hplv paint guns

[natemoen]

That cheap dryer will work.

No matter what type of compressor you have water condensation is an issue. Compression and expansion (especially rapid expansion) causes water to condense. That is why tools that have high volume needs it is suggested you have a dryer on it.

[DGXSER]

The filter picks out the oil, the dryer takes out the moisture that condenses out of the air. The compression drives the moisture out, when the air pressure is reduced it could reabsorb the moisture, but typically that's after the moisture got into the tool or paint etc.

The $8 dryer would put you ahead of what I use, which is none.. If your only using it when you paint, and only use the compressor every now and then, it should do fine for you. Just check the state of the desiccant before you go painting after you have used it for a year or so.

[jjz28]

I'll be using the gasoline one first I would say and I know it has oil ( in the compressor anyway).

[TomB]

Sorry, getting my doodads and thingies mixed up there, the bit of kit I got from work was a combined filter and dryer and dopey was mixing the two up DOH!

At work we run oil free compressors for instrument air, plays havoc with your air tools, for that we have oilers, bloody hope I don't get them mixed up.

[Garagamus]

Just a word of warning if you're going to move up from rattle cans to pro mixed paints, cheap gun is fine, cheap compressor is fine as well...spend the money on your protective mask. The paint and reducer chems are very nasty, and it doesn't take a lot of exposure to wind up opening a big can of "mess-u-up" fast.

[fredintoon]

Just a word of warning if you're going to move up from rattle cans to pro mixed paints, cheap gun is fine, cheap compressor is fine as well...spend the money on your protective mask. The paint and reducer chems are very nasty, and it doesn't take a lot of exposure to wind up opening a big can of "mess-u-up" fast.

Hi Garagamus,
me too with that.
Even a cheap gun paints better than the average amateur.
Cheap compressor is OK except DON'T buy a direct drive oil free one.
In the brief time before it self-destructs the high noise level will be a real annoyance.
Check pawnshops or Kijiji for used belt drive cast iron oil using compressor unit instead.
And YES, breathing that sh1t will rip your lungs out on it's way to destroying your innards.
Check out a modern paint booth. The painters are all wearing hazmat suits and breathing through remote-air-feed masks.

[DGXSER]

I will definitely agree on the respirator. I am using one from HF, but it works fine.

Even in the world of automotive paints, low VOC is catching on. They are less toxic than they used to be, but still the respirator is needed. I had a close friend who was taken by cancer at 36, he fought it for 11 years, got it at 25 years young. He always swore it was from all the auto painting he did with no protection.