Harbor Freight spray gun?
 

Can anyone recommend the HF spray guns? Are any of them adequate for a good paint job on a fender? If so, what paint combinations work for the home garage restorer?

Re: Harbor Freight spray gun?
 

I don't know much about Harbor Freight spray guns. They might be OK, but I am pretty sure they are not real high quality. The better spray guns like my Anest Awata LPH400 and Sata Jet are quite expensive, but lay down the paint very smoothly. If you colorsand your painted parts like I do, I suspect a cheaper spray gun would work OK, it would take more sanding to smooth the paint, before compounding it. If you don't want to colorsand, cheap spray guns don't atomize the paint very well and you will get more orange peel. If you do colorsand the paint to get a nice smooth finish, you need 3 coats of paint to make sure you don't sand through the paint even though the sandpaper is quite smooth (1500 to 2000) grit. Colorsanding really makes a paint job look better.
Rusty Nelson

Re: Harbor Freight spray gun?
 

I just bought the 9.95 job. I was spraying flat paint, which is forgiving. but it did OK. The lid is fairly soft plastic and easy to cross thread if that counts? MAny parts are chromed and clean up easily.

Re: Harbor Freight spray gun?
 

as Rusty said a good spray gun really lays the paint on smooth , it is hard to get a quality spray gun at a HF price of 9.95. One thought is get a few guys in the club to chip in and buy something like an Awata, just make sure it is cleaned properly after use, you won't regret the purchase.

Re: Harbor Freight spray gun?
 

I couldn't get very good fine atomization with the Hf guns. The hf guns are ok for chassis parts and just ok for primer on sheet metal. I use my DeVilbiss when I need quality. You get what you pay for. Cheap guns create more work and fustration.

Re: Harbor Freight spray gun?
 

I have read this over and over on different sites, primer gun.

There are those that have gotten ok results but only after a lot of color sanding.

While this specific gun is no longer sold, the setup seems to be the same as those being sold today.

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sum...Pspraygun.html

Re: Harbor Freight spray gun?
 

I have bought several of there $39 one qt. suction guns, with just a little practice on an old door or fender you can get a real good finish with them

Re: Harbor Freight spray gun?
 

I have their smaller gun which is completely miserable.

The tip and cap are just so poorly made it just does not work well enough.
I spent the $$$ for a Devilbis bumper demon. I still suck at painting, but a huge difference in quality of spray and how it lays the paint on the surface.

A big gun may be too much for painting a fender because you have to do lots of detail areas around the edges. You will risk getting runs, though I managed to get the anyway (I suck at painting what can I say).

If you are going the cheap route. My recommendation is to open the boxes at HF and look at the needle and the cap close. Some might be better then others. Same goes if you are buying a used gun.

Keep in mind that dry sanding the paint with the dry sand paper reduces the risk of breaking though the color level. You can tell when you hit level. Wet sanding is nice, but you are not always sure when you are level until the water drys. I have some experience color sanding.

Re: Harbor Freight spray gun?
 

I've been using the HF pot style spray gun and have had pretty good luck with it,but don't think I would use it on finish color,its been great for frames and axles that I have hung you don't have to worry about loosing paint as in a paint gun.

Re: Harbor Freight spray gun?
 

I have a nice old Graco that I have used successfully in the past, but it's 1970's technology. I'm just exploring whether to get into the 21st century, or use what I've got (with the attendant materials waste [$$$!] and voc issues). Thanks for your responses.

Re: Harbor Freight spray gun?
 

I got one at Walmart for 19.95 it work well Good Luck

Re: Harbor Freight spray gun?
 

Hi:

I have a couple of Harbor freight spray guns (not the 9.95 ones) which cost around 50-60 bucks, believe they have the 1.4 tip. I found these more then adequate to paint my 30 Townsedan. Everyone comments on the quality of the paint job. It certainly looks better then many of the cars fellow club members paid 1500 to have painted. A lot is in the poreparation and paint quality. I used chroma-base paint. You can see the car to the left. And intend to use the HF guns to paint again.

Re: Harbor Freight spray gun?
 

First, Let me say that I don't know squat about painting. I have the HF $13.95 special but I made life a little easier. I bought their 32 oz, aluminum tank (?) for the gun and that has a better cap locking arrangement and a larger paint capacity. Does it paint well? I would say probably yes, but I only use it for primer. As I said, I'm not a painter and I don't what a good gun is like. but I would recommend this gun.
Terry

Re: Harbor Freight spray gun?
 

About the paint, I used TSC "Magic " paint for my frame and fenders. It's implement paint and what that entails, I don't know. This paint uses a hardener and seems to be pretty tough and durable. I will be keeping the car out of the elements so how bad can it be?
Terry

Re: Harbor Freight spray gun?
 

If you turn the air up a little and reduce the material a bit more the paint will atomize and go on o.k.
If you give it 2 or 3 coats and let it dry over night then sand it with some 400 wet with a pad so there is no orange peel and then give it a couple more coats (thinned) at higher pressure you will get a "flatter" less orange peely surface. You blow more paint into the air than with a gun with a small tip but it works. I personally use a gravity feed Sata with a 1.5 tip which is really small but it really puts the paint down with very small peel. I should mention that this gun is 35 years old. The do gooders here in California would have a cow if you used this gun in a shop today. They want all paint and no thinners. Just look at the paint on any new vehicle. Looks like my refrigerator. Then think back if you can on how flat and smooth the finish was on a 64 Chevy. or any car of that vintage. First of all they were straight so a shiny paint job was o.k. Now days the new cars aren't that straight that's why they don't make them as shiny. Think about it.

Re: Harbor Freight spray gun?
 

Go on You Tube there is a post about HF spray gun. Shows how to clean out a Teflon material that is used by the assemblers. Apparently this is problem down the road. Other than that the post praises the cheapie gun.
I let you know in a few weeks how mine does. Waiting for the Arizona weather to cool down a bit before getting out the sanding blocks.

Re: Harbor Freight spray gun?
 

The harbor freight suction guns do an ok job for painting chassis parts and such. I currently use an iwata lph400 for basecoat and clear coat. I also use a devilbiss gun for primer. For a first timer or hobbyist I'd stay away from harbor freight. You will only be frustrated and disappointed.
For under 100 bucks you can get a devilbiss starting line gun. It's a beginner gun but it will still yeild satisfactory results.

Re: Harbor Freight spray gun?
 

you know I saw a youtube with old Bill Hines spraying with same paint gun he
probably had for the last 60 or so years? If it worked then it can work now, I'm looking in the next few years here buying a spray gun but I'm looking at the HPLV from eastwood. Good Luck,Benny

Re: Harbor Freight spray gun?
 

The two Harbor freight guns I purchased both worked excellent. I sprayed Rustoleum diluted with mineral spirits on an old 1938 Ford truck and was very pleased with the results. You can't beat the price!

Re: Harbor Freight spray gun?
 

I've used a HF gun to shoot high build 2K primer, and for a primer gun its okay...nice thing is you can clean it or throw it away. I agree with several of those posting here...I'd use it for chassis paint and primer. Not a finish job gun by any means. Yes, SATA and IWATA are nice guys and lay out great paint, but if you only use it occasionally its a lot of money. Buy yourself a Devilbiss Startingline kit or finish gun - when you wet sand and buff it will be a job you can be proud of...you did it yourself.