afterburner

My Feedback: (18)

Jim,
did you mean 40 gallon compressor? I have a crafstmen 3HP 15 gallon and it's only rated at 4.9 scfm at 40 psi? Have you been using the Sata mini jetIII for a while? I'm on the fence between the Sata or the devilbiss.

marty.

P.S. Did you get the mounting bolt for your RCV engine in that Bipe? (Now wondering........ who the heck is this?)


marty

bipeaddict

Marty,

Nope it is a 4 gallon, 3 HP, 8 scfm at 40psi. Checked the plate on the air compressor before the original response. I have had the gun and the compressor a little over a year (Santa brought it to me) and both work well. I also use a Paasche airbrush. I have only sprayed with Nelson Paint so far. I have no experience with the Devilbiss gun or any other gun for that matter. After purchasing my Sata over the net I found a local source for parts and accessories. Having someone local for help should figure, if not decide, your decision.

Yes, I found a replacement bolt for my RCV. Once I found out the size I ordered some from RTL fasteners. I reassembled the engine with a more generous use of loctite. Then the bolt holding the throttle barrel backed out on me. That is another story.

And why would you wonder about me? Just a middle age guy back in the hobby a few years after a 23 year absence. I also learned a long time ago that if you buy good stuff, take care of it, it lasts a long time. Remember, I didn't say the most expensive ... I said good ... try and find value and good customer service.

Where is Moseley, VA? Do you fly with the Richmond Area Radio Control Club?

Jim

afterburner

My Feedback: (18)

Jim,
Ok on the compressor specs. The numbers just did'nt add up in my head. Of course if I can get the cobwebs out of there, maybe things would seem clearer. I'm probably going to get the sata even though my minimal artistic talent will never be able to exploit it's full capabilities. I've also learned over the years that "buy cheap, buy twice" usually holds true especially for tools. It does'nt have to be the most expensive of it's type to get good quality but if it's the cheapest(can you say Yugo), it's probably not going to last too long or even work out of the box.


I've been living in "Moseley" for about a year now. What's funny is that even the native Virginians don't know where it is. So then I tell them, I'm right over the border of Midlothian by the resevoir and then they say, "oh I know where that is". Yes, I'm a member of RARC. I was at the field that day when you realized the engine was loose due to the missing bolt.

marty

bipeaddict

Marty,

If you would like to do a try before you buy you are welcome to come over to my shop and give the gun a whirl.

Jim

afterburner

My Feedback: (18)

Jim,
That's a generous offer on your part but I'm somewhat tied down at home as of late except when I escape to the flying field. Besides, I'm kind of a mail order junky and enjoy the anticipation of getting something new from the brown truck. I do however have one question if you can. I read that the top feed hvlp guns are easy to clean. How does it compare to the paasche vl. I have the paasche also and sometimes I end up using a paint brush because I dread the disassembly procedure with the paasche.

thanks
marty

bipeaddict

Marty,

The Sata is much easier to clean. I think it has 3 parts (cup, tip, nozzle) Then there is the body. No springs, small tips, nor a push button that you can never seem to get back in the hole. I have done the VL a million times. It is amazing I haven't lost a part.

Auto Paint Supply Co, Inc in Richmond carry the Sata, Binks, and Devilbiss. Their Web site is
http://www.autopaint.com/Auto%20Pain...20Richmond.htm

You might want to give them a call and see what kind of deal they can give you. They also carry the fine paint filters, tape, fillers, and other goodies. You will need to strain the paint before spraying. 804-321-6177

Jim

afterburner

My Feedback: (18)

Jim,
Thanks for the good info on cleaning and the local supplier.

See you at the field.

marty

Larry S

My Feedback: (6)

After reading what guys had to say about the Sata Mini-Jet 3 I had to have one. Very nice gun and what was said about it is true but here is where I differ, I don't think it's worth the big money. The one thing I do like over my cheaper ( $50 ) gun is I can control the air so I don't get a lot of overspray. Is that worth the extra money, not really. The Sata is easier to clean. I use cup liners so I don't even worry about cleaning the cup. Like someone said, the most expensive gun doesn't make you an expert painter but having quality equipment does help. So I would say, if you can afford it, go with the Sata but you can get good results with a cheaper gun, just practice.
Larry

lbrande

My Feedback: (16)

For what its worth,

Since I am in need of a HVLP gun, this thread was a g-d send. Your recommendations for the Walcom STM, Sata Minijet 3 SR and Devilbis SRI625G yielded the follwing results:

Walcom $150.00
Sata $200.00
Devilbis $200.00

This does not include the regulator, water separator, etc. I guess another $100 would cover the miscellaneous details.

Based upon the price mark, I will probably purchase the Sata Minijet 3 SR.

Thanks,
Lew

afterburner

My Feedback: (18)

Lew,
I purchased mine here: http://www.spraygunworld.com/ I bought the sata but I have'nt had a chance to use it. They carry the other brands also. This was the best price I found. I got it the day after they shipped it. They have a few distribution points around country. Good luck.

marty

lbrande

My Feedback: (16)

Marty,

I have not used guns of this sort before, only smaller Badgers and Paasches.

Basd upon your knowledge, what other components would I need in order to gurarantee good results. i.e. Pressure regulators, water separators, etc.

thanks,
Lew

voyager_663rd

I don't know if its just me or what but talking about $200-300 paint guns for painting a toy seems ludicrous. I am NOT speaking from experience here but as a total newb in the painting field (still building my TF FG-1D so I'm just collecting info. I did buy a cheapo $40 touchup gun from Home Depot though so I did make the decision to buy the Chev. Just so you know I did put my $ where my mouth is).

It seems like you are saying

"buy the Lexus. The Chev is ok but the Lexus is so much nicer."

Yes, I'm sure it is but the Chev will get me there too.

This isn't meant to be a thread crapper or flame-generator or anything. It just seems that the $50 job from Harbor Freight is so much more practical. Man, I could buy two more planes (to build) for what the gun costs. And still have the gun to paint with.

Just wondering. That's all.

voyager_663rd

double post

afterburner

My Feedback: (18)

Lew,
My experience is limited to airbrushing also. I did'nt mean to sound like an expert. Just wanted to let you know where I purchased mine for what I think was a good price compared to other sites. I know that you definetely want to keep the moisture out so a seperator is good to have. I bought an inline regulator because the ones that come on the compressor are'nt usually to accurate but you can probably get away with it to save some money.

I'd also like to respond to voyagers post. I would agree with you that less expensive equipment can yield great results and in the hands of an experienced painter you might not notice the difference between the equipment used. Then you might question why would they spend the extra money on the "lexus"? Because they have something that you and I don't. Experience. They've used the lower end and the upper end. They've been through the trials and tribulations of both ends of the spectrum and when they recommend a particular brand or model it comes from that experience. I've bought cheaper tools in the past and many times you end up spending more because you have to go out and buy the same tool again except a better brand or model because the first one was a piece of junk, but it was cheap. I also plan to use this gun in my other hobby which is woodworking so I had more of an excuse to spend the money. The bottom line is that you can buy less expensive equipment but you have to know what to look out for with the particular tool. I have no experience with HVLP guns so I went with the experience of others and based my decision on that. This way, I have one variable out of the way when I start spraying. The only problems will be my abilities, the settings on the gun, the material being sprayed and probably fifty other things that can affect the quality of the job except the gun itself unless it has a defect

spokman

My Feedback: (2)

My two cents.. It probably matters what you are painting and how much money you want to invest. If you are painting planes that will have say over $1500 into it might make sense to get a $200 sprayer for best results. If you are like me. $3-400 planes then you might not feel the need for the best sprayer. I'm probably going to get an inexpensive sprayer for my next plane. I'll be making a post about which one to as I want to shoot paint, clear coat and dope with it. Couldn't help posting about this.. Really wish I had a Sata. : )

lbrande

My Feedback: (16)

Just for the record,

The first plane I plan on painting is a TF P-40, but, Fiberglass nose and LG pods, Retracts, bomb, etc. All in all, the plane cost over $1000.00 when all is included. This, however, is a less expensive kit, and will not cost anywhere near as much as the other 1/6 scale kits I have on the "to do" list.

So the cost of the Sata is not too bad considering the amount of work I plan on doing over the next few years. The gun also can be used in other areas, so not a total loss.

Lew

lbrande

My Feedback: (16)

Network error causing double post,

Sorry

Lew

EdwardB

My Feedback: (6)

I've already weighed in on the cheap versus more expensive spray gun discussion (see my earlier posts) and after trying several cheaper ones, I went with a professional quality gun. One aspect to not forget about is the materials we're often using. If you're using latex, or something like that, probably doesn't make much difference. But, if you're using any of the automotive paints, it's not unusual to spend $50 - 100 in paint for one airplane. The higher quality guns, especially the good HVLP's in my experience, allow you to be much more precise in the amount put into the gun and also onto the airplane. Aside from the higher quality finish, it's not going to take me very many airplanes to help pay for the difference.

Larry S

My Feedback: (6)

In response to EdwardB, one thing you forgot to list is, once you have a quality product, you have it. I have and use both cheaper and the more expensive Sata spray guns, I had good results with both but I will say the Sata does a better and easier job. I only bought the cheapter gun because there wasn't forums like this to help modelers at that time. To put it simple, if I didn't have a spray gun and wanted to purchase one, I go with the Sata right from the start. One thing I've learned is if you the have the proper equipment, any job is easier to do.

hiramboesky

I dunno guys....I have no problem whatsoever using the Harbor freight HVLP spray gun. I've done lot's of painting in my lifetime, including automotive painting, and I can tell you that the HF HVLP gun (12 oz) is fine for what we do in modeling.

I spray mostly latex paint and I've had excellent results with the HF gun. I can't see spending any more because frankly, as seen by the human eye, I'm not sure if anyone could tell the difference between a paint job done with a HF HVLP gun, or any of the aforementioned "brand" name guns.

It's all in the setup, and experience of the operator........

JMO

PlaneKrazee

My Feedback: (14)

Will the Sada work well with epoxy paint? I have a boat load of Poly Poxy. Commercial Hobby Poxy.

kamakasi

My Feedback: (3)

You need clean, dry air. Other wise you'll get paint defects.

[email protected]

Has anyone tried out the new Dux Spraygun from the new company in Seattle.
They seem to be getting a bit of a name for themselves in the paint spraying front what with their
new range of top quality guns?

CL-415

Which gun would be best suited for Klasskote epoxy paint?

thanks,