Greg
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I only said copper because that’s the one I sprayed with…I’m sure that any color/finish or additional gimmick will do…
Copper 1.3&1.4 w/ 7E7 cap. Check the TDS for the paint you’re spraying to be sure what size it’s best.
TEKNA for your situation would probably be my recommendation. New, you know what to expect, and you basically are getting a base and clear gun for one price.
Paintwerks…
I assume that this is a downdraft booth. How are you achieving proper airflow around the vehicle when you tape your plastic to the floor, completely sealing the part of the pit that is underneath?
Are you spraying conventional solvent borne base or waterborne? With waterborne, I have found that stirring thoroughly before reducing has virtually eliminated the small colored specks that would occasionally show up when applying white. Also, I strain the paint (125 micron for waterborne) into the PPS cup, which also has a 125 strainer integrated, so I’m basically double straining. I think that what may happen is that if the paint is reduced before stirring/shaking, the reducer may cause some paint particles to micro-encapsulate and not become homogenized within the mixture. You may try stirring/shaking well before reducing, if you are not already doing so. Good luck!
Congrats on stepping in on a new hobby. Auto refinishing can be an enjoyable hobby and/or a rewarding career. My suggestion would be to go spend some time at your local automotive paint supply store. If you have one in your area that is locally owned/operated, you will probably get more feedback and information than at some of the larger, national paint pushers.
Expect to spend at least $2000-$3000 for proper start up equipment that will get you off on the right foot. A compressor with significantly higher CFM rating than the guns you are using, high flow fittings and hoses, $400-$600 for a quality basecoat gun, $400-$600 for clear gun…(you may check out the TEKNA, it comes with 2 sizes for one price, saving you from having to buy separate base/clear guns). You should check the TDS of the paint you are using for tip sizes to verify what you need.
Also think about your plans for a controlled/enclosed environment in which to paint. Controlling overspray, airflow requirements, etc…Good luck!
Just strip the delaminating paint and sand the gray primer underneath-no need to remove all of the gray, just feather out the areas needed and continue as you had already planned…epoxy,color,clear. You probably don’t have to use something as aggressive as 180, unless you have a lot of white that will not blade off.
I would only buy a used gun if I could test spray with it first…checking the fan pattern, looking for tight-fitting needle/nozzle with no bleed out, good springs, etc. If you would need a new needle/nozzle set, it would cost you a couple of hundred dollars.
If you are set on SATA, my first suggestion would be to find a true HVLP, rather than an RP. The used market may have some Jet3000 HVLPs. You should check the TDS on the basecoat you are spraying for the recommended fluid tip size (prob. 1.3-1.4). The thing that I would be wary of concerning purchasing a used gun, is that there is no way for you to know the true condition of the needle/nozzle set until you actually spray with it. If they are worn out or damaged, the gun won’t spray as intended. I have sprayed with SATA guns for over 20 years and they definitely make excellent, high quality guns, but their price has really gone up over the last couple of years. It may not make economic sense for someone to spend $600-$700 for a gun that may only be used a few times.
Other than SATA, you may take a look at the TEKNA line by DeVilbiss. I have sprayed with it and the atomization and fan pattern are excellent. It also came with both a 1.3 and 1.4 nozzle set, so the value is there. You could probably use it for both color and clear by just changing size. The gun was a little heavy for me and also the weight balance seemed to be slightly off, but I still really liked it. Others you may want to take a look at are the SATA Jet4000 HVLP, and the IWATA LS400 (Supernova) and the IWATA LPH400-LVX. I personally like the “soft spray” of the IWATAs for basecoat, but I have only used them to spray waterborne basecoat for the last 3 years, so I don’t have experience with them on how they spray conventional solvent base, but I would assume similar results.
One last thing to keep in mind..just as important as the gun to your finished results is clean, dry air supplied by a compressor that is rated well above the CFM requirements of the gun you are using. Good luck!