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Is there an advantage to an expensive spray gun for primers?

lyosha

Active Member
Is there an advantage to a $200 gun over the $15 purple gun from Harbor Freight? I'm wondering if the $15 one will spray more clumpy and use more primer (and add 10 lbs to the plane as a result) - for example.

Didn't find anything definitive here, and Google returns a bunch of clear coat videos that seem to be aimed at a different audience.

Thank you in advance!
 
Guns

Is there an advantage to a $200 gun over the $15 purple gun from Harbor Freight? I'm wondering if the $15 one will spray more clumpy and use more primer (and add 10 lbs to the plane as a result) - for example.

Didn't find anything definitive here, and Google returns a bunch of clear coat videos that seem to be aimed at a different audience.

Thank you in advance!

Which primer? Kinda matters.
The gun make a difference, but the painter is what really matters. Kinda like golf clubs.
I've used the cheapo Harbor Fright, DeVilbis FLG4 and now the Black Widow. I'll take the Black Widow any day. It really lays down paint.
I think the cheap Harbor Fright will lay down primer just fine. Find a paint mentor.
 
I found my cheap-o gun harder to use. Less adjustability, couldn't control the flow rate as well. End result was up with more runs and such. Didn't care so much with the primer because it's hidden. Bought a good gun when I painted the interior.

You'll want a good gun for painting. If I could do it again, I'd only have bought the good gun. Although my good gun was ~$100.
 
No experience here with expensive guns. But I was quite pleased with the performance of HF's Purple gun for spraying epoxy primer, high build urethane primer, single stage interior paint, and clear coat on various places on my RV-10. All the primer and all the interior paint on my -10 was done with the purple gun.

I'm sure the high dollar guns are better somehow, but the Purple gun is plenty good for primer(s).
 
Spray Guns Paint/Primer

I have been involved with automotive painting most of my life. Primers are generally more abrasive products than paint . Guns spraying primer will not last as long as a gun used specifically for finishes. If you are going to purchase a high dollar paint gun, buy it for finish products and use it for nothing else. As far as spraying primer, yes a harbor freight gun is fine just verify the orifice size matches the primer’s data sheet recommendation for the product you are spraying.

Many people opt to prime their project then let a more experienced painter spray the finish. Considering the cost of most of the good paints available today, you don’t want to have to paint your airplane twice. If someone else sprays it for you, you won’t have to pay the price for a high dollar paint gun either. The cost of high quality paint gun today is going to range from about $600 to $1000.

Best of luck!
 
I used the Eastwood concourse 2 paint gun that has the larger nozzle for the spraying primer. For the exterior paint, the primer will have to be wet sanded before the color coat is sprayed so if you make mistakes, it can be sanded down. The paint quality really depends on the painter than the paint gun. If you want the Lindy show quality paint job, go and pay the best guys in the painting business to make your RV stand out from the crowd. A professional paint job will increase the resale value of your RV if you decide to sell it soon. If you use your RV like VLad, then nobody pays attention to your DIY paint job except you. Despite the talk about the high price of paint, you can paint your RV in the range of sub $4000, including paint gun and all the consumables, when you use automotive paint. This was what I did 3 months ago so the price info is still valid.
 
Primer sprays nicely with the Harbor Freight Black Window HPLV not the HTE.
It comes with a 1.7 nozzle.
They have a 1.3 nozzle sold online as a part used for regular paint and clear.
Nice gun for the money.
 
Primer sprays nicely with the Harbor Freight Black Window HPLV not the HTE.
It comes with a 1.7 nozzle.
They have a 1.3 nozzle sold online as a part used for regular paint and clear.
Nice gun for the money.

We need to find what the OP means by primer. High build 2K primer is very different than epoxy primer, etc. A 1.7 or 1.8 tip is great for high build or other surfacing products, but will create adjustability problems with most epoxy primers and other less viscous primers, that typically use the same 1.3 or 1.4 as used with base and clear.

Best to follow the guidance found on the data sheet for the paint you are using. They almost always have a tip size recommendation.

Larry
 
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re: "what do you consider primer?"

I'm talking about primer for inside parts for corrosion-resistance purposes. I suppose the ideal is to get a layer thin enough to inhibit corrosion while adding minimal weight to the aircraft. I don't intend to paint the plane myself.

I've narrowed the choice of primer down to either EcoPrime or p60g2.

EcoPrime suggests 10% dilution with distilled water and a ~1.2-1.4mm nozzle for that application. p60g2 seems similar.

So to that end - will spending the extra $$ on a black widow (or develbiss) make a difference or is it money to the wind?
 
Haven't used EkoPrime but I do like the EkoPoxy. For my interior, I've been using HF's $15 touch-up gun, definitely smaller than full-sized guns. It sprays this primer well and was easy to adjust. Cleaning was fairly easy except that the primer dries rapidly so it needs to be done immediately.

Dave
 
Same but different.

Beware that some HF products, like the purple spray guns, have different suppliers and equally different designs. I bought two, and sprays beautifully but the other does not. The air caps are a bit different the good one having more holes, but smaller.
 
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