Thanks everybody. I am going for Rustoleum primer and paint. This is my first project with a HVLP gun so wish me luck. I have no idea on how to thin and harden paint. Anybody have any suggestions on thinning and adding hardener.
I don't know all the actual brand names for the hardeners, but Majic Catalyst Hardener is one I see used on here. Others will chime in with more types I'm sure. However, If you never ever sprayed painted before, there are a few things to consider.
First is the spray gun. What tip size is it? Usually for primers, a 1.6mm - 1.8mm tip is a good size. You can use larger or smaller and still get a great finish. It is just the 1.6mm to 1.8mm size is optimal for primers because primers are usually thicker then finish paint. But don't worry if your HLVP gun isn't that size. Next is the air supply. Unless you have a drier already installed on the compressor, use a cheap (few bucks) inline drier at the gun. They sell them at a lot of paint stores, not hard to find. Next issue is air pressure. Most HVLP spray guns like to use inlet pressure around 30-40psi. So either set your regulator at the compressor to give that pressure at the gun, or again buy a cheap regulator to install at the gun. Just be informed that if you set the compressor to 40psi, it probably isn't going to be 40psi at the gun. It will certainly be less. So a regulator installed at the gun is the better choice. But you can use a compressor setup as well.
Other then that, get some old cardboard and do some practice spraying with your gun to see what every knob actually does. And you can see the fan pattern change from a really small circle to a large oval. And the amount of paint that is applied when you change mixture setting. It is best to do that to set the gun close to what you need before hand. But obviously when you start spraying even primer, you need to check it on some old cardboard first to set the pattern and paint amounts you want.
Other then that, don't be afraid to try it and have fun. It really is very intuitive and a pretty quick learning curve. And YOU can do it. :thumb:
Oh, one other thing I forgot to mention, it is addicting, so be aware! :thumb: