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HVLP spray guns provide sleek paint jobs for custom cars.
According to Auto Body Tool Mart in Elgin, Illinois, conventional-feed spray guns were the standard method for auto painting for a long time. In the 1980s, gravity-feed guns began to make an appearance, but it wasn't until environmental laws began to favor gravity-feed sprayers that many auto shops began to switch over to these new types of spray guns. Spray paint guns with a gravity feed are high-volume, low-pressure, or HVLP. Because they don't operate under heavy compression, HVLP guns are considered safer than conventional-feed, high-pressure spray guns. Using gravity-feed guns is relatively simple, if you follow the right steps.
Instructions
1. Mix the paint with an appropriate thinning agent. Gravity-feed paint guns do not shoot paint at a high speed; instead, they spray a gentle mist. To properly mist, the paint be diluted. Usually, you'll want to thin the paint by about 10 percent to 15 percent, but you should read the auto paint manufacturer's instructions for HVLP to be sure. For latex paint, Flotrol is an ideal thinning agent. In the case of oil-based paint, use Penetrol for thinning.
2. Connect the gun to an air compressor. The nozzle for connecting the air compressor hose is usually found on the very back end of the HVLP gun.
3. Adjust the pressure using the knob at the base of the gun's handle. For most jobs, a PSI (pounds per square inch) of about 50 works as a good starting point.
4. Pull the paint gun's trigger after you've set the PSI to 50. Hold down the trigger until the PSI gauge stabilizes and gives a steady reading of 50 PSI.
5. Pour the paint through a paint filter. When mixing the paint, dust and other small particles can get into the mixture; for the best paint job, you need to filter the product first.
6. Fill the HVLP spray gun's paint dispenser with the diluted paint mixture.
7. Test the gun on a piece of scrap metal. Hold the gun about 2 feet from the piece of metal and apply the paint in a slow, sweeping motion.
8. Adjust the PSI settings based on the piece of scrap metal. For a quicker spray with thicker coverage you'll want to increase than number. For a gentler mist and detail-oriented coverage, you can decrease the number. Once you've found a good PSI level, use the gun on your auto project, sweeping the gun across the car in 6- to 8-inch overlapping stripes.
