Which spray gun to choose for painting walls: electric or airless, how to choose a compressor for mechanized water-based painting. Which spray gun to choose: electric or pneumatic? Which spray gun to buy for starters

Hello dear friends! I have prepared quite interesting material for you - an airbrush for painting a car. This is a special pneumatic or electric tool that works through a compressor that supplies compressed air and directly itself paint material.

Which one is the best, I can't say for sure. If you look at Avito, you can find many options. In Novosibirsk, Ufa, Omsk and other cities, it is easy to find both professional and amateur spray guns for beginner painters. So the range is really huge. Buy through the Internet store or look after the device alive, decide for yourself. There are good Chinese models, an inexpensive remote control from Kraton, as well as a number of fairly expensive devices. Which one you need and how much you are willing to spend depends on the requirements and possibilities.

Electric or pneumatic

If you read the forum, study reviews, talk to professional painters and simply compare the characteristics, you can easily come to a conclusion regarding pneumatic and electrical devices for painting cars.

Even when planning to buy an inexpensive budget and do-it-yourself painting tool, give preference to a pneumatic device. Yes, the electric remote control works without a compressor, you do not need a large number of components. But it is relevant to take it only if you need to locally paint over small damages, where it is not scary to get a coating of lower quality. They are compact, quickly prepared for work, but are not suitable for full coloring.

If serious paint work is planned, you only need a pneumatic spray gun. mini tool electric type will not allow you to qualitatively update the paint layer of your car.

Nozzle

The next question I want to explore with you is the size or diameter of the nozzle. It is called a nozzle, and there are many options for the size of this element.

The paint material passes through the nozzle. Choose a parameter depending on the viscosity of the material. Here are some examples:

2.5-3 is used when processing the machine with liquid putty;
sizes from 1.6 to 2.2 are needed for a primer;
acrylic and varnish is applied through a nozzle size 1.4-1.7;
base, varnish, as well as water-soluble paints require a nozzle of 1.3-1.6;
local processing of the body is carried out by an airbrush with a nozzle of 1.2.

These are not rigid requirements, but simple recommendations.

Types of spray gun systems

Which tool to choose, you will ultimately decide on your own. My task is to inform you about existing devices and make it clear what each of them is.

I will not talk about how to make a homemade spray gun or how to set up a purchased factory tool. For the first case, there are corresponding videos, and for the second, instructions from the manufacturer.

To work with a metallic, that is, an optimal paintwork, you can use a fairly cheap remote control to spray paint and other materials necessary to obtain the desired result.

Chasing an expensive professional remote control if we are talking on single use in garage conditions, I do not see the point. Yes, when you are a painter and provide painting services, then you need to have professional equipment. And at least 3 different remotes for the respective materials.

The bulk of spray guns are based on three systems:

HVLP;
LVLP.

There are others, but in fact, to paint a car, you need these 3. They differ from each other, have strengths and weaknesses. By talking about them separately, you can draw objective conclusions for yourself. Prices vary depending on a number of factors.

HP

An outdated system that has not lost popularity due to its availability. They are still used in some workshops. Consoles of this type operate at a pressure of 3-4 atm. Spray pressure is almost the same.

HP systems do not require large amounts of compressed air. The gun creates a wide stream (torch), which evenly covers surfaces.

The problem is that spraying is accompanied by the formation of a paint mist, and only up to 45% of the paint gets on the machine. The rest settles outside the car.

The strengths of the HP system include:

no need for a powerful compressor;
wide torch;
high processing precision.

But there are also disadvantages:

large loss of material during spraying;
during the spraying process, dust rises, which makes high demands on the cleanliness of the room.

For the money, this is a good tool, but far from the best. If possible, take the remote control of other systems.

HVLP

High volume and low pressure. Popular spray guns for painting cars, which are actively used to this day.

It requires a lot of air to work, but the spraying process is carried out at low pressure. The input pressure is 2.5-3 atm, but the output is less than 1 atm. Due low pressure managed to efficiently transfer the material to the surface. Losses are no more than 25%.

This system shows itself perfectly when applying metallic and mother-of-pearl to cars.

The strengths include:

low percentage of loss of paintwork material;
slight fog formation;
the remote control does not raise dust in the room;
good performance figures.

As for the disadvantages, they are:

you need a powerful compressor for efficient operation;
the compressor and the spray gun are connected by a larger diameter hose;
the distance from the remote control to the surface to be treated should not be more than 15 cm, which simplifies processing hard-to-reach places.

The system outperforms HP, but is inferior to today's leader among spray guns.

LVLP

Low volume at low pressure. The creators of this system of atomizers tried to get rid of the shortcomings of previous systems and combine their advantages. They succeeded, because the remote control has a low air consumption and perfectly transfers the material to the car body.

Their input pressure is up to 2 atm, and the output is from 0.7 to 1.2 atm. They consume less air than HVLP system consoles. Therefore, a productive compressor is not needed here. The loss of paintwork material during spraying is no more than 30%. Plus, you can hold the remote farther from the surface than with HVLP.

As a result, the strengths of LVLP include:

the need for a small volume of air (approximately 270 l / min);
high percentage of material retention during application;
no effect of dust lifting in the room;
low level of fog formation;
independence from pressure drops;
high performance levels.

But there are no shortcomings here. None of the experts can say anything significant against them. I fully support their position as LVLP systems are truly the best.

Before deciding which spray gun to choose, you need to pay attention to the following components:

productivity - the ability to paint as much area as possible in a certain period of time;
power - the possibility of uninterrupted use of the device for at least half the working day (4 hours);
coating quality - the higher the functionality of the spray gun to break the paint into tiny particles, the better the paintwork;
ergonomics - ease of use of the device, which includes ease of operation, compactness, weight, ease of transfer from place to place, and so on.

Considering that today there are only two types of spray guns (pneumatic and electric), then, based on the above criteria, it will not be difficult to understand how to choose an electric spray gun for home use or pneumatic for professional activities.

Pneumatic spray gun for painting a car and other surfaces is characterized by high performance, good power and high-quality overlay of the paint layer. This is achieved, first of all, by design features. V sealed tank, called the receiver, pressure is created by forcing and compressing air using a pump. Compressed air is supplied to a small container of paint built into the spray gun. When the trigger is pressed, the contents of the pressurized container are squeezed out through the sprayer, creating fine particles of paint and spraying evenly over the entire area of painting. Such paint sprayers show themselves well in professional use. The only drawback is the limitation of the working space due to the length of the hoses. For example, to paint a house, you will have to drag all the equipment from place to place.

The electric spray gun, unlike the pneumatic one, is simple in design. In this type of spray gun, paint is injected into the nozzle using a small pump built into the gun body. At the same time, it should be taken into account that due to the lack of a receiver for compressing and supplying air under pressure, the spraying of paint occurs less efficiently than in pneumatic devices. However, if the question arose of which spray gun to choose for painting walls and periodic housework, then an electric spray gun is quite suitable for the assigned tasks. First of all, due to the fact that they are compact, lighter, easy to operate, easy to move from place to place, and also much cheaper than pneumatic counterparts.

Airbrush pneumatic: how to choose

Experts have no difficulty with how to choose an airbrush for painting cars and other professional needs. Because they know how to do it and proceed from the upcoming scope of work. First, you should select the compressor by the volume of the receiver, by the maximum working pressure and by performance.

- if the painting will be carried out in industrial volumes, then, accordingly, the choice is made on the largest stationary receiver with a volume of 300-500 liters with a maximum working pressure of up to 10 atm and a capacity of more than 500 l / min of compressed air. This will allow you to use several pistols in a fairly intensive mode;

– for workshops dealing with bodywork, carpentry or fabrication wooden furniture a compressor with average performance is quite suitable: receiver - within 100l., operating pressure- about 8 atm., productivity - 200-500 l / min .;

- for finishing work and for home use, the question of which airbrush to choose for painting the house, windows, doors, floors and walls is simply solved. That is, the most compact and lightest of the compressors with a receiver volume of up to 50 liters, a working pressure of 6 atm, and a capacity of up to 200 liters / min.

When choosing by performance, it should be taken into account that the air discharge at the inlet is indicated on the compressors - it should be selected according to it. If you need to find out the air flow at the outlet, then you need to multiply by a factor of 0.65-0.7.

The second part of the answer to the question of which spray gun to choose for painting a car, for finishing work, for home or for painting walls, is to select a gun for the compressor. In other words, it will be necessary to balance the selected air supply mode and the painting mode of the sprayer according to the following three technologies:

– technology of "high pressure" (HP) is based on the supply of paint under high pressure up to 5-6 bar with a minimum consumption of compressed air. It shows well when painting in industrial volumes in closed unventilated rooms, workshops. It is distinguished by a high consumption of coloring matter, where about half falls on the object being painted, and half escapes into the air;

- technology of "low pressure with high air consumption" (HVLP), where the splitting of the paintwork material occurs due to the rapid supply of compressed air with a pressure of only 0.7-1 bar at the outlet. It is quite economical, versatile and efficient, both on an industrial scale and in small production, where the loss of spraying into the air is reduced to 35%;

– technology of “low pressure at low air consumption” (LVLP), where the loss of atomization into the air is reduced to 20% at a sufficiently high speed and quality paintwork. But on an industrial scale, it is practically not used due to low efficiency.

Which airbrush is better from the above technologies is decided according to the conditions of the upcoming paint and varnish works.

Finally, the third part of the question, how to choose an airbrush for painting a house, car and other needs, is the selection of a particular design of the gun and nozzle:

– according to the location of the barrel: With the top location, the gun is easy to use and speeds up the production of paintwork, thanks to good imbalance. However, the capacity of the tank is small, only up to 1 liter, and it also cannot be placed vertically during breaks in work. With the lower location of the tank, the capacity of the tank is more than 1 liter and it is possible to put it vertically during breaks in work, but it is a little heavy and less convenient to use;

- according to the diameter of the nozzle: for paint work, replaceable holes with a diameter of 1 mm to 3 mm are used, or universal ones within 1.4-1.7 mm; for application and spraying building mixtures replaceable nozzles with a hole diameter of 6-7mm;

- according to the set of functionality: in this case, how to choose an airbrush is decided by the possibility of adjusting the stroke of the needle, by setting the power of compressed air supply to the nozzle, by giving one or another form of spray (torch).

How to choose an electric spray gun

Despite the fact that the electric spray gun is much simpler than its pneumatic counterpart, deciding which electric spray gun to choose has its own characteristics. The only plus is that there is no need to select a gun according to the air supply power and tank volume, the manufacturer has already produced everything necessary calculations balancing these components. It only remains for the consumer to understand which spray gun is better to choose for painting a car or outbuildings, for use in decoration or for small household needs.

The first thing you should pay attention to is the capacity of the tank and its location. It will depend on this which spray gun to choose in terms of the amount of work to be done. For small jobs around the house and for household needs, an airbrush with a built-in tank with a capacity of about 1 liter or more is quite suitable when painting is required. small areas and surfaces. For finishing work, when you periodically have to paint fairly large areas of walls, doors, frames, ceilings and other elements of the room and facades, it is better to choose an airbrush with a separate floor tank with a capacity of 7-10 liters. And how to choose an electric spray gun for serious building objects, then here it will most effectively show a powerful electric spray gun without a tank. The main unit of such equipment is located on a wheelbase, a hose goes from a powerful pump to a gun high pressure up to 60 m long, and the sampling of paint and varnish material is carried out from any container from a bucket, barrels of paint, etc.

The second criterion for the question of how to choose an airbrush for painting a car, walls and other surfaces implies what kind of paint will be used for the job. Some types of spray guns work only with water-based dyes, others are more versatile and allow you to work with solvent-based varnishes and paints. If this is overlooked, then the device may become unusable, since choosing an airbrush for painting a car from a line of spray guns for painting walls can lead to a negative result.

The third and no less important aspect of the question of which electric spray gun to choose is the presence of a variety of functional settings. At a minimum, it should be possible to adjust the amount of paint supply and change the spray pattern (torch). At the same time, when buying, you should pay attention to the weight of the device, the level of vibration in the hand and the convenience of placing the handle in the palm of your hand - not only the quality of work, but also the comfort and laboriousness of painting surfaces largely depend on these little things.

In the struggle for the impeccable appearance of the car, the main "personal weapon" of the painter is a paint gun - in a scientific way, a spray gun. Unlike the “knights of the cloak and dagger”, the painters use their pistols for purely peaceful purposes (and thank God!), although they are no less attached to them than agent 007 is to his Beretta. This time we will tell about setting up the spray gun, its preparation for the “paint fight”.

Today you will know

When I hear the word "painting", I grab my gun...

All guns used in car refinishing work on the principle of pneumatic spraying. This means that the paint material entering and exiting the spray gun is broken into small particles by a stream of compressed air “shooting” at high speed from the holes of the air cap.

As a result, a so-called painting torch is formed, consisting of particles of material moving towards the surface to be painted. Having reached the surface, the particles settle on it, forming a coating.

The device and design features of spray guns

The design of the spray guns includes:

housing with channels for supplying compressed air and paint, equipped with needle valves,
trigger lever that controls the switching of valves,
outlet nozzle for mixing and forming a torch of the required shape,
tank (tank) for paint,
adjusting screws for changing air flow, paint and spray pattern adjustment.

SATA spray gun device

The design features can, perhaps, also include the mechanism of the trigger lever. It is designed so that when it is pressed, the compressed air supply is first opened. Further pressing activates the ink supply valve.

Functions and location of controls

As already mentioned, on the body of any modern spray gun there are several adjusting screws.

The first, the top one (on some spray guns, such as SATA, it can be located on the side), is responsible for adjusting the size and shape of the spray jet.
The second is responsible for adjusting the stroke of the needle and the amount of material fed.
On many spray guns, there is also a third screw, with which the air supply at the inlet is regulated. As a rule, it is located at the bottom of the pistol grip. For SATA, this screw is located “behind” - under the material feed adjustment screw.

The issue of adjusting the spray gun comes down to choosing the right air-to-material ratio. With the right balance, these parameters allow you to achieve maximum uniformity of the spray pattern over the entire width, and the same even distribution of the paintwork material over the surface.

Spray gun system

Depending on the pressure of compressed air at the inlet to the spray gun and at the air cap (at the outlet), all spray guns can be divided into three main groups:

conventional (high pressure);
HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure - high volume of air and low pressure);
LVLP (Low Volume Low Pressure - low air volume and low pressure).

Different types of spray guns look almost the same on the outside. The “highlight” is hidden inside the design

To date, the last two types of atomizers are the most progressive, economical and environmentally friendly. As the name implies, they are characterized by low working pressure: if conventional conventional guns spray the material at high pressure (approximately 3-4 bar), then HVLP and LVLP guns - at low pressure (approximately 0.7-1.2 bar).

What does it give? The main advantage is a high ink transfer coefficient. With low pressure, less paint turns into a useless mist around the part (so-called overspray, “overspray”), and more is transferred directly to the part. For low pressure spray guns, the transfer coefficient reaches 65-70% (compared to 30-45% for conventional sprayers). Considering that metallic and pearlescent paints are not cheap, it is easy to calculate how much money such an airbrush will save for you.

The most accurate way to measure the outlet pressure is with a special test air cap with two pressure gauges.

To set and control the pressure of the HVLP gun, SATA releases a test head with two pressure gauges

Unfortunately, such nozzles are not included with the gun, so the specified value is controlled indirectly, according to the pressure parameter at the inlet to the spray gun. By adjusting this parameter, we will begin setting up the spray gun.

Inlet pressure setting

The pressure at the inlet to the spray gun is a parameter normalized and recommended by the manufacturer. It is always indicated in the technical documentation for the spray gun.

Let's make a reservation right away that it is desirable to adjust the inlet pressure using a regulator with a pressure gauge connected directly to the spray gun handle. For on the path of compressed air from the compressor to the spray gun, losses of up to 1 bar are inevitable, and sometimes even higher (this depends on the length of the air line, the number of "local" resistances, the condition of the filters, etc.). The regulator connected to the handle of the spray gun will allow you to adjust the pressure more accurately.

Setting the inlet pressure using a pressure gauge-regulator

The process of adjusting the inlet pressure itself is quite simple.

1. Open (unscrew) to the maximum values the screws for adjusting the air supply and the size of the torch. Adjusting the ink supply does not play any role.

2. Then press the trigger on the gun until compressed air is supplied. At this time, turn the air supply adjusting screw on the pressure gauge to set the recommended inlet pressure.

We remind you that for conventional pistols this value is from 3 to 4 bar; for pistols of the HVLP and LVLP systems, depending on the model and manufacturer, this value can vary between 1.5-2.5 bar (mainly 2 bar).

Inlet pressure adjustment according to the manometer-regulator connected to the gun handle. 1. Fully open the air supply. 2. Fully open the flame width adjuster. 3. Pull the trigger. 4. Set the recommended pressure on the pressure gauge.

3. After adjusting the inlet pressure, fully open the paint supply (3-4 turns of the regulator). After making sure that all the adjusting screws are open to the maximum, and the viscosity of the paint or varnish corresponds to the specified one, you can proceed to the tests. But about tests later.

Setting the inlet pressure on "advanced" models equipped with built-in digital pressure gauges is even easier.

1. Fully open the torch regulator. 2. Pull the trigger. 3. Set the recommended pressure by turning the air regulator on the spray gun.

1. Fully open the air supply. 2. Fully open the flame width adjuster. 3. Pull the trigger. 4. Turning the adjusting screw on the compressor gearbox or filter group, set the recommended pressure.

If there is no manometer at all. Least accurate way

If your gun is not equipped with any measuring instruments, it is very rough and approximately possible to set the pressure on the compressor reducer or filter group pressure gauge.

When choosing pressure in this case, it is important to remember that the pressure drop in a serviceable and clean filter is 0.3-0.5 atm (and much more in a clogged filter!), And about 0.6 atm "eats" the air hose with an internal diameter 9 mm and 10 m long.

1. Fully open the air supply. 2. Fully open the flame width adjuster. 3. Pull the trigger. 4. Set the pressure on the reducer so that for 10 m of hose (inner diameter 9 mm), the reducer has 0.6 bar more than the recommended inlet pressure of the gun.

If the recommended inlet pressure is unknown. Setting guns "no name"

Let's say you bought an inexpensive spray gun on the market with the only "brand" "Professional" in full handle, and you don't know any more data about this spray gun - neither the type, nor recommendations for setting, or even the name of the manufacturer. In this case, the inlet pressure can be determined empirically.

Pour enamel or varnish of standard viscosity into the tank of the spray gun, fully open all the regulators and, turning the adjusting screw on the pressure gauge, achieve the most uniform print of the torch at a distance of about 15 cm from the test surface. The pressure fixed at the same time will be the required working pressure at the inlet for this sprayer.

We must warn you that by resorting to these recommendations, you may be disappointed in many spray guns. The main problem with setting up cheap paint guns is that to achieve a uniform flame, either a huge amount of air is required, which requires the use of more powerful compressors, or they have a high outlet pressure, which does not allow high-quality laying out of base enamels containing a lot of aluminum grain.

A high-quality professional airbrush differs from a cheap one, even if it looks beautiful, just as clearly as branded Swiss watches from consumer goods “made in China”.

SATAjet 3000 B HVLP. Left is original, right is fake.

A good painter can paint a car with a bad gun and it will come out pretty good. Paint the second - also good. And on the third, for example, problems will arise ... Therefore, it is simply a sin for painter virtuosos to spare money for their main instrument. But this problem is beyond the scope of our today's article, so we will not discuss this topic further.

Torch size when painting

Practice shows that highest efficiency coloring is achieved when working with a torch of maximum size. The wider and more uniform the torch, the more evenly the paint will be distributed over the surface with fewer passes.

Of course, in certain cases, for example, during partial repairs, painting various small parts, hard-to-reach places, etc., the size of the torch, the supply of paint and the inlet pressure can be varied based on the need at your discretion. But in general, we repeat: the adjustment screw for the size of the painting torch must be open "to its fullest".

Remember that the maximum torch size can only be obtained with sufficient paint supply.

Paint supply

Again, if we are talking about standard repairs, body painting or individual parts completely, it is recommended to open the paint supply completely. On most spray guns, the maximum paint supply is at 3-4 turns of the regulator, while the nozzle is as open as possible.

With a fully open paint supply, the least wear of the nozzle and gun needle is ensured.

Nozzle diameter

It is also important for the painter to select the diameter of the spray gun nozzle - this can achieve optimal spraying of materials with different viscosities. The diameter of the nozzle should be the larger, the thicker the paintwork material. And vice versa.

Each manufacturer of paints and varnishes clearly indicates which nozzle for which material and for which type of work should be used. As a rule, these recommendations correspond to the following values (or not far from them):

base enamels - 1.3-1.4 mm (for light colors, 1.3 is better);
acrylic enamels and transparent varnishes - 1.4-1.5 mm;
liquid primary soils - 1.3-1.5 mm;
primers-fillers - 1.7-1.8 mm;
liquid putties - 2-3 mm;
anti-gravel coatings - 6 mm (special spray anti-gravity materials).

It is easy to guess that the diameter of the nozzle has a very significant effect on the amount of paint being passed through, its consumption. For example, varnishing a large hood with a 1.3 mm nozzle will be quite problematic (according to some painters, you can shoot yourself). Even if the paint supply is opened to full, the throughput with such a nozzle for a material of such viscosity will obviously not be enough. Through a nozzle of 1.5 mm, other things being equal, the paintwork material flows already by a third more than through a nozzle of 1.3 mm.

The run-up in the values of nozzle diameters is also due to the habits of painters: someone likes to apply “thinly”, while someone is used to “filling”.

We test the spray gun

There are three simple tests that allow you to evaluate the health of the spray gun and the correctness of its adjustments:

test for the correctness of the shape of the torch imprint;
test for uniform distribution of paint in the torch;
spray test.

The main one is the first one, and we will start with it.

Test for the correctness of the shape of the torch print

To conduct the test, we need a sheet of clean paper or cardboard, previously fixed to the wall. Then we proceed as follows.

Make sure that all gun adjusting screws are open to the maximum, and the viscosity of the paint in the tank is normal.
Hold the gun close to the test surface, at the recommended distance for your gun type (20-25cm for conventional guns, 10-15cm for HVLP, 15-20cm for LVLP/RP).
Point the axis of the nozzle perpendicular to the surface of the sheet and press the trigger for just a second.
We look at the imprint of the torch. By its appearance, one can judge how correctly the gun is adjusted.

The most efficient and visual way to check correct operation spray gun - spray pattern control. The procedure must be performed every time before staining. Test spraying is carried out on the surface of a clean sheet of paper, cardboard, fixed vertically

With full service and correct adjustment spray gun, the imprint of the torch should be a clear, strongly elongated oval of evenly applied paint (possibly with a slight blur of the edges). Its sides are even, without any protrusions and depressions, and the paintwork material is evenly distributed over the entire area of the spot.

If the print of the torch does not match the standard, the reason is often banal - an unbalanced ratio of air supply to paint supply. So, if there is an excess of material in the center or at the edges, try reducing the material supply by screwing in the screw no more than one turn, and repeat the test. If the flame is figure-eight (very narrowed in the center), reduce the inlet pressure. The shape of a banana takes the form of an imprint in case of clogging of one of the side channels of the air cap.

Read more about other causes of incorrect spraying.

For experienced craftsman not only the shape is important, but also the degree of saturation of the spray pattern (dry, normal, with forming streaks). Based on this information, it is possible to preliminarily estimate the speed of movement of the spray gun and the optimal distance to the surface to be painted.

We unfold the air cap or the entire spray gun so that the imprint of the torch becomes horizontal. We press the trigger and spray the material until the paint begins to flow down in streams. Observing the speed of the flow of these streams and the distance between them, we can draw conclusions about the uniformity or vice versa, the uneven distribution of paint in the torch.

For high-quality and effective painting, the material must be distributed evenly or with a slight concentration in the central part of the torch. Samples of correct and incorrect material distribution are shown below.

Be aware that there are air caps specifically designed for high concentration atomization in the center of the spray pattern.

To finally make sure that our gun applies the paint material evenly, we will carry out one more, final test, which, in fact, imitates the painting process itself. Along the test surface at the recommended distance and with a uniform constant speed, we carry out the spray with the included sprayer. The size of the paint droplets in the resulting stripe can tell us something.

First, one should not try to achieve very small droplets of the same size. The droplet size depends on both the spray pressure and the fineness of the pigment. So uniform distribution according to the imprint of smaller drops than the rest, it can be considered normal. It is also normal for droplets to decrease slightly from the center of the print to the top and bottom of the print.

Remember to use the lowest pressure required to achieve good atomization. Too much pressure will result in advanced degree fogging, excessive material consumption and excessively “dry” rough coating.

Summary

When painting the entire body, painting individual parts and other significant surfaces, correct setting The spray gun is considered to be the one in which the air flow, paint supply and torch width regulators are fully open, and when the trigger is pressed, the recommended pressure at the inlet to the spray gun is set. In this case, the imprint of the torch should be as uniform as possible, without any flaws and geometric displacements.
For partial painting, painting small parts and hard-to-reach places, the fan width, material supply and inlet pressure can be varied according to the situation. The main criterion is always the correctness of the shape and uniformity of the imprint of the torch.
The recommended inlet pressure, depending on the model and manufacturer of the spray gun, varies within: 3-4 atm for conventional sprayers and 1.5-2.5 atm for HVLP and LVLP (RP, Trans Tech). For exact recommendations, see the documentation for the spray gun.
If the recommended inlet pressure is unknown, it is selected empirically to obtain the most uniform print of the torch (with all regulators on the gun body fully open).
The nozzle of the spray gun must be suitable for the viscosity of the sprayed material.

And do not forget to do a simple “ritual” of setting up the spray gun before starting any painting work.

Useful materials

Spray gun setting (for example, Walcom spray guns)

Flame print shapes (depending on air cap type) and their effectiveness in a particular case

Everyone who had to deal with the purchase of a paint sprayer (spray gun) probably thought about buying painting work. Manual methods of painting do not provide the proper quality of the coating, and even inefficient. But you should not buy the first spray gun that comes across and hope that it will forever replace the brush and roller.

Different spray guns have different capabilities, and in order not to be disappointed in the purchase, you should understand the characteristics of the spray guns and how they affect their capabilities.

The use of electric spray guns

Electric spray guns are considered household tools, professionals usually use pneumatic ones. Although among the electric paint sprayers there are those whose “omnivorousness” and performance make it possible to classify them, if not professional, then at least semi-professional. Therefore, electric spray guns are used not only in everyday life as a replacement for a brush and roller, they are also used for:

Finishing work for painting walls and ceilings;

Construction work for painting walls and fences;

Manufacturing garden furniture and wooden structures;

Spraying shrubs and plants with insecticides or fertilizers.

Types of electric spray guns

There are two types of electric spray guns: air and airless. The manufacturer rarely gives information on what type the tool belongs to, but this is easily determined by appearance spray gun and its parameters.

Airless spray guns easy to distinguish by low power, low price, splitter cup on the nozzle, and the characteristic "hump" above the paint reservoir in which the plunger pump hides. With the help of this pump, the airless spray gun feeds the paint into the nozzle, where it is sprayed in small drops.

The main advantage of airless spray guns is acceptable performance at low power (and, accordingly, low price). The paint consumption in this design is easily regulated by changing the speed of the pump motor, so even the most budget models. In addition, even at low power, airless spray guns are able to cope with rather viscous paints.

But there are also disadvantages:

Due to the inhomogeneity of the paint, the ink jet has an unstable shape, which reduces the quality of the painting;

Droplets of paint different sizes, which leads both to the risk of streaks due to large drops, and to increased paint consumption due to small ones (paint dust);

Both the shape of the flame and the size of the droplets are determined by the quality of the nozzle, which on cheap models can be quite low. In addition, plastic nozzles wear out quickly;

After finishing work, the tool requires thorough rinsing with the consumption of a large amount of solvent. If you do not rinse (or rinse poorly) the tool after work, the paint will dry inside the pump and the spray gun can be thrown away.

Air spray guns take the paint from the tank with the help of a jet of air. This allows you to create a spray jet of a stable shape and reduces the need for flushing the tool: even an unwashed and dried-up spray gun can usually be “brought to life” by simply cleaning the nozzle (although it’s better not to do this anyway).

It should be borne in mind that the vast majority of electric air sprayers use HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) technology and, accordingly, have all the advantages and disadvantages of this technology. Benefits include reduced ink consumption and high productivity.

There are also disadvantages:

High air flow requires powerful compressor, which significantly increases the price of the tool;

Painting from a short distance (15-30 cm) and high productivity lead to the fact that with insufficient qualifications, it is easy to allow the formation of streaks;

Due to the high air consumption, the tool generates a lot of dust. If the surface to be painted comes into contact with sand or earth (for example, when painting a fence), then particles entrained in air will stick to the surface;

To be able to use viscous paints, the compressor power must be above average - inexpensive electric air guns can only work with liquid paints;

It is impossible to paint in a closed volume - the air will tend to leave this volume and carry the paint with it.

It is easy to see that both types of electric spray guns are poorly suited for accurate painting of medium-sized parts and parts of complex shape. If this is your case, you may want to look into LVLP pneumatic spray guns.

Characteristics of electric paint guns

Power determines both the performance of the spray gun and how viscous liquids it can spray. If you need a tool that can handle paint or varnish of any viscosity, power should be the most important thing to pay attention to.

It should only be remembered that the power of airless and air electric spray guns differs by an order of magnitude: airless ones have a power in the range of 60-150 W, and air ones - 100-1500 W. If for an airless spray gun 110 W means a decent “average”, the power of which is enough for most tasks, then for an air gun the same 110 W is the very minimum and the performance of such a tool can be depressingly low.

Permissible viscosity. The smaller the nozzle diameter and the higher the viscosity, the more power is required to maintain paint flow. If the viscosity is higher than the permissible one, the pump power will no longer be enough and the performance will begin to fall.

With a strong excess of viscosity above the permissible one, clogging of the nozzle and a drop in productivity to zero are possible. You can determine the viscosity of the paint using viscometer included with most spray guns.

The viscometer is usually a beaker or funnel with a hole. Viscosity is determined by the time it takes for a given volume of fluid to flow through an orifice.

Most paints can be diluted to the required viscosity with solvents, problems may arise only on low-power spray guns with some acrylic paints and varnishes, enamels and oil paints. High power spray guns are capable of using the entire range of paintwork materials, with the exception of bituminous and epoxy mastics.

Having decided on the power and permissible viscosity, you should pay attention to the list supported materials. Some paints may not be applicable to a particular model of spray gun, even if their viscosity is lower than acceptable. This may be due to the composition of the paint or the size of its particles. So, suspensions of metallic powders ("silver") may not be included in the list of supported materials due to the large particle size.

The higher performance spray gun, the faster it will cope with the task. The performance of electric paint sprayers is measured in g/min. To roughly imagine how quickly an airbrush of one or another performance will paint a certain area, you can use the following table:

Air spray guns can be with hose- in such models, the compressor is located separately and the air from it is supplied to the spray gun using a hose. This solution allows you to increase the power of the compressor without increasing the weight of the spray gun itself. In fact, this is the only possible variant for powerful spray guns - no one will like to hold a compressor weighing several kilograms at arm's length.

But for an inexpensive medium power spray gun, such a separation can also make work much easier, especially when painting hard-to-reach places.

System paint flow adjustment- a very useful option, especially for powerful high-performance spray guns. For liquid paints and critical jobs, you can set a reduced paint consumption - this will reduce productivity, but reduce the likelihood of smudges.

Choices

If the need for a paint sprayer occurs infrequently, you can purchase an inexpensive airless spray gun. Just remember to rinse it thoroughly after use.

If the spray gun is supposed to be used frequently, but the amount of painting is supposed to be small, the best choice there will be an air spray gun of medium power.

For professional use and large areas you will need a powerful high-performance paint sprayer.

To reduce the strain on your hands, choose among models with a hose.

If you are purchasing a model that is not the most powerful and you want to be sure that the viscosity of the paint used is not too high, pay attention to the presence of a viscometer in the kit - with it you can always dilute the paint to the desired degree of viscosity.

The principle of operation of an airbrush of any model is to create from liquid paint aerosol and applying it to the surface. In coloring devices there is a nozzle (spray head with a nozzle, nozzle), a trigger, control valves for supplying paint and air. Some models are equipped with a pressure gauge to adjust the pressure.

Allows you to quickly and evenly apply the dye on complex surfaces - embossed, openwork, large areas. Thanks to a thin layer of paint, material consumption and drying time are reduced.

How to choose a spray gun

Manufacturers produce pistols that differ:

by power;
control method;
liquid tank volume.

Power

For home use, low-power ones are suitable. They are cheap, have a low paint supply force in the range of 0.2-0.5 kW. The consumption is about 0.5 kg/h. This is enough for amateur use. For professional use, powerful models up to 1200 kW are chosen. Such tools work faster, have more weight, and are made of metal.

The speed of paint intake from the tank fits into the passport of the sprayer. At the output, this figure is lower by about 35%.

Control method

Manufacturers produce sprayers of two main types: electric and. The first type works due to a piston driven by current, the second one - due to low pressure.

Each type has different:

power;
the material from which the body is made;
the volume of the paint container.

Container for coloring composition

The volume of the liquid tank is selected depending on the work performed. A capacious tank is needed to whitewash the ceiling, but it will become a hindrance to work with small details. Plastic containers are light and transparent. The operator can see the amount of paint in the tank. But plastic is easily damaged by mechanical and chemical stress. After work, the tank is washed with solvents or acetone. Frequent exposure to the reagent has a bad effect on the surface of the plastic, and over time it becomes unusable.

Metal tanks are more resistant to damage of various kinds, they are washed chemicals without fear. Such containers are more durable. But they are heavy and opaque.

On sale there are models with an upper and lower location of the dye tank. In the overhead position, the paint flows into the gun by gravity. When located at the bottom, it enters the spray gun under the influence of pressure created during the operation of the tool.

Floor and hand sprayers

Both types of spray guns are floor and manual. Floor models are equipped with a large paint tank. For convenient movement, manufacturers install wheels and carrying handles on the body.

Subtleties of choice

When choosing a spray gun, pay attention to the material of the body and working elements. The body is made of special impact-resistant plastic or metal. The working parts in the spray gun must be metal. For the main nodes use:

brass;
stainless steel;
aluminum.

For electrical models important power source. Spray guns work from a normal network with a voltage of 220 V or from a battery. In the second option, the battery should work for at least 1 hour without recharging.

The nozzle diameter depends on the work being done. The spray gun comes with several nozzles. They spray paint in particles of different sizes and have different diameters. Some models are equipped with a filter that retains solid fragments. This protects the nozzle from clogging, which prolongs the life of the tool.

Technical data of spray guns

performance and generated pressure. These indicators affect the speed of work and its quality.
Nozzle diameter and number of replaceable nozzles included. The more additional nozzles, the more options for using the gun.
Weight and vibration level. The lower these indicators for a manual model, the longer and more productive the operator works. For a floor sprayer, these indicators are secondary.
Additional options. Adjustment of pressure and method of spraying allows you to use the sprayer with maximum effect.
Brand. How better known manufacturer, the more you have to pay for the tool.

The best electric spray gun

Electric spray guns consist of:

engine (power plant);
corps;
pump;
liquid tank;
several nozzles of various configurations.

The difference between electric pistols and pneumatic models is the supply coloring material without air. The ejection of the composition occurs due to the translational movement of the piston. The electromagnetic cushion moves the piston forward, and the front spring returns it to its original position. In this case, a slight vacuum is created in the body, and the paint is drawn from the tank into the working container. On the reverse movement, the piston compresses the paint, and it is ejected under pressure from the body in a sprayed form.

Pistols work with compositions of various densities. The passport indicates the type of paint for this model. In order not to disable the tool, you can not use it for other types of coloring matter.

Electric panels are air and airless. The first distributes the composition in an even layer, but creates a cloud of paint around the operator. When using such models, large losses of material occur, and enhanced protection of the eyes and respiratory tract of the worker is necessary. The second type of electric gun works at a distance from the object. It has low ink loss, no cloud of suspended dye.

The quality of the tool is affected right choice nozzle and working pressure. At high pressure, the dye layer will be uneven and material consumption will increase.

Manufacturers have created an intermediate model - an electric spray gun with a compressor. It creates the necessary low pressure, and the quality of staining is improved.

When choosing an electric spray gun, pay attention to automatic shutdown during overloads.

Specifications

voltage - 220 V;
tank volume - 0.5-2.2 l;
nozzle diameter 1.2-1.7 mm;
working pressure - 150-200 atm;
power up to 625 W;
weight without coloring composition - 1.4-2.5 kg.

pros

small size;
cheap;
mobile;
easy to store and maintain;
lungs;
do not require special training for work;
constant pressure does not require adjustment;
large tank capacity;
high speed of application of the composition;
high quality coloring;
save material.

The ease of use and the availability of an electric spray gun make it suitable for use without special training. The tool is universal and is used for painting cars, spraying liquid formulations on plants, applying disinfectants and detergents. It is used for applying primers, enamels, varnishes, varnishes, paints.

Minuses

low power;
vibrate during operation;
create a lot of noise
the place of work is limited by the length of the cord;
it is impossible to grind the coloring composition to a very fine state, since there is no pressure;
when the liquid container is in the upper position, there is a possibility of the composition leaking onto the body, which leads to tool breakage.

Rating of the best electric spray guns

Domestic models performed well bison(reliability), Caliber(color quality). Positive feedback deserved a German pistol Bosch(functional), for rare use, purchase a model ТМ BORT.

The best pneumatic spray gun

Pneumatic type sprayer works on compressed air. Painting requires a compressor and auxiliary equipment. The gun is connected to the compressor with a hose through which compressed air is supplied to the tool. It atomizes the liquid to the state of an aerosol, it is fed into the nozzle, through the nozzle it comes out and is sprayed on the surface. Some models are equipped with a pressure regulator, which allows you to select the density and particle size.

There are 3 types of pneumatic spray guns on the market.

HP. Work complete with the unit creating pressure of 3-7 atm. In this case, the ink layer can be applied unevenly, there is a large loss of the coloring composition during the process (50%). It is used in areas where it is important to quickly apply paint to the surface: ceilings, walls, production facilities, building facades, fences.
HVLP. High air/low pressure instrument. The spray gun of this category is not sensitive to the power of the compressor, it operates at a pressure in the range of 2-4.5 atm. The tool creates a "soft" torch. Qualitatively applies the composition to the working surface, economically consumes raw materials. Is used for quality application paints on relief and small details.
LVLP. The literal translation of the name of the gun is "compressed air / low pressure." Works with the compressor creating pressure to 1,5 atm. This is a professional tool that provides high-quality and fast application of the composition. Material losses are up to 5%. Used to work with expensive paints.

For an air pistol are important:

air consumption;
the volume and material of the container for the dye;
nozzle diameter.

Specifications

pressure - 1.5-7 atm;
losses 5-50%;
hose length - 5 m;
nozzle diameter - 1.5-3 mm.

pros

high quality coating;
high speed;
high power;
pressure adjustment;
works on large areas and volumes;
due to the large torch, the width of the coating and the speed of work increase;
flame shape adjustment.

Minuses

big weight;
complex management;
requires connection of several devices;
depends on the operation of the compressor - if it fails, the spray gun will not be able to work;
when working indoors, enhanced ventilation is required;
high price.

Rating of the best pneumatic spray guns

Among the best pneumatics:

HUBERTH R500 RP20500-14(reliability);
KSOM SO-71 V 018-2001(quality);
Metabo FB 2200 HVLP(functional).

best spray gun for car painting

Most often, LVLP pistols are used to work in the garage. They are maximally adapted to the requirements of working with compounds intended for application to the surface of cars. This is a professional tool.

Specifications

nozzle diameter - 1.2-1.7 mm;
outlet pressure - 0.7-1.2 atm;
distance from nozzle to working surface- 5-10 cm;
loss of paint no more than 35%;
compressed air consumption - 130-150 l.

pros

low air consumption;
high quality coloring;
not sensitive to pressure drops.

Minuses

High price.

Rating of the best models

MIOL 79-560(reliability);
HUBERTH R500 RP20500-14(quality);
INTERTOOL PT-0132(functional).

The best hand spray gun

Hand sprayers are the most affordable and popular. These are small models with simple controls and low power. Hand guns are used in car repair shops, in production for painting small surfaces, parts.

At the household level, they are used for whitewashing and painting. They spray paint, primer, finishing putty. Manual spray guns are indispensable for working with openwork products, painting fences, easy to give. These are electric/pneumatic models and they consist of:

pump motor;
reservoir;
nozzles;
pens.

Pneumatics are equipped with a compressor and a supply hose. Hand pneumatic tools have less power compared to floor samples.

Specifications

voltage - 220 V;
nozzle diameter - 1.3-1.7 mm;
weight - up to 1 kg;
material loss - 30%;
the distance from the nozzle to the working surface is 7-12 cm.

pros

mobility;
light weight;
Ease of controls;
fast application.

Minuses

low quality;
pneumatics depend on the compressor;
streaks appear;
low power.

Rating of the best hand spray guns

KSOM KRDP-4 018-1031(reliability);
MASTER EKRP-350/2.6M(quality);
HUBERTH R500(functional).

The best airless spray gun

Pistols with an airless principle of operation are gradually replacing air models. The tool is a kind of electrical appliance. He works with water emulsion, alkyd paints, epoxy compounds, latex. By spraying the mixture under high pressure, the coating layer becomes even, material loss is reduced. This is a professional tool for painting complex surfaces and applying the composition in the corners.

Specifications

pressure - 530 bar;
work with high viscosity compositions;
nozzle diameter - 1.7 mm;
when applying the mixture, it ricochets off the surface, creating a cloud of coloring matter.

pros

no compressor;
light and mobile;
paint is applied through a special nozzle without air injection;
Built-in dust filter
equipped with a safety bracket (it protects against accidental pressing);
used in hard-to-reach places;
high performance;
thin layer of coating.

Minuses

low quality of application of the working composition;
streaks are formed;
expensive models.

Rating of the best models

Bosch(functional);
bison(reliability);
Sturm(quality).

The best spray gun for home

Home use means low power and infrequent use. These are small models, easy to use and do not require special care and storage conditions. Painting large areas in the private sector is rare. In the work used manual electric spray guns. They run on mains or batteries. The second option is more mobile, its movements are not limited by the length of the cord.

Specifications

power - not higher than 500 W;
nozzle diameter - 1.2-1.5 mm;
weight without liquid - up to 1 kg;
the volume of the dye tank is up to 1 l;
battery life without recharging - 1 hour;
mains voltage for wired models - 220V;
the volume of the paint tank is not adjustable, it is provided by the manufacturer.

pros

mobility;
simple control;
low price;
do not require special care and storage;
do not depend on pressure.

Minuses

poor quality of staining;
large loss of dye;
limited application.

Rating of the best models

KSOM KRDP-4 018-1031(reliability);
ULIG 050-00 018-1045(quality);
HUBERTH R500(functional).

Professional and household spray guns brought surface painting to new level. After applying the composition with an airbrush, there are no streaks, the layer is even, and material consumption is reduced. Expensive tools (airless) are more productive, but it is better to rent them.