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What spray guns do you recomend/use. Not hvlp. My budget is $300 ish.
I am looking at a kremlin or astro gravity. I am going to use it for waterbase finishes.
Mike McNerney

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Mike McNerney

Not sure what guns today are not hvlp, there are still some basic ones that work on conventional pressure, but most quality guns are hvlp. Conventional guns use more pressure creating more bounce of the medium and therefore have a lower material transfer rate with greater over spray issues. Hvlp can come in 3 forms, turbine powered, gravity feed (top cup)and pressure feed cup(bottom cup). Turbine is great if you do not have a good compressor and will be shooting a lot of medium, pressure cups are versatile as the medium can come from a larger pressure pot or the cup, pressure pots have adjustable pressure and can really help put out a lot of material, almost as well as an airless, and a pressure cup can have adjustable pressure as an accesory, but usually don't.

You may want to look for spray gun parts first, and make sure that the guns parts are available, the needle and tip wear out, and the seal the needle slides through wears out too, even with water based products.

I don't have experience with the different brand guns, but my Binks gun has served me well, parts are available, though not cheap. I have used it for paint, nitro, and water based finishes. Getting the right size needle and tip for the thickness of the medium is key.
Hope that helps,
Rob

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My first question is "Why not HVLP?" I started using an Asturo (WB) HVLP mini a year or so ago & I really like it. Overspray is cut way down & I'm saving about 30% on material costs.
I find with the pressure cranked up to near the recommended maximum, it sprays as effectively as the HP guns I've used in the past.
This little gun sprays a very fine mist & is super easy to control.
That said, I think we make more of the gun than we need to. Any decent quality gun will do a good job for you once you get your technique down. (I used a $40.00 "Badger" touch up gun for years & had great results).
I don't spray waterborn finish, so can't help with tip size recommendations, but it is important to get the right tip set for your finish. All stainless steel innards is a good idea if you're using waterborne finishes.
I'd suggest buying a middle of the road gun from one of the major manufacturers. Binks, Sharp, DeVilbiss etc... Or if you want to spend big bucks, Sata or Fuji.
Make sure the gun you choose has various tip set sizes available. (I use a 1.0mm for polyester & a 1.2mm for nitro)
If you are getting a mini gun, it's worthwhile to get a 250 & 500ml cup.
I used to spray guitars with a big Binks HP gun with a 1.8 mm tip. The finish was excellent, but I sure put a lot of overspray into the air!

Mike-
I agree with the HVLP recommendation by Rob and Daniel. The better-quality guns suitable for guitar projects (mostly 'mini' or 'jamb' guns) don't use much air, so a 4 cfm@ 90psi compressor will be plenty.

I'd recommend contacting Jeff at woodessence.com in Saskatchewan (also a good Cdn mail-order source for other finishing supplies).
I bought a gun (Walcom) from him a couple of years ago and was pleased with the gun and especially the after-sale service with follow-up 'lessons' via email.

https://www.woodessence.com/Spray-Equipment-C20.aspx

Cheers
John

i have used lots of Iwata's - from the conventinal w400 to the newer lph400.
and couldnt be happier!
it automizes clear coats amazingly! i have actually stopped buffing guitars since i took the
Iwata route.
i highly recommend them and think the smaller guns lph300 or lph80 would be perfect for the job.