turlock, CA 95380, USA | Registered: Dec 2002
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Jeff, just a little tip. After cleaning a spray gun with water after using acrylics, run a little cheap lacquer thinner through it to displace the water. Better safe than sorry.
-------------------- David Thompson Pro-Line Graphics Martinsville, NJ
I'm not this dumb, it's just the paint fumes talkin' Posts: 396 | From: Martinsville, NJ | Registered: Oct 2001
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Hears another option for the really thick stuff. Joe Crumley introduced me to this gun. I sprayed Sculpt Nouveau with this gun no problem. I like that it uses standard mason jars for the paint. Bought extras and store paint right in the jar.
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AFTER you run the lacquer thinner thru it.....if your not gona use it in the next couple weeks.......shoot a little mineral sprites thur it.........this will help lubricate the o rings......after the lacquer thinner
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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I'm with Dave on the Critter gun. I have one and love it! I wouldn't spray anything large with it though, it's pretty slow. But for smaller signs, it's a great option. You can use it with a small 3-6 gallon compressor too.
-------------------- Phillip Newell Newell Graphics 1346 Garnet St. Burlington, IA 52601 319-754-5113 Posts: 187 | From: Henderson, IL | Registered: Apr 2004
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for me, when you say acrylic paint, i am thinking LATEX. and most of my spray equipment is geared to AUTOMOTIVE ACRYLIC ENAMEL/URETHANE based paint. spraying LATEX is best done with an airless if you want a good solid coat of paint.these little hand held WAGNER like are good for spraying a chair, small table or small sign. but not for big sq foot covearge. and the thing is most airless types are made for water based based and are rust resistant metals. i HAVE SEEN..........WATER BASED AUTOMOTIVE PAINT... but have no experiance with it as of yet. if you got loads of money.... and your gona do a lot of small latex paint jobs...this looks like the top of the line..... http://www.amazon.com/Graco-16N673-TrueCoat-Electric-Sprayer/dp/B00B5WJ3D2/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1461947159&sr=8-9&keywords=graco+x5+airless+paint+sprayer
[ April 29, 2016, 12:27 PM: Message edited by: old paint ]
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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I purchased the Greyco 16N673 to paint my house. Cup too small for the house (refill after refill) but perfect for signs. Takes some getting used to but does a great job.
-------------------- Bob Moroney The Sign Guy 310 Club Valley Drive Falmouth, MA 02536 508-259-6297 Posts: 216 | From: Falmouth, MA | Registered: Jul 2008
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I just have a cambell-Hausfeld spray gun and compressor which I use for spraying automotive finished on ironwork, and anything over 4x4 feet . . . I never spray any kind of latex thru it. Either the auto paint, and sometimes industrial enamel etc (oil-based only)
As bad as I hate Walmart, got the gun, hose, fittings, & compressor at Wal Mart about 20 years ago - but I meticulosly clean the gun - Also get a water-trap for your hose if you deal with humidity.
Research to find latex spray guns.
They also require good cleaning skills.
But the best little sprayer of all is a preval spray unit. (But these will not spray latex paint)
When I have small iron work, say, a 2x2 square tube post & ornamental bracket, or small sign panels, I use a Preval unit.
They are small Freon-like propellant-filled sprayer which will spray up to about a quart of any custom colour - perfect for sprayin' the auto paint and perfect for sprayin' that 18x24 and small stuff when you don't want to,or need to use the big equipment.
You can purchase Preval units at some paint suppliers, but I get mine at Oreilly's paint department. Typically, you can just buy the whole sprayer & glass jar as one unit. Once you have a glass jar, you can just buy sprayer units.
The glass jar & sprayer are about 6.89. Propellant tubes are about $4. I buy propellant refills by case of 12.
Each glass holds about a half pint of paint - the glass can be cleaned & reused endlessly. It is also marked in increments of 1 part to 5 and 1 to 4 (for catalyst/paint parts)
The propellant tube will spray about 4 bottles of paint before running out. When propellant is empty just toss it, then clean only glass for next use.
But if there is propellant left in he tube, I spray it out clean too - first with laquer thinner, then min spirits.
This may all sound expensive, but when it comes to painting small stuff any panel under 4x4 & iron work, it saved a LOT as follows:
First, it saves paint; very little over-spray, and 2, it saves on cleaning solvents bc it doesn't take as much to clean smaller unit as it does the big gun, and it saves on compressor running.
The only drawback is if you're trying to get away from solvents and oil based paints - which I am not.
My automotive-paint finished signs still look shiney new after 7-8-9 years, and some even longer.
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iam with her on the longevity of auto paint......i have always used auto paint for backgrounds on MDO/metal signs. i worked at NAPA for 15 years and was the outside salesman and body shops.....were my favorites. i mixed paint, matched colors and new the products well. when and what thinners to use or add hardners to paint. when i started sign painting,(86)i was still working at the parts place. sometimes we would mix a gallon/qt of A/E and it didnt hit the right shade, so it was called a "mis-match". these are great for backgrounds of signs. and i would get them for $5-10.....whe the full price woulda been $20-50.........also some parts stores that mix paint have an aerosol can filler. they mix your color and put it in a can....
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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