Spray gun and compressor

[Steve 13-60]

I'm slowly buying stuff for when I finally get to start work on renovating the Herald next year. Currently looking at spraying equipment. 100ltrs seems to be good enough but does the collective have any recommendations on this topic?

[John I]

Would go for HVLP (high volume low pressure) personally. Used both HVLP and the deveilbliss high pressure gear the later is very good quality but produces lots of paint mist. Hvlp on the other hand produces less paint mist and waste with more paint going on the panels. A while since I’ve looked into this but IIRC Apollo use to make some of the best HVLP equipment might have changed. Hope this helps,

john 

[Escadrille Ecosse]

My only experience is with HP spraying. As John points out this does cause a good bit of overspray. The pattern for the bonnet mould for my Spitfire most recently sprayed with an HP gun.

Compressor output and receiver volume both important (unless you have a very very big receiver ).

I have successfully painted a car using a 2HP/50L compressor. But the poor thing was flat out and needed the occasional pause to get its breath back.

Painted another car using a hired compressor 3HP/150L. Much lower duty cycle on the compressor.

For a more comfortable experience I would suggest that you want a decent bit in hand when it comes to the quoted gun cfm demand vs compressor cfm supply. Both seem to be a bit overoptimistic in their claims. A bigger receiver is better for good water drop out.

3HP is about as much as you can safely run off a single phase wall socket. Much more and you will need a dedicated supply off the board.

I would suggest that a 3HP/100L would be fine.

I don't have any experience of HVLP so can't really comment other than to say that they do seem to be the way forward.

Regards guns. DeVilbiss are the dogs danglies and you pay accordingly. But I have used some pretty basic kit from the likes of Machine Mart quite successfully too. I find a gravity feed paint reservoir is easier to use, and clean, than a conventional one. Not sure if these are available for HVLP

Edited September 25 by Escadrille Ecosse

[Ade]

You can pay a lot of money for a spray gun that will have capabilities beyond the user. I tend to buy spray guns and most of my consumables for work from these guys https://www.fastmovertoolsuk.com/low-pressure-spraying.html?p=2 .

Give them a call and they are very helpful and the advice is free.

 

[zetecspit]

As a knuckledragger when it comes to bodywork, I have used the following

3hp 50L compressor. This copes perfectly well for spraying.This one is belt drive, I did have a direct drive but boy do they hurt the ears. Keep an eye out for a used one, they are often barely used and under half new cost.

A diaphragm type compressor (really old devilbliss ) and an ebay facemask to make a safe air fed mask system. Total cost £30 (£10 each for mask, hose and compressor)

Sprayguns. I have used fastmover and other cheaper guns. All seem to work well enough, but I always have to flat back and use G3.

Paints. I use almost exclusively 2k paint. It has a much higher solids content and doesn't really sink. It is still widely available (I buy from Jawel paints, about £125 for 5L) BUT and it is a very big but, you need an air fed mask or it can make you very ill or worse. I am sensitive to the stuff, so I am very careful. A whiff causes me havoc for days. 

I will be trying epoxy primer over the winter, the spit needs some front wings and other repairs. I have heard good things about epoxy stuff.

[Steve 13-60]

Thanks all for the advice, I going with a vertical cylinder, twin piston, 3hp jobbie. And now it's not just for spraying the Herald as I have just bought a 1975 Hillman Imp!

[Mark]

29 minutes ago, Steve 13-60 said:

I have just bought a 1975 Hillman Imp!

Nice one. I've Considered buying an imp over the years, just never got around to it. Interest has been reignited after following Andy Jones, ShrigleyTube YouTube channel for the last year. I would fancy an Imp or ginetta g15. Any more details or pics of the Imp. Andy usually uploades a new video every Sunday evening at 7pm, usually very interesting and worth a watch

https://youtu.be/WGQ1ixo7vB4?si=M_94HjYmpCZkgrj7

Edited September 29 by Mark

[Steve 13-60]

No pics yet, don't actually collect it til next weekend. Basically it's a body shell and boxes of bits! But.....it is a fully welded up body, no rust whatsoever, underside all stone chipped...... and there is 2 of everything to rebuild it, 2 engines, gearboxes.... 2 lots of everything!

Guy who sold it is 77 and basically got shot knees so hasn't been able to work on it for nearly 2 years.

Body just needs sanding and painting then re-assembling.

Going to try and rebuild it as it came out of the factory, but having a spare engine means there's one to play with....and only takes 5 minutes to swap out! Would be nice to get it to sport spec, 55hp, not bad from a 875cc lump.....42 as standard.

A set of minilites as the photo will probably get fitted, looks so much better.

[Nick Jones]

BMW K series engine swaps are getting fairly common in the world of Imps and Ginettas….

This though, is a little more extreme 

Build thread:

https://oldschool.co.nz/index.php?/topic/58204-yoeddynzs-1965-hillman-imp-911-annoying-bloody-whistle/

 

[Gt64fun]

Having been a passenger in a standard Imp, which the owner managed to spin (albeit without touching the verges either side), that looks fairly terrifying!

Ian

 

[RedRooster]

My mum had one with a bag of cement in the front. 

RR