HVLP Spray Gun- What is it?
The HVLP spray gun (abbreviated for high volume low-pressure) is a spray gun usually used for applying varnishes, stains, lacquers and other paints. The “actual” model of HVLP gun is connected to a turbine engine which drives a high amount of warm air. This occurs under low-pressure, giving the product part of its name. On the other hand, there are many spray guns that are designed in order to work with air compressors but with the different principles. These guns are called HVLP guns.
HVLP guns can be compared with the pistol-type garden hose nozzle that allows the flow of the water as the trigger is squeezed and the turning off of the water flow once it is released. In the case of the HVLP spray gun, however, there is no water.
Once it is released, the gun shoots air that is mixed with your paint or stain material. The primary idea regarding it is to avoid atomizing the material with the air by spreading it into little droplets that can be further applied to the surface in layers that are even. ( I’ve found personally that setting the air pressure regulator to approximately 19-22 PSI works best. It provides a good level of atomization and yet doesn’t cause too much overspray.)
Before HVLP paint guns, the spray guns that used air compression did not provide the option of regulating the air pressure that comes through the gun. If there was a too much air pressure, finish problems could potentially result – including blowing large amounts of overspray or blowback as mentioned above. This amount of overspray not only wasted the material, but it also required more preparation work in order to protect the surrounding area from the paint coming from the gun. Regarding the blowback, it is a condition when the paint hits the surface very hard and leaves the surface cratered. Think “asteroids hitting the moon” and leaving deep craters, valleys, and mountains…. only on a very tiny level. The HVLP spray gun was developed in order to replace the conventional type of compressor controlled paint gun. The regulator is the key element in what allows the material into the atomizer at a slower rate, and by doing this the overspray and blowback are greatly reduced or even avoided. Another tip that I didn’t mention above is that it makes sense to also set your air compressor to no greater than 50 psi. Since most HVLP guns can’t handle more than that, it makes sense to limit the air coming into the gun by adjusting the source.
The turbine inside the HVLP system is designed to equip the electric turbine engine, whose purpose is to generate filtered and warm air for the gun. This is where you can be assured of good quality since it completely eliminates the possibility that the oil or moisture that are sometimes generated by the conventional compressors are introduced into the paint. The heated air also has a function to ensure normal curing time for the material that is being sprayed. Since the majority of materials need to be coated more than once, the reduced dry time is definitely an advantage.
Which HVLP Spray Gun?
HVLP spray guns come in a variety of sizes, so they can be used for smaller, medium or bigger jobs. If you have a need for them because of a bigger job you’re working on, you might consider renting one instead of buying it since the biggest models can be very expensive. They can be bought in almost all paint centers, but you can also find them over the Internet for sale. The Internet is also a very good resource for various tutorials and guidelines.
We actually found a few models on Amazon.com (our favorite shopping site!). This one particular model was astonishingly low cost (<$40) and has good ratings from real people who have purchased it. Check it out for yourself.
