SRSport

My Mercedes my tailgate has developed rust and Mercedes want just under £300 contribution to fix it. Im sure I can get a good set up for this and do it myself and then have it for future use as well. I already have a compressor so what else would people suggest?

I have used aerosols before to good effects completing smart repairs but have always wanted to do this with the proper stuff and this has tipped the scales.

Looking on ebay it appears you can get a reasonable used spray gun from the likes of devilbiss for around £100 but are there different types and what would be good to look for?

prodriverules

iTrader: (52)

Tbho mate by the time you have bought the gun/paint/clear/primer/etch/masking tape/paper/rubbing down disc's you will most likely be above the price to have someone fix it for you,not worth the hassle imho.

SRSport

Thanks, I guess the fact that I might need to pay £300 is only half the reason for getting a set up. I have always wanted to have one as I enjoy touching up scratches and repairing car panels but never had the tools to finish it off as well as it could look.

I have been looking at Devilbiss GTI Pro that seem to have quite a good few reviews and aren't too expensive secondhand. Anyone got any other suggestions?
Do people use driers in this country?

Hammer man

iTrader: (25)

If Mercedes want £300 for the job, I`d ask for some prices from an "independant" bodyshop. You might get it done for a little less... I agree with Ryan though, and you can add rustoleum and filler putty, wet&dry, and polish/compound to the list. Unless you do repairs on a regular basis, it aint worth it..

SRSport

That price is less than any one else as it is subsides by a warranty.

I dont need to go the whole hog. I have used spray cans on every car I have owned so far. If I can pick up a gun for around £100 and do what I have been doing before but get a better finish then why not? I have bought putty on the odd occasion I have needed it and have polish compounds as I have used them for light correction work and finishing off aerosols.

Im really after advice as to which makes, models etc are considered to be better than others. If I can get it to a good standard then I would like to pursue it further but that is a little way off at the moment.

prodriverules

iTrader: (52)

I use SATA 3000-4000 HVLP digital guns and they are the best on the market,I wouldn't use any other make of gun mate.
Devilbiss are quite good also,£100 would get a half decent one

Dirk Diggler 75

A gun is only as good as the painter.....

prodriverules

iTrader: (52)

To a degree yes but with the likes of sata and the superior atomization/fan width it can be that much easier to get a good finish

Dirk Diggler 75

Seen your work,top finish ...

SRSport

Thanks. Are the SATA 3000 HVLP around £200 used around twice the price of the Devibiss GTIs? Are they much better or marginally?

prodriverules

iTrader: (52)

Thanks,much appreciated

They are a lot better,that said a Devilbiss would be good enough for your needs[no offence intended by that]

SRSport

Non taken.


I have seen a Devilbiss GTI going for around £70 and as a beginner I am tempted. As a direct replacement for aerosols its got to be a better option.

prodriverules

iTrader: (52)

Without doubt a better option mate,with a gun it allows the use of 'proper' clear coat,not aerosol which is tbho a crap finish in comparison.
Just stick to using aerosol base[colour] and then some proper clear and the finished product will just better with practise

SRSport

Interesting thought to use aerosols for the colour but have to say I agree. When I have applied the paint - courtesy of paints for you the colour and finish is very good. Its the lacquer that lets it down.

Prodriverules, YHPM.

prodriverules

iTrader: (52)

It works extremely well,PM returned Nick

SRSport

Thanks. I could see this getting quite addictive. I think its a good idea to start with something like the GTI gun and build on it as and when. Using the aerosol/spray lacquer set up you mentioned before what would be its limitations? Would doing a full tailgate highlight its flaws or would it be capable of doing it justice?

prodriverules

iTrader: (52)

Full panels will be no problem at all with this technique,I wouldn't want to try a respray with it lol but as you grow more confident you can start to use base colour from the gun if you want to do multiple panels ie the side of a vehicle.

SRSport

Thanks a lot. I look forward to trying it. Ill have to get a cheap tailgate to practice on where it doesnt matter if I mess up but when I do get it right can put on the car.

Do people use driers? My brother in law tried painting with his compressor but it came out in blisters. The shpo that supplied the paint said that it was due to the humidity in the air condensing and being trapped in the paint as water. It was in Ibiza which is very humid but Ive not heard of this before.

prodriverules

iTrader: (52)

I'd be more inclined to think it was water in the compressor as they condensate inside the air receiver.#
I would look at getting a water trap for in the air line which will solve that problem.

SRSport

That makes sense and I think along the lines of what he was saying caused the problem, they just had a different way of solving it. Is this normal for compressors to do this?

prodriverules

iTrader: (52)

Very much so,they create a lot of heat especially smaller one's which need to constantly run when being used for the likes of spraying as it's almost constant air needed.
I have a 75CFM compressor with 300 litre receiver at work but I need to spraying while others in the workshop use other air operated tools so we need a big supply so I don't get a pressure drop but it still creates water.

I also use a SATA inline water catch/oil separator but they circ £500 so not cheap.

Some places use a dehumidifier in the line to stop water.

SRSport

It his compressor I will be using which is smallish. What would be the best option to stop the water? £500 is completely out of proportion to the rest of the kit.

prodriverules

iTrader: (52)

Something like this would do the job for small applications Nick
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SPRAY-GUN-...item19ca94e8ec

SRSport

Wow, perfect. Thats a much nicer price, thanks.

Hammer man

iTrader: (25)

Thats what I use,,works well. Just need to remember to turn it on and let it "warm up"..

SRSport

What are the different nozzle sizes and what are their uses? Im assuming that all guns are all capable of spraying a primer, colour and lacquer but are there any differences?

prodriverules

iTrader: (52)

The guns are different and I have specific gun's for colour/clear and primer.
The colour and clear are both 1.3 set up while the primer one is 1.4.
You can use the same gun for colour and clear but I'd buy a cheapo gun for primer as it generally ***** them in half the time of the other 2!

SRSport

Whats the general life span of a colour and lacquer gun then?

Can you use the same gun for colour and lacquer or do they need to be kept separate?

prodriverules

iTrader: (52)

If you look after them well and clean them properly they will last you a long time with the amount of use you'll give them.

You can use the same gun for colour and clear yes,just clean it well when swapping from one to the other.

SRSport

Cheers. Just a question regarding using the aerosol mentioned earlier. If I had a gun for the lacquer why wouldnt I use that for paint rather than the aerosol suggested before?