Waterborne Finishes & HVLP Spraying

[Jeff]

This is informative. The Earlex product line is very good and you can get a model 5500 for about $320. It's a good starter unit if you want to try spray finishing.

http://thewoodwhisperer.com/waterborne-finishes-hvlp/

A couple of refrigerator/freezer cardboard boxes cut open work nicely for an outdoor spray booth on a low wind day.

 

[mckenziedrums]

I'm all about some budget saving learning methods!

I learned to spray HVLP on a $20 harbor freight gun + air compressor. Especially affordable if you've already got air! To be honest the HF detail guns are darn nice. They're not up to par with a $300 IWATA but if you're new to finishing you wouldn't notice the difference anyways. (You may want to spend a couple bucks on an inline filter to save you headaches in the learning process though :BangHead

 

[JimD]

I considered the Earlex when upgrading from a Wagner conversion gun. I'm glad I paid a bit more (about $500) for a Fuji Mini-Mite 3. It is completely different from the Wagner. Much better atomization, no need to thin, and the size of the spray pattern can vary from a foot or more to as small as you want.