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Has anyone tried these smaller low cost HVLP spray systems? Will they do the job for a small time shop. Price reasonable, $99 at Woodcraft.

I don't know anything about the system you're looking at, but bitter past experience leads me to believe that "Ya gets what ya pays for".
You could buy it & try spraying some water at a piece of cardboard to see how it works. If you don't like it, just dry it off well & return it.

I used to have a Fuji Q4 HVLP system and it was AWESOME. Super smooth, quiet, and reliable.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

I've got the Fuji Q3 system and like it a lot.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

I have used the unit you show. I managed to get a decent finish with it but I would wait and get a better system. Most of the issues I have are with the continuous air flow. You have to be very careful to put on only the bare minimum amount of finish with each pass. If you go for a "wet" coat, the continuous air stream also blows on the finish and move the finish around. For KTM-9 water based, I set the feed rate to put on a dryish grainy coat and that problem went away. That meant that I didn't get a glossy coat until I sanded which meant a lot more work.

Other issues with this gun are that the nozzle is very touchy and tends to spit. There's nothing I hate more that getting a big booger of finish right in the middle of my piece.

I've never used the Sata machine but their documentation says that they have HVLP guns that don't blow all the time. It's something that I would like to try.

Most HVLP turbine type systems seem to have continuous flow so the "cheap" systems aren't special in that way.

I see your point......get what you pay for I guess. Mainly trying to hold down price right yet. So far I'm just building for me, and see how it goes. I guess the "rattle can" , might be solution for the first few. I've also thought about Robbie's French Polish off his video. Should back up a little, I don't have a compressor big enough to do the job. That's the reason for the $99 HVLP.

Dave

I have owned one. The gun is carp (with the R in a different location) the packing is cheap and will wear out in no time and the siphon will not empty the container with the tube arrangement that is on it out of the box. The turbine is under powered and is single stage. Also after about 20 hour of use I started having issues with the seal at the tip leaking. All that said it will do a job but a good 3 stage will give you much better spray control with near no spitting (dependent of course on a proper viscosity) and none to near no orange peel.

I too would suggest Fugii and at least a 3 stage. By the way I have seen the 3 stage Mini Might being sold on special for a low as $279 including the gun and for $30 more the gun can be converted to 6 oz gravity feed.

I know the mini might is 3 times the cost but this one tool worth spending $300-$600 on.

Thanks Michael.

Dave

I'm gonna repeat my suggestion to look at Asturo's ECO/Mini HVLP kit. At $179.00 it's great quality and perfect for spraying instruments. Yes, you need a compressor, but not much of one. And doesn't everyone have a compressor, anyway?

Here's the web site:
http://www.aomspray.com/documents/ECO-MINI_002.pdf