Official Luthiers Forum!

There has been some talk lately about a low cost spray system as an alternative to brush on finishes.
I ran across this and thought some of you may be interested. It says it will spray anything from lacquer to latex. I'm sure it won't do the job of a $500-$1000 system but it should be better than brush on.
https://www.rockler.com/rockler-hvlp-fi ... bxi9zrxjo6

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

I have one of those cheapie's for some furniture projects. (I french polish guitars now)
Its ok for thin liquids like lacquer or stain. Definitely not for latex without major thinning. About as loud as a vacuum cleaner and pretty easy to clean.

I'm planning on buying something similar when I get to that stage. I hope there are some folks on this forum using them that will let us know if they work. I have a small compressor but I'd rather use something like the one you link to.

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

My Miller spray system cost me $19 back in the 70's. Still works. Bet it's not that cheap anymore if you could find one.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

One would be surprised how well a finish can be put down with a quality rattle can. Some people use the Earlex.

I use a 20$ harbor freight gun and a pancake type compressor :/



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If you have a pancake compressor already, your only risking $15 - 20 on a cheap jamb gun, which will work better.
I have a similar small cheap turbine unit, and it's o.k. for spraying outdoor furniture, or decks, or even cabinet boxes. It is less controllable than conventional spray gun, and may put out more material than you need for guitar finishing.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcesd4ZhK5Y
www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7bzz5DgPaA
This is a review of the HF turbine sprayer. Notice how much material comes out of the gun and what he says about adjusting it. One thing to keep in mind is the gun and cup is plastic so you don't want to leave solvent based finishes in it for long periods of time. Back when I bought it ,it only came with the needle in the gun, so they have made some improvements accessory-wise. Back then they sold for $60 and I caught a "half off" sale ($30) so I'm not complaining.
A couple more reviews from people who do more pro level spraying:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMe5bISU0Fg
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfGzCjRO_ZY

Ditto on pancake compressor and a cheap gun. As long as you aren't going crazy those pancakes can keep up. I might get myself a pancake compressor sometimes in case the neighbor who's letting me use his industrial compressor is on a hiatus (he shuts it off when he's gone).

I've sprayed guitars for years with a pancake compressor... they work.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com