I am a commercial paint contractor and have been for 23 years and I own two commercial grade Graco self contained hvlp rigs. So to get to the point has anybody out there ever used hvlp rigs to shoot automotive finishes? And if so what are the pro's and con's I know that when we shoot urethanes and single stage enamels the material comes out beautifully. I am getting ready to shoot a little color on my fiddy buick soon so any input would help.Upront Thanks.
I'm not sure exactly what kind of equipment you have, but HVLP guns have become common in the auto paint biz for 10-15 years. I would try painting a test panel, with the same paints you will use on the car.
as long as it moves the material, it should work dandy. i cant remember the brand but theres a pretty popular self contained rig thats marketed to all the auto guys.
i would use a fine tip...i paint with my topfeed HVLP,and still leaves a little orangepeel.do a test panel first..
The IMCA team I help out gets cars painted by a friend who brings over the HVLP gun he uses all day for commercial stuff. The racecars get the cheapest automotive enamel on the planet. Prolly tractor paint without the tractor on the label. Lotta orange peel but it's nothing color sanding wouldn't cure and really cuts down the fumes if you're in a subdivision.
that system has too large of a tip.if you can buy a smaller tip and needle it will work great. you might be able to buy a different gun to use with the air system. i have used a tubine system made to shoot auto paint and they work great.now i just use a hvlp gun that hooks to shop air.
I use that same system resurfacing bathtubs. I have also shot a dozen or more cars with it. It dosen't atomize the paint like a production gun, but if you add a little reducer, the job will turn out very nice. I always make one pass back on top of the first one moving the gun quickly to insure good coverage. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
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