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This is pretty much how I was trained to clean a spray gun (Williams Paint Finishing School Mount Clemmens MI) Are you saying you don't need to do this with today's guns? I get the blow out between coats and sessions I did that too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTA5Zl0Gp5Y

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

I took a long time to get an HVLP because initially, there were no Gravity feeds. Easy to use, and WAY easier cleanup than siphons. Then I couldn't justify the price. Somehow, I justified $300 for Sata Minijet though.

Ease of use doesn't just come with the gun; its the system. I love just filling the cup, flipping a switch then start spraying. No compressor to bring up to pressure, and no pressure release each time you're done. Just hit the switch and start spraying. Warm air hasn't hurt either.

Best application for the op, only 1 gun needed.

Nope. I used to take the siphon guns completely apart but I don't take my gravity gun apart each time except for the nozzle. I remove the nozzle as soon as I finish spraying and it goes in a cup of solvent. I use compressed air to blow the nozzle off and then reattach it to the gun when I'm ready to spray the next coat. Of course, the cup is removed and capped between coats too. Not saying that's the best method but it's been working for me for several years.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Well I pulled the trigger and bought the mini mite 3. Im pretty excited to try it. I'm super relieved to not have to drag the compressor out to my tiny shop.

Which of the Fuji mini mite guns is best for guitar finishing / sunburst shading. Best tip sizes?


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I was going to answer, but then I saw Aaron already said exactly what I was going to reply. Even has the same Fuji-4 as I do. My question (or suggestion) would be to consider that for the almost the same price as a quality traditional gun (and then have to add separators, filters, etc to your compressor at added cost) you could get the Fuji 3 or 4, which is pretty much all included and ready out the box with its own turbine. I can't offer a comparison, as I never sprayed much with traditional gear, but I'm really impressed with the fuji system. What really impressed me was the ease of cleaning and almost maintenance-free construction of the gun.

Steve,that Walcom gun looks very interesting. What size(s) tips are you using? Were u able to buy yours as a kit with the 3M PPS? If I would have to source that separately, where would u suggest? I'll admit, Sata and Dilvilbiss have the name cred. But I do like what I read.

Another thing... Are those Fuji systems, which include guns, worth it? Or, is it better, if one goes that route to buy a turbine, and a specialized gun?

Personally, the best thing about the Fuji Minimite 4 that I have isn't the turbine, its the T75 Gravity Feed gun. You can get it with a T70 siphon if you want.

You can also buy guns separately. I jumped in with a leap of faith from my friend's recommendations, and of course, their finishes. Fuji makes other model guns, but based on research and reviews, I ended up with the T75, Minimite 4 system.

I can see the value of going turbine and gun separately, but I didn't want to have to go through that many guns to figure out what I wanted. Honestly, I lucked out. Gravity Feed HVLP, non-bleed, 4 stage turbine for less than $800. The gun does wide spray AND narrow (round) spray for touch ups, which I've used it for. Is it THAT good? Not sure I'd go that far. There's always something better.

Still not selling my Sata Minijet 3, but not sure why. Maybe just as a backup. . .

To answer the question, knowing what I know, and assuming I had a compressor already so that's not factored into the cost - do I buy a $300 Sata, or $800 Fuji. I'd get the Fuji.

One reason I asked about Fuji was because indeed I will have close to $400-500 in a gun. $300 more and I could have a three stage Fuji. Maybe a noisy 4 stage. With gun. I just don't recall people talking about Fuji guns unless they are talking about the system.

Cost wise, my dilhemma was Q3 or Minimite 4 - I think you're where I was at in regards to the systems. Coin toss really, unless you do spray a LOT, imho.

There's a few discussions on the Underground pertaining to HVLP systems. Like any forum, you gotta learn or know who knows what. Most of the topics are in the Luthier's Lounge, naturally.

Another vote for Fuji. I've got a SuperGold4 turbine (discontinued, I think) I use an XPC gravity gun for staining, and a T75 gravity gun for spraying finish. The T75 is the nicer of the two - lighter, more compact, better ergonomics.
Fuji's customer service is top notch. When I got the T75, it had a tiny crack where the cup threaded to the gun, causing a bit of a leak. I called Fuji, they asked for a picture of the damage, and 15 minutes after I sent the picture, I received an email telling me that a replacement had been shipped! Got it the next day.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

the pertinent information is how many SCFM does the compressor supply...that's a big tank and you could probably spray a whole guitar before the compressor kicked in, but still...

conversion HVLP guns require a fairly high amount of air...

I use a Binks Mach 1SL...stainless steel parts supposedly, but I've never sprayed any water based products with it...

SCFM ratings set what you can use for spray caps and fluid nozzles...a larger fluid nozzle is required for thicker materials...viscosity also affects to some degree the spray cap you can use, but IMO that's mostly a thing of air supply...the more air, the larger a fan you can shoot...

in my case I'm using an ancient Campbell Hausfeld twin tank compressor that puts out about 10 SCFM...at the time of purchase of my Mach1 SL they had just come out with the 93P air cap and that perfectly utilized the max output of my compressor...e.g. when spraying and the compressor kicks in it just barely keeps up, but it does! never tried a gravity feed gun, but from what I remember that allows more air to be used correctly...e.g. a siphon cup requires air just the get the material up to the nozzle...honestly my setup struggles with a siphon cup, and I found that a pressure pot setup totally rocks...less air is required to shove the fluid into the gun through a hose as opposed to sucking it out of a cup...it puts out enough material to where it takes mere seconds to cover a 3'x3' area holding the gun about 8" from the surface...

Gotta ask. Anybody know the difference in noise levels between a Q4 and a minimite 4? (Or the 3 series)? Is the extra $300-$400 worth it? Just curious as I've never heard one.

They claim 65db for the q series. I just got my mini mite 3 in and it sounds like a shop vac. With an spl app on my phone the mini mite 3 shows 84 db three feet away. My room with no tools running is 30db. If the q models are really 65db that's a very substantial difference. I personally wouldn't pay 300 more for it though.

My Fuji Q3 Pro measures in at 85db.

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Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

Based on what I just read, if I read it right, it's not terribly effective. Plus, I have a lot of things in my shop that just sound better with ear protection. I have a high end Bosch dishwasher. I installed it so I know one reason it's so quiet is that it's covered in a heavy sound proofing blanket. So, I'm guessing that's what's inside the Q series boxes. The reason I have a super quiet dishwasher is because my kitchen and den are the same room. I don't think that kind of logic applies to my shop unless I was doing this day in and out. So, do any of you with the minimite regret not getting the Q version?

No. If I had money to burn, I'd have gotten the Q4, admittedly, just because I'm of the belief those with the most tools at the end. . . wins!

Point to note: The hose is 25' long, and Fuji recommends opening up the hose to facilitate full air flow through the hose (so it doesn't "flatten" and restrict airflow, making the turbine work harder) by placing it at least 20' away. Sorry, I don't have 20', so mine is 10' away, on the floor as recommended. I don't spray long, so there's really no heat buildup on the turbine - 5 minutes at a time, if that.

This sound fairly accurate on my ipad. I think part of the quiet is also the lower pitch of the Q4. My cyclone dust collection is louder, and that stays on most of the time any machine is on, so its all relative for me. $300 buys a fair amount of wood.
http://youtu.be/3k4lLJPBNW0

I'm not sure of the db rating for my Super 4 Gold turbine, but when I'm spraying stain and finish for a kitchen, I'm at it for more than 45 min. per session. I paid for the extra quiet for this reason, but the upcharge to the Q4 was around $400 at the time, and I wear ear phones pretty much the entire time that I'm in the shop so the turbine doesn't bother me too much.
I see that Fuji has a Q5 turbine for around $1500 with gun.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Well, if I gotta have 20' between me and the unit, I'll stick it outside, and close the garage door. Partly. Solves sound problem too.

If you go the hvlp way Mike, make sure you get a whip hose. Mine was included as a freebee.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

I still haven't gotten the 6' whip. I'm sure when I get around to it it'll be the same as when I got the turbine. . . "Why didn't I get this in the beginning?"

If you're putting it outside, Fuji recommends getting a remote shut off (I have one for my dust collector), so you don't get lazy in shutting it off - leaving it on for extended periods (all day?) can prematurely wear the motor.

Seems like you're heading in that direction? I think you'll be happy.

What is a whip hose?

The reasons I'm leaning this way is not a single person has said Fuji systems suck. More so, everyone who uses them likes the guns. Haven't heard anyone say "get the turbine, toss the gun". Next, a good gun is gonna approach 2/3 the Fuji system cost. Maybe that is an exaggeration. I've got 6 guitars to spray. I'm hoping I'm going to "enjoy" the process more.

The 6' whip hose is an extension of the 25' hose. The whip is lighter and more flexible, making spraying easier. Remember, this hose is carrying a high volume of air at low pressure, heated, so its long, and as big as a well reinforced garden hose. Using the hose direct to the gun adds a lot of weight, but not enough for me to buy the whip, yet.

It also allows the air to cool more due to the longer run. Not an issue for me.

As for guns, Fuji's higher end systems come with the T-series; there are other guns. The same will probably hold true for other systems, Earlex, Apollo, Accuspray, et al wherein you'll buy the system with the gun you want. Lots of reviews on the web - run salt through them first, including the ones here (mine included).

In a past life I sprayed industrial items for a living.
A few years ago I bought a Fuji Q3 with the older gun (Xpc) and am extremely pleased with it. I bought the whip hose as an add-on, its just much easier to handle.
Everything I have heard about the new guns (reviews etc,) says they are even better.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.