I just used the same gun to paint my 36ft Gulf Stream motorhome and got excellent results useing a one stage $100 a gallon eBay paint and $100 per gallon eBay primer. Take the gun out of the box disassemble it clean it with lacquer thinner to get rid of the machine oil before using it. I plan on using it again for some other projects, painting the shed etc. It's a very user friendly little gun.
I just sprayed some kitchen cabinet doors using my HF purple gun with a 1.4 tip. I thinned the Benjamin Moore Advanced with a bit of warm water to get the desired consistency. Used 25psi at the gun. Flowed out well and laid nicely. The gun comes with a 1.8 tip, as well.
I use a LVLP spray gun with a 1.8 tip and get the same results with 22psi at the gun with 25% water. Two light coats of paint, sand in between with a green washing up pad, gives factory finish results.
How much water? 20%? using the smaller tip usually you need to thinned much more, with a 1.8mm you can reduce 5-10% and usually depends on humidity. I been using both the 1.4mm and a 1.7mm tip and get very good results, and depends on the actual weather and humidity. Floetrol is very good to extend the drying time and especially good in warmer weather.
Ive been using advanced for years doing cabinets, love the finishes. Use a 2.0 tip keep tabs on the pressure and your good. The only thing I really dont like is the drying time before the second coat. 99 percent of the time two coats is all thats needed. I think if you slow your arm motion down a bit you will get the coverage you want.
Very helpful video. A few paint spraying tips: clean all parts of a new gun w/ lacquer thinner (removes the factory protective coating on components); mix in a capful of Floetrol when you start the gallon & another capful when the gallon is half empty, thin the paint down - in the gun reservoir (not the can) - w/ warm water at least 10% (increase up to 29%, as needed), in addition to a pressure gauge, you should also get an inline moisture filter to keep water than condenses inside your compresser from further diluting water based paint. The moisture filter mounts on the hose between the compressor and the in line air pressure gauge. You mentioned straining paint. It’s a must do. For a low-priced gun, this Harbor Freight tool produces good results.
I have this paint gun. I did not drill it out and I have successfully sprayed latex. However, I had to thin down the latex quite a bit. I use a product called Floetrol. You can buy it damn near anywhere, but it's made to make latex spray like oil. Sometimes I'll also throw in a little purified water.
I just sprayed a whole house of interior trim and doors. The instructions for the gun says to thin according to the paint can instructions for spraying. I used enamel trim paint and it said to thin no more than 8 ounces water per gallon. I ended up using 16 and it worked fine. I used a fairly small portable compressor I normally use for nail guns and it held up fine. With the lower pressure the compressor does well. It did run a lot but caught up when I stopped to move, refill cup etc. I was able to get more volume of paint coming out by turning down the air flow on the left side of the gun to almost nothing. I used the regulator on the compressor at 70 psi. While spraying the pressure would drop to 40. Next time I will use a regulator at the gun so I can use the compressor at 110 psi and the pressure will last longer. This will be my go to gun for inside painting now.
Hey, so im bout to do the same and paint the trim on the outside of the house. Which paint would you recommend? And I think im gonna try your settings, I'm a amateur.. lol
Hi, just to clarify...you would set the regulator by the gun at 110? Would this result to very low pressure like you said - to almost nothing. I read pressure at the air cap should be around 10 psi. Also, what pressure should I set regulator by compressor, or does the one by the gun override it. I was planning on buying a homeright sprayer to paint kitchen cabinets but may go with Hf spray gun instead. Thanks.
Oh, I just read that you turned down the air flow to almost nothing, so is that totally separate on setting the pressure at 110? If so, please explain how setting pressure at 110 near gun helps. Thanks.
@@JC-ov5pt It just gives you high pressure up to the gun and more to use at lower pressure. I also used a reserve air tank and gives you more reserve at the higher pressure.
Great video. I plan on using an enamel paint to repaint a propane tank. I plan on thinning the paint before drilling out anything. I may not need to drill for this particular purpose. We'll see.
Man brother I gotta admit that is one awesome tip I have the same gun and it was taking me quite a bit of time to spray some doors, Thanks to you and your buddy for the tip an awesome video👍🏽
Thanks for the video. Was frustrated yesterday with the 1.4 tip that I had to sand the entire door . This morning I mod the tip with a 1.8mm (that drill bit I have) and I am so happy with the result. I still have to thin 20% and set the air to 20PSI at the gun.
Excellent, I use the 1.7mm tip and get great looking results, you can use the 1.4mm but you need Floetrol and water to get a thinner more flexible viscosity for the paint flow, but if you up to a bigger tip then you can achieve the same results and get a fine quality spray, I found 2.0 and higher loaded too much paint and you need to watch the coverage.
i have done this drill tip trick and it worked perfectly, I even used a cheap small compressor, and I use a little floetrol latex conditioner, i am a rookie just starting out painter.
I know some professional painters and they openly talk about mixing paint thinner with latex paint. They recommend mixing 12% thinner to the latex paint. I haven't tried this but I hear it gets good results and better coverage.
Mike Bell I know... and that’s what I’ve learned to be true as well. That being said this group of painters swear by this practice. Apparently it spreads easier and is a breeze to clean up. My friend (who works with this paint crew) tried this recently and claims he’ll never paint with straight latex again. I think it’s worth a try, I’ll let you know what my experience is with it. Good or bad.
The famous HF "Purple Gun"! Is a pretty good gun, not only for the money, but as a gun in it's own right. I've shot a Mod. A Town Sedan with mine and a couple of fenders and hoods. Pretty Good! I drilled my nozzle out and I think it was it was around the same size and the small ports to .025. The gun worked fine. Also, experiment with a little higher pressure. I was advised to use the higher pressure by a professional painter. Read the back of the can for spraying directions, most have separate instructions for spraying. When you pour the can, make sure you don't paint the directions, pour so it runs down the front. Terry
Where are you? Canada? I use the $9.95 one. I have an ancient 2 cyl. upright 60-80 gal, Compressor that I have backed the pressure down to 100lbs because I'm so afraid of it. I can't say what the CFM is, but it has kept up with whatever tool I use. I have heard for tools such as this, you need 10 CFM consistently . I maintain that the purple gun from Harbor Freight is one of the true bargains around. Try to make it and sell it for $10 and have it work reasonable well. And I hate HF. Buying crap from HF is buying bullets for the chinese army. BUT they have these products heavily subsidized. so the loss is theirs. Terry
Use a silicone pour lid, or do what I do, use a dollar store funnel and pour whole gallon of expensive paint in an empty clean water or milk jug. makes for good storage and fills the hvlp cannisters quickly. it's worked for years.
Excellent tutorial. I bought one of these guns and tried using oil based paint with it. I ruined it bcuz I didn't know what I was doing. You video has given me motivation to give the gun model another chance. ( gonna have to buy another one.) Thanks for taking time to explain. I learned of few things today. 👍👍👍👍👍
The white stuff on the fluid nozzle is akin to liquid pipe sealant. As for product volume (water) is pull handle full back with fluid adjustment out. Now too far and cap comes off & spring. Screw in until it hit the handle. Remember, first pull is air only, second pull is fluid. My relative has thrown away 22+ purple guns and I just want to stain a fence. Yes, if cleaned, spray epoxy, primer or high build but not paint base, inner-coat clear or high solids clear coat. This purple beast will last until the seal around the fluid needle gives out. Drilling is easy as this has thin chrome on brass. Hold in gloved have to keep from breaking drill bit! My fence is stained, no thinning. If painting a car, dedicate a hose with filter before hose and on gun & buy a 1.3mm or 1.4mm. Just move faster to get use to settings, gun & product. Best of luck. To strip varnish or cars, browse to "Cooper's Strip Club" as he & wife sell kits of product that work. Watch their videos.
@@jonmike316 10% maximum as a rule because it can alter the structure of the paint. I spray a similar paint thinned down by 25%. The reason I thin it down so much is that I want a matt finish which isn't available in the type of paint that I use. The more water used the more dull the paint becomes. Hope this helps you.
supposedly, what everybody thinks is silicone is actually a liquid PTFE that was applied at the factory. But if it fragments, then it doesn't matter what it is - it's probably a good idea to remove it. btw, the pressure range is 40-70 psi, and a 3/8 or 1/2 inch hose should be used.
Awesome!! Need to know how to open gun air pressure valve and set the air pressure on gauge on compressor and on gun.. my gun keeps dropping g pressure when I begin spraying but it shows 200psi on tank , I turned second dial on compressor up to to 35psi, their is gauge on gun but it drops to 20 psi when I pull the trigger to spray
Good tutorial ,... I just bought this type of gun at Menards ($24.99) to paint my car and wanted to know if I could used it with regular house paint. this one looks like the one I bought, but I see that it cost less, it's always good to thin out the paint or use conditionals like Flood or Novaplex for better performance and to enhance your project . I like your idea and I sure will try it out when I purchase the Purple Gun... Thank you so much for your time, blessing on this pandemic crisis to you and your love ones :) †
Tip for vids John: if the light is getting poor and you need to cut, nobody will know or want to know - just cut don't make a side story out of it ;). Cheers.
Primer... Primer and the thin the paint. Use a stirring stick. Dip the stick in your paint. Then left the stick out of the thinned paint. Until you get a 1...2...3 count then drips
Great tip, Bobby! Also, a person could get a viscosity cup. My Avanti HVLP sprayer, also from Harbor Freight, came with one (it's about 2-3 ounces) and they suggest to submerge the viscosity cup entirely into the paint, lift it out and time the draining paint for 50 seconds. If the paint drains (from a small hole at the bottom of the cup) within 50 seconds or less, then you're good to go. I did a few tests by addiding water to the paint and mixing well, until it drained within 50 seconds. While the paint manufacturer (Behr latex for doors and trim, in my case) doesn't necessarily recommend thinning, I don't know of any other way to spray it.
Great video.Drilled it out from inside and sprayed Stix primer today with no thinning and it was perfect.Not one drip from gun.Advance tomorrow with hopefully no thinning .Just cross my fingers.Impressed with spray gun.Thanks.I'm in my right mind as esso made a comment.
hardcoremofo I didn’t wait 24. Many people don’t wait. I ran about 5 passes with my gun in about 30 minutes. With the 1.4 it’s a fine mist that comes out.
Thank you for the video. Also thank you folks who give good comments. I do not like to paint but I have to sometimes so I am not putting money into paint guns and so forth but because of this video I tried what you said and listened to what some peoples comments about thinning. I now have three of these guns and love it. I am going to buy better guns now but if I never tried just drilling a 5/64 hole I would still be brushing. Also thank you for answering those questions.
Thanks for the info. Was looking to buy one of these, but ended up buying the $19 electric one which I threw away. Next time I decide to paint I will give this a try.
No need to drill out anything, ever. Spraying is really an art, a ballet with half a dozen dancers, each reacting in sync from subtle changes in their partners. Experiment with Floetrol and water, each paint is different. Flo helps keep the paint open to lay down like glass, start @7-12%. Water 5-7%, try to keep it low as possible until you achieve your desired atomization. The reason to keep it low is that you reduce the durability the more water you add, putting more distance between the chem molecules that bind to one another.
Part of the reason you're leaking fluid out of the tip is because you may need to "burnish" the drilled out area. One guy used the gun's needle and a drill to do the job and he claimed it stopped the leak. Just saying....
The smaller the tip the finer the atomization. This is what you want for cabinets. Try testing on sanded plywood before you decide. You won’t get as good a finish. Thinning paint is no big deal.
Yes, it was fine for cabinet doors, but I’ve tried a few products and think I like PPG Breakthrough better. Still get a hard finish, but it sprays better and cures much quicker. I don’t recommend brushing Breakththrough if you’re an amateur…dry time to short. You get enough to lay it down and feather, say 3 or 4 strokes, then you can see it start to set up. SW emerald is between the two and may be the middle ground between final product and workability.
How did drill the gun tip from a drill bit 5/62, from outside in or inside out? My concern is to place the drill bit right on the center of the hole. What is your current air compressor capacity? Thanks for your vid! Thanks for
Harbor Freight sells a 2 gun combo kit that the larger gun already has a 2.0 nozzle, unlike the single purple gun with a 1.4 nozzle. No need for drilling.
Did you thin the paint with water? I did drill the Harbor gun to 2.00mm -- The paint I use Kelly Moore interior white swiss. The paint did not come out. What I do wrong? My air compressure is Porter Gabel pan cake 2.6sfm 6 gals. I hook up straight from the air compressor I set the air compressor at 60 psi. Thank you
@@twiztid83222 to a degree. The label should tell you how much is safe. Advance says no more than 10%. This is only done when you need a thinner paint for spraying. If you’re rolling or brushing, you wouldn’t want to thin….unless you’re like me and need a few ounces to cover that last corner and don’t want to go back to the store ;)
interesting video , I would have never guessed you could get water based paint (even if it's waterborne alkyd) through a cup air sprayer without thinning it too much ..... not a bad little rig for some small stuff .... Of course i could brush and mini-roll the project before you get that mess hooked up and sprayin' !!!! lol
@SomeDumUsrName - with good technique "brushed or rolled" comes out very well , especially if it's a satin finish ..... quality mini rollers , short nap , do quite well , but yes , I will give you a spray finish would be best .....
Floetrol from Flood Company is the way to go for thinning your paint. It’s like using a plastizer for cement, it thins but does not dilute the paint. If you are using oil base paint then you would use Penetrol. www.flood.com/products/paint-additives
sham channel I’m an amateur, so all of my opinions should be taken with a grain of salt. only opened the center to allow for the thicker paint. I was trying to keep the airflow as low as possible to retain some measure of “high volume low pressure”. On the flip side, other commenters have said the pressure is already too high, noticing the overspray. That overspray only gets worse with more air.
Let me say thanks for the video. What I paint latex with is the texture sprayer (from HF) that is used to spray wallboard gypsum. It has a few sized tips. The smallest can paint latex if you don't care a whole lot about the finish. So for my outdoor shed it paints it on thick and fast.
Your other sprayer sound like a HVLP set up. If that is the case you need to reduce the paint to get to work properly. I would be willing to bet that if you reduced the paint for this gun you would not needed to drill out the opening. The reason it is dripping could be because you opened the outlet while using the same push rod that is now too small for the drilled out outlet.
The difference is $79 versus $7.99. I'd drill it too. Huge difference between a home diy'er doing a project or 2 and professional painters that are using their equipment on the daily.
Melissa Johnson Well I consider the Husky to be a cheap gun. I am not a professional just a DIY’er and own two of them; one for primer and the other for paint. If the cheaper gun works with slight modifications cool. I started out with a decent gun because you know how projects go, one turns into two and two into 10 lol. Glad this video is out there for others that can benefit from it!
John, great video. I'm trying to do exactly what you've shown. Questions: 1) did you thin the Advance with water at all and 2) did you have any leakage out of the tip once you bored it out or does the needle still fill it out? Interestingly, I have a gun from a different (Chinese) manufacturer with a 2.0 mm tip which I bought to use with Advance, but it performs less well than the HF gun with the 1.4 mm tip. For the other gun, I need to thin the paint excessively in order to spray. Also need more like 60 psi. So something about gun design other than tip size comes into play. If I can spray Advance unthinned from the HF gun with a 2 mm tip I would be ecstatic. :)
plantguy100 I was thinned a little less than 10%, but you would never have known. I’m tempted to say the effects on thickness were close to non existent. I had followed others’ vids to set up the gun with plumber’s tape. No leakage. I didn’t have the wrench I needed but found one at the pawn shop for .50 cents
OK, John, thank you. Less than 10% is within reason. I've been spraying cabinet doors with a similar product, Sherwin Williams ProClassic Alkyd Acrylic hybrid, which has a shorter recoat and cure time than the Advance. (I have previously applied the Advance with a mohair mini roller and very much like the product.) With the SW product, I've been successful with around 10% to 15% dilution with the unmodified HF gun. Strangely, another manufacturer's gun with different design and 2.0 mm nozzle has required more thinning, such that the paint is too runny. You're right, if you stay below 10% dilution, the mixture is still thick enough not to run. In fact, I prefer a slightly thinner mixture whatever my application method, since it allows the paint to level out better. My main concern is leakage at the modified tip, but perhaps the tapered needle still completely fills the bored out nozzle such that no leaking occurs. I tried a simple water test with the HF needle for the 1.4 mm tip in the 2.0 mm nozzle from the other gun, and indeed it did not leak.
Isn’t advanced a water-based paint? I believe you can just thin it with water. In fact, I think it even says so on the can. Wouldn’t that solve the problem? Yeah, you would have to do an extra coat or two, but you have to do that anyway for the best results with advanced.
You cannot simply thin paint until it works in your gun, with undersized tips. Paint manufacturers specify how much you can thin their products without destroying the paint's integrity. Hence, larger tips.
@@FisherCatProductions According to Benjamin Moore you can. It doesn’t give a recommended amount of water, but most paint forums recommend 6-10% for HVLP systems. With an airless sprayer, you definitely don’t need to thin. media.benjaminmoore.com/WebServices/prod/assets/production/datasheets/TDS_0792/20181012%20792%20TDS%20US%20OKF.pdf
The paint is great but you have the wrong guy for the job, you should get a graco airless sprayer with a 311 graco tip for cabinets door or 313 for interior doors and trim moldings and you will get professional results
I believe the Graco is over $200. The HF purple is $16 at my local store. By proper thinning I have been able to spray a wide range of viscosity materials with my unmodified but fine tuned Purple. By fine tune I mean well cleaned and seal air leaks with teflon tape.
@@randysimpson7625 you can also spray it with a garden hose. It all depends of how smooth a finish one desires. I do understand your point of price vs. Performance however, and feel the bottom barrel price of an 8.00 gun cuts your efforts short. Its a grest way for you to learn though, and Advanced is the right product for the job. That said, advanced lays down so well, i can achive a smooth finish with a brush and or foam roller. So, no 8 dollar gun. But then, ive also ben painting for 25 years, and have used Advanced since it came out. You seem to be learning, and doing so at a reasonable cost so good job Randy.
As far as Michel, try the HEI tips, and fft. Use of numbers like 311 and 313 are no longer specific with the wide variety of fine finish tips now avail. Not to mention, randy is shooting cabinets. How will he run a quart or 2 through a piston pump? (Airless)
I just bought one last week...didn't see any additional tips/needles available for this gun. I used a #50 drill bit to drill the tip to a 1.8 size. Still waiting to use it...just been too hot down here in Texas to do any spraying. I have a barn full of cabinets waiting. HF does sell a two-gun automotive kit, which includes a small detail gun and a larger gun...the larger gun has two tips in the kit...a 1.4 and a 1.8.
or you could spend a bit more (make sure to buy on sale) and get this to make your life easier www.harborfreight.com/professional-automotive-hvlp-spray-gun-kit-94572.html?_br_psugg_q=hvlp
Great video. Very informative. I have been considering one of those Harbor Freight guns for several interior projects for a while now and I think you've convinced me to bite the bullet and get one. One question though....you have the most interesting accent. It reminds me of people I've known from Louisiana. Am I close?
Brandon Butler, guilty as charged. I had a much more pronoun Cajun accent when younger, but I’ve been in Baton Rouge for years now where they are more mixed with Southerners.
If the paint is water based or latex. My opinion would be to use pure water. Not alot . U can ruin the paint and it will never dry. Make sure you do by little samples. Good luck
@@PcRat1 horses for courses. Never do anything any better than you have to. Because perfection is the enemy of good enough. Do enough good enough and you'll have the resources to tackle the jobs that demand excellence. Diddle about when you don't have to and you'll never get to where you need to be. Habits for habit sake is a bad habit itself.
Paint Thinner you add 50% paint and 50% Pain Thinner and you can even shoot thru a 0.8 no problem. But if you mix 80/20 - 70/30 paint/paint thinner you should be just fine just make sure you stir it well so it mixes all the way.
jockellis I won’t say it’s factory finish, but it’s as smooth as any DIY’er could ask. Cabinet doors were painted when hanging vertically and came out smooth, and without any sagging since I also did not over apply like you might with an airless
I just used the same gun to paint my 36ft Gulf Stream motorhome and got excellent results useing a one stage $100 a gallon eBay paint and $100 per gallon eBay primer. Take the gun out of the box disassemble it clean it with lacquer thinner to get rid of the machine oil before using it. I plan on using it again for some other projects, painting the shed etc. It's a very user friendly little gun.
Thanks for the video my friend, I'm getting ready to try this and this is the ONLY video that shows someone doing it. I can't wait to try it out!
I just sprayed some kitchen cabinet doors using my HF purple gun with a 1.4 tip. I thinned the Benjamin Moore Advanced with a bit of warm water to get the desired consistency. Used 25psi at the gun. Flowed out well and laid nicely. The gun comes with a 1.8 tip, as well.
I use a LVLP spray gun with a 1.8 tip and get the same results with 22psi at the gun with 25% water. Two light coats of paint, sand in between with a green washing up pad, gives factory finish results.
How much water? 20%? using the smaller tip usually you need to thinned much more, with a 1.8mm you can reduce 5-10% and usually depends on humidity. I been using both the 1.4mm and a 1.7mm tip and get very good results, and depends on the actual weather and humidity. Floetrol is very good to extend the drying time and especially good in warmer weather.
@@gazsto9510 I used the 1.4 with about 15% water and it sprays just fine. I do need a few extra passes to get my desired coverage
Ive been using advanced for years doing cabinets, love the finishes. Use a 2.0 tip keep tabs on the pressure and your good. The only thing I really dont like is the drying time before the second coat. 99 percent of the time two coats is all thats needed. I think if you slow your arm motion down a bit you will get the coverage you want.
Do you think it's important to wait 16 hours for the second coat? I'm using a Sata gun
Gun works great with 1.4 tip. I sprayed Advance Benjamin Moore paint...cabinets and doors look great. Dont need a 2.0 tip
Use their command paint it drys fast
I am going to try to spray this paint with a 1.8mm tip hope it works
Very helpful video. A few paint spraying tips: clean all parts of a new gun w/ lacquer thinner (removes the factory protective coating on components); mix in a capful of Floetrol when you start the gallon & another capful when the gallon is half empty, thin the paint down - in the gun reservoir (not the can) - w/ warm water at least 10% (increase up to 29%, as needed), in addition to a pressure gauge, you should also get an inline moisture filter to keep water than condenses inside your compresser from further diluting water based paint. The moisture filter mounts on the hose between the compressor and the in line air pressure gauge. You mentioned straining paint. It’s a must do. For a low-priced gun, this Harbor Freight tool produces good results.
I have this paint gun. I did not drill it out and I have successfully sprayed latex. However, I had to thin down the latex quite a bit. I use a product called Floetrol. You can buy it damn near anywhere, but it's made to make latex spray like oil. Sometimes I'll also throw in a little purified water.
Yeah, I been using a 1.7mm tip and Floetrol helps big time with the drying and viscosity of the paint, adding some water helps if not overdone!
I tried shooting SW Emerald with this gun, adding flo to it. Would not shoot. Definitely will try a drilled out tip.
Same. Thanks for posting.
I just sprayed a whole house of interior trim and doors. The instructions for the gun says to thin according to the paint can instructions for spraying. I used enamel trim paint and it said to thin no more than 8 ounces water per gallon. I ended up using 16 and it worked fine. I used a fairly small portable compressor I normally use for nail guns and it held up fine. With the lower pressure the compressor does well. It did run a lot but caught up when I stopped to move, refill cup etc. I was able to get more volume of paint coming out by turning down the air flow on the left side of the gun to almost nothing. I used the regulator on the compressor at 70 psi. While spraying the pressure would drop to 40. Next time I will use a regulator at the gun so I can use the compressor at 110 psi and the pressure will last longer. This will be my go to gun for inside painting now.
Hey, so im bout to do the same and paint the trim on the outside of the house. Which paint would you recommend? And I think im gonna try your settings, I'm a amateur.. lol
@@aaronreed5754 exterior trim paint. Just fiddle with the different knob settings until you get the desired result.
Hi, just to clarify...you would set the regulator by the gun at 110? Would this result to very low pressure like you said - to almost nothing. I read pressure at the air cap should be around 10 psi. Also, what pressure should I set regulator by compressor, or does the one by the gun override it. I was planning on buying a homeright sprayer to paint kitchen cabinets but may go with Hf spray gun instead. Thanks.
Oh, I just read that you turned down the air flow to almost nothing, so is that totally separate on setting the pressure at 110? If so, please explain how setting pressure at 110 near gun helps. Thanks.
@@JC-ov5pt It just gives you high pressure up to the gun and more to use at lower pressure. I also used a reserve air tank and gives you more reserve at the higher pressure.
Great video. I plan on using an enamel paint to repaint a propane tank. I plan on thinning the paint before drilling out anything. I may not need to drill for this particular purpose. We'll see.
Man brother I gotta admit that is one awesome tip I have the same gun and it was taking me quite a bit of time to spray some doors, Thanks to you and your buddy for the tip an awesome video👍🏽
What are the specs on the compressor that you used for this paint job?
Thanks for the video. Was frustrated yesterday with the 1.4 tip that I had to sand the entire door . This morning I mod the tip with a 1.8mm (that drill bit I have) and I am so happy with the result.
I still have to thin 20% and set the air to 20PSI at the gun.
Excellent, I use the 1.7mm tip and get great looking results, you can use the 1.4mm but you need Floetrol and water to get a thinner more flexible viscosity for the paint flow, but if you up to a bigger tip then you can achieve the same results and get a fine quality spray, I found 2.0 and higher loaded too much paint and you need to watch the coverage.
Best video to match watch I am trying to do that I have found.
Thanks for the information, forgot alot and learned more
i have done this drill tip trick and it worked perfectly, I even used a cheap small compressor, and I use a little floetrol latex conditioner, i am a rookie just starting out painter.
Hi did you use 3 or 6 gallon compressor to use this?
i used a stock gun, thined the paint and painted my kitchen cabinets just fine with this paint and gun. No mods required.
Have you posted the final results of your cabinets anywhere?
What size air compressor did you use with the gun?
I know some professional painters and they openly talk about mixing paint thinner with latex paint. They recommend mixing 12% thinner to the latex paint. I haven't tried this but I hear it gets good results and better coverage.
@@erniemartin654 nada.
Mike Bell I know... and that’s what I’ve learned to be true as well. That being said this group of painters swear by this practice. Apparently it spreads easier and is a breeze to clean up. My friend (who works with this paint crew) tried this recently and claims he’ll never paint with straight latex again. I think it’s worth a try, I’ll let you know what my experience is with it. Good or bad.
The famous HF "Purple Gun"! Is a pretty good gun, not only for the money, but as a gun in it's own right. I've shot a Mod. A Town Sedan with mine and a couple of fenders and hoods. Pretty Good! I drilled my nozzle out and I think it was it was around the same size and the small ports to .025. The gun worked fine. Also, experiment with a little higher pressure. I was advised to use the higher pressure by a professional painter. Read the back of the can for spraying directions, most have separate instructions for spraying. When you pour the can, make sure you don't paint the directions, pour so it runs down the front.
Terry
Where are you? Canada? I use the $9.95 one. I have an ancient 2 cyl. upright 60-80 gal, Compressor that I have backed the pressure down to 100lbs because I'm so afraid of it. I can't say what the CFM is, but it has kept up with whatever tool I use. I have heard for tools such as this, you need 10 CFM consistently . I maintain that the purple gun from Harbor Freight is one of the true bargains around. Try to make it and sell it for $10 and have it work reasonable well. And I hate HF. Buying crap from HF is buying bullets for the chinese army. BUT they have these products heavily subsidized. so the loss is theirs.
Terry
Additionally, I have heard from guys who know a lot more about spraying than I do, Use over 40 lbs. PSI. The gun likes pressure!
Terry
Use a silicone pour lid, or do what I do, use a dollar store funnel and pour whole gallon of expensive paint in an empty clean water or milk jug. makes for good storage and fills the hvlp cannisters quickly. it's worked for years.
Excellent tutorial. I bought one of these guns and tried using oil based paint with it. I ruined it bcuz I didn't know what I was doing. You video has given me motivation to give the gun model another chance.
( gonna have to buy another one.)
Thanks for taking time to explain.
I learned of few things today.
👍👍👍👍👍
So it doesn’t work for oil base paint ?
The white stuff on the fluid nozzle is akin to liquid pipe sealant. As for product volume (water) is pull handle full back with fluid adjustment out. Now too far and cap comes off & spring. Screw in until it hit the handle.
Remember, first pull is air only, second pull is fluid. My relative has thrown away 22+ purple guns and I just want to stain a fence. Yes, if cleaned, spray epoxy, primer or high build but not paint base, inner-coat clear or high solids clear coat. This purple beast will last until the seal around the fluid needle gives out. Drilling is easy as this has thin chrome on brass. Hold in gloved have to keep from breaking drill bit!
My fence is stained, no thinning. If painting a car, dedicate a hose with filter before hose and on gun & buy a 1.3mm or 1.4mm. Just move faster to get use to settings, gun & product. Best of luck. To strip varnish or cars, browse to "Cooper's Strip Club" as he & wife sell kits of product that work. Watch their videos.
Great video John. I’m going try the modification.
Just as a rule of thumb, I thin paints to spray them. The only exception is the paints that are already thinned for spraying.
How do you thin them with what? Mineral spirits?
@@aftereverett water
How much water to thin them? Any general rule?
@@jonmike316 add 5% and test, add another 5% and test. That way you'll find the best results. Let me know
@@jonmike316 10% maximum as a rule because it can alter the structure of the paint. I spray a similar paint thinned down by 25%. The reason I thin it down so much is that I want a matt finish which isn't available in the type of paint that I use. The more water used the more dull the paint becomes. Hope this helps you.
supposedly, what everybody thinks is silicone is actually a liquid PTFE that was applied at the factory. But if it fragments, then it doesn't matter what it is - it's probably a good idea to remove it. btw, the pressure range is 40-70 psi, and a 3/8 or 1/2 inch hose should be used.
I mix in floetrol whenever I spray any paint out of a little gun like that. It works well
Awesome!! Need to know how to open gun air pressure valve and set the air pressure on gauge on compressor and on gun.. my gun keeps dropping g pressure when I begin spraying but it shows 200psi on tank , I turned second dial on compressor up to to 35psi, their is gauge on gun but it drops to 20 psi when I pull the trigger to spray
thanks for sharing, nice video
Thank you for the information.
Good tutorial ,... I just bought this type of gun at Menards ($24.99) to paint my car and wanted to know if I could used it with regular house paint. this one looks like the one I bought, but I see that it cost less, it's always good to thin out the paint or use conditionals like Flood or Novaplex for better performance and to enhance your project . I like your idea and I sure will try it out when I purchase the Purple Gun... Thank you so much for your time, blessing on this pandemic crisis to you and your love ones :) †
how did your cabinets turn out and lessons learned from that project?
Tip for vids John: if the light is getting poor and you need to cut, nobody will know or want to know - just cut don't make a side story out of it ;). Cheers.
I’m thinking of getting it, but I wonder if it would work with my 21 gallon compressor.
Awesome 👌
Why not use the lvlp fun from harbor freight that's designed to spray latex??
Primer... Primer
and the thin the paint. Use a stirring stick. Dip the stick in your paint. Then left the stick out of the thinned paint. Until you get a 1...2...3 count then drips
Great tip, Bobby! Also, a person could get a viscosity cup. My Avanti HVLP sprayer, also from Harbor Freight, came with one (it's about 2-3 ounces) and they suggest to submerge the viscosity cup entirely into the paint, lift it out and time the draining paint for 50 seconds. If the paint drains (from a small hole at the bottom of the cup) within 50 seconds or less, then you're good to go. I did a few tests by addiding water to the paint and mixing well, until it drained within 50 seconds. While the paint manufacturer (Behr latex for doors and trim, in my case) doesn't necessarily recommend thinning, I don't know of any other way to spray it.
Its a great gun for 2K primers I've never used it for paint.
baja h
I have had great results with 2k primer clear and Martin Senor Acrylic Enamel. There nice to have and cheap I have been through a couple
Hi from Prairieville. Thanks for the help.
Great video.Drilled it out from inside and sprayed Stix primer today with no thinning and it was perfect.Not one drip from gun.Advance tomorrow with hopefully no thinning .Just cross my fingers.Impressed with spray gun.Thanks.I'm in my right mind as esso made a comment.
Did the Advance need thinning?
@@flipper98c just two capfulls of water from a 15 oz water bottle worked great per fill on the purple gun.Just thinned it a little bit.
Thanks for the advice 🙏
Thanks for the video
I ran advance without drilling it out and it went down great. I did thin out the paint with some water.
hardcoremofo I didn’t wait 24. Many people don’t wait. I ran about 5 passes with my gun in about 30 minutes. With the 1.4 it’s a fine mist that comes out.
Thank you for the video. Also thank you folks who give good comments. I do not like to paint but I have to sometimes so I am not putting money into paint guns and so forth but because of this video I tried what you said and listened to what some peoples comments about thinning. I now have three of these guns and love it. I am going to buy better guns now but if I never tried just drilling a 5/64 hole I would still be brushing. Also thank you for answering those questions.
Enjoyed the video and will try drilling one of mine; great idea
Thanks for the info. Was looking to buy one of these, but ended up buying the $19 electric one which I threw away. Next time I decide to paint I will give this a try.
No need to drill out anything, ever. Spraying is really an art, a ballet with half a dozen dancers, each reacting in sync from subtle changes in their partners.
Experiment with Floetrol and water, each paint is different.
Flo helps keep the paint open to lay down like glass, start @7-12%.
Water 5-7%, try to keep it low as possible until you achieve your desired atomization. The reason to keep it low is that you reduce the durability the more water you add, putting more distance between the chem molecules that bind to one another.
FINALLY, and certainly, the guidance of a true Artist ! 🙂
Great video
Been spraying for a while now
But really learnt a lot from your through presentation
Thankyou 👌
Same for me.
Part of the reason you're leaking fluid out of the tip is because you may need to "burnish" the drilled out area.
One guy used the gun's needle and a drill to do the job and he claimed it stopped the leak. Just saying....
Great video. Great start to my learning process.
Do you know if I can spray this fun upward? Need to spray my ceiling.
Thanks
That’s a negative ghost rider
The smaller the tip the finer the atomization. This is what you want for cabinets. Try testing on sanded plywood before you decide. You won’t get as good a finish. Thinning paint is no big deal.
Robert that’s what I did and it worked great
I used an old Binks pot gun with acrylic enamel thinned with water to paint doors and the satin finish came out great.
Thanks for your comment. I been using this gun as is with the 1.4mm factory tip on my cabinet doors. Getting a great finish.
I did my whole kitchen cabinets with Advance with foam rollers. 2 coats and they look sprayed. Advance is a self leveling paint. Much easier.
Nice clean work surface you have there at the beginning!
Great video! Thanks!
Was it fine for cabinet doors? Do you still have it or you got something else? Give us an update. Cheers.
Yes, it was fine for cabinet doors, but I’ve tried a few products and think I like PPG Breakthrough better. Still get a hard finish, but it sprays better and cures much quicker. I don’t recommend brushing Breakththrough if you’re an amateur…dry time to short. You get enough to lay it down and feather, say 3 or 4 strokes, then you can see it start to set up. SW emerald is between the two and may be the middle ground between final product and workability.
How did drill the gun tip from a drill bit 5/62, from outside in or inside out? My concern is to place the drill bit right on the center of the hole. What is your current air compressor capacity?
Thanks for your vid!
Thanks for
Drill from inside out....it helps center the drill bit.
And its 5/64 not 5/62
Harbor Freight sells a 2 gun combo kit that the larger gun already has a 2.0 nozzle, unlike the single purple gun with a 1.4 nozzle. No need for drilling.
Did you thin the paint with water? I did drill the Harbor gun to 2.00mm -- The paint I use Kelly Moore interior white swiss. The paint did not come out. What I do wrong? My air compressure is Porter Gabel pan cake 2.6sfm 6 gals. I hook up straight from the air compressor I set the air compressor at 60 psi. Thank you
You need to plug in your compressor.
I saw ppl adding water to water based paint. Wouldn’t that be good?
Usually yes, but since this isn’t a latex, too much water will reduce the solids to the point where the finished coat won’t be thick/hard enough
@@johnnosacka9556 so I can add water to latex and water based paints?
@@twiztid83222 to a degree. The label should tell you how much is safe. Advance says no more than 10%. This is only done when you need a thinner paint for spraying. If you’re rolling or brushing, you wouldn’t want to thin….unless you’re like me and need a few ounces to cover that last corner and don’t want to go back to the store ;)
How was the over spray with the Benjamin Moore paint the used?
What compressor did you use and that gun needs a compressor that would CFM at 12 required to spray
interesting video , I would have never guessed you could get water based paint (even if it's waterborne alkyd) through a cup air sprayer without thinning it too much ..... not a bad little rig for some small stuff .... Of course i could brush and mini-roll the project before you get that mess hooked up and sprayin' !!!! lol
@SomeDumUsrName - with good technique "brushed or rolled" comes out very well , especially if it's a satin finish ..... quality mini rollers , short nap , do quite well , but yes , I will give you a spray finish would be best .....
I have had good results using a product named Flotrol for thinning these paints for both straying and brushing.
Tell us more please.
Floetrol from Flood Company is the way to go for thinning your paint. It’s like using a plastizer for cement, it thins but does not dilute the paint. If you are using oil base paint then you would use Penetrol.
www.flood.com/products/paint-additives
You opened the holes in this gun. Will it not carry hire CFM, say like 7 or 8 CFM?
sham channel I’m an amateur, so all of my opinions should be taken with a grain of salt. only opened the center to allow for the thicker paint. I was trying to keep the airflow as low as possible to retain some measure of “high volume low pressure”. On the flip side, other commenters have said the pressure is already too high, noticing the overspray. That overspray only gets worse with more air.
Does your regulator leak air out? I'm trying to use the same one and it seems to leak air out of it
How did your project turn out ? Did you have to thin the paint with water at all? Thanks
Good tip. 40psi with gun running
What psi you recommend when spraying oil based enamel paint
?
Thanks Perry Stone. Haha you sound like the preacher Perry Stone
Awesome!
Let me say thanks for the video. What I paint latex with is the texture sprayer (from HF) that is used to spray wallboard gypsum. It has a few sized tips. The smallest can paint latex if you don't care a whole lot about the finish. So for my outdoor shed it paints it on thick and fast.
Can we thin Benjamin Moore Advance paint ? If so what should I use to thin water or thinner
Your other sprayer sound like a HVLP set up. If that is the case you need to reduce the paint to get to work properly. I would be willing to bet that if you reduced the paint for this gun you would not needed to drill out the opening. The reason it is dripping could be because you opened the outlet while using the same push rod that is now too small for the drilled out outlet.
So is it possible to make that spray pattern wider, or is that as wide as it gets?
You want multiple thin coats vs one thick coat
how long of wait between coats
The command paint is better for spraying it drys so much faster
Did you think the paint
What pressure did u regulate at?
how did u get it to lay more material because i got mine all the way maxed out everything and its still laying light with 40psi.
Did you not thin your paint after straining? Benjamin Moore Advance is already thinner than other paint but you still have to thin it even using a 2mm
I spray Advanced with a $79 Husky HVLP running a 2.2 tip.. No thinning/drilling required and I get a perfectly smooth finish.
The difference is $79 versus $7.99. I'd drill it too. Huge difference between a home diy'er doing a project or 2 and professional painters that are using their equipment on the daily.
Melissa Johnson Well I consider the Husky to be a cheap gun. I am not a professional just a DIY’er and own two of them; one for primer and the other for paint. If the cheaper gun works with slight modifications cool. I started out with a decent gun because you know how projects go, one turns into two and two into 10 lol. Glad this video is out there for others that can benefit from it!
Why are you trying to flood the surface in one coat?
did someone use it and return it? That had some serious crap in it.
Stick your tub of paint in some warm water before you spray 😊
ADVANCE is the only paint I will use on Doors , trim and cabinets. The finish is like glass
Thinking of doing the same to my cabinets. Did you thin the paint? How did you prep the cabinets?
John, great video. I'm trying to do exactly what you've shown. Questions: 1) did you thin the Advance with water at all and 2) did you have any leakage out of the tip once you bored it out or does the needle still fill it out? Interestingly, I have a gun from a different (Chinese) manufacturer with a 2.0 mm tip which I bought to use with Advance, but it performs less well than the HF gun with the 1.4 mm tip. For the other gun, I need to thin the paint excessively in order to spray. Also need more like 60 psi. So something about gun design other than tip size comes into play. If I can spray Advance unthinned from the HF gun with a 2 mm tip I would be ecstatic. :)
plantguy100 I was thinned a little less than 10%, but you would never have known. I’m tempted to say the effects on thickness were close to non existent. I had followed others’ vids to set up the gun with plumber’s tape. No leakage. I didn’t have the wrench I needed but found one at the pawn shop for .50 cents
OK, John, thank you. Less than 10% is within reason. I've been spraying cabinet doors with a similar product, Sherwin Williams ProClassic Alkyd Acrylic hybrid, which has a shorter recoat and cure time than the Advance. (I have previously applied the Advance with a mohair mini roller and very much like the product.) With the SW product, I've been successful with around 10% to 15% dilution with the unmodified HF gun. Strangely, another manufacturer's gun with different design and 2.0 mm nozzle has required more thinning, such that the paint is too runny. You're right, if you stay below 10% dilution, the mixture is still thick enough not to run. In fact, I prefer a slightly thinner mixture whatever my application method, since it allows the paint to level out better.
My main concern is leakage at the modified tip, but perhaps the tapered needle still completely fills the bored out nozzle such that no leaking occurs. I tried a simple water test with the HF needle for the 1.4 mm tip in the 2.0 mm nozzle from the other gun, and indeed it did not leak.
@@plantguy100 You mix 8 ounce of water in a gallon
Isn’t advanced a water-based paint? I believe you can just thin it with water. In fact, I think it even says so on the can. Wouldn’t that solve the problem? Yeah, you would have to do an extra coat or two, but you have to do that anyway for the best results with advanced.
You cannot simply thin paint until it works in your gun, with undersized tips. Paint manufacturers specify how much you can thin their products without destroying the paint's integrity. Hence, larger tips.
@@FisherCatProductions According to Benjamin Moore you can. It doesn’t give a recommended amount of water, but most paint forums recommend 6-10% for HVLP systems.
With an airless sprayer, you definitely don’t need to thin.
media.benjaminmoore.com/WebServices/prod/assets/production/datasheets/TDS_0792/20181012%20792%20TDS%20US%20OKF.pdf
How long did you wait for the advance to recoat? The TDS says needs 16hours. Is it right?
The paint is great but you have the wrong guy for the job, you should get a graco airless sprayer with a 311 graco tip for cabinets door or 313 for interior doors and trim moldings and you will get professional results
I believe the Graco is over $200. The HF purple is $16 at my local store. By proper thinning I have been able to spray a wide range of viscosity materials with my unmodified but fine tuned Purple. By fine tune I mean well cleaned and seal air leaks with teflon tape.
@@randysimpson7625 you can also spray it with a garden hose. It all depends of how smooth a finish one desires. I do understand your point of price vs. Performance however, and feel the bottom barrel price of an 8.00 gun cuts your efforts short. Its a grest way for you to learn though, and Advanced is the right product for the job. That said, advanced lays down so well, i can achive a smooth finish with a brush and or foam roller. So, no 8 dollar gun. But then, ive also ben painting for 25 years, and have used Advanced since it came out. You seem to be learning, and doing so at a reasonable cost so good job Randy.
As far as Michel, try the HEI tips, and fft. Use of numbers like 311 and 313 are no longer specific with the wide variety of fine finish tips now avail. Not to mention, randy is shooting cabinets. How will he run a quart or 2 through a piston pump? (Airless)
Does anyone know if there are other needles, springs and tips that are comparable with this HF gun?
I just bought one last week...didn't see any additional tips/needles available for this gun. I used a #50 drill bit to drill the tip to a 1.8 size. Still waiting to use it...just been too hot down here in Texas to do any spraying. I have a barn full of cabinets waiting. HF does sell a two-gun automotive kit, which includes a small detail gun and a larger gun...the larger gun has two tips in the kit...a 1.4 and a 1.8.
or you could spend a bit more (make sure to buy on sale) and get this to make your life easier www.harborfreight.com/professional-automotive-hvlp-spray-gun-kit-94572.html?_br_psugg_q=hvlp
The gun is $10. Parts will cost more than it's worth. Just buy a new gun.
Great video. Very informative. I have been considering one of those Harbor Freight guns for several interior projects for a while now and I think you've convinced me to bite the bullet and get one. One question though....you have the most interesting accent. It reminds me of people I've known from Louisiana. Am I close?
Brandon Butler, guilty as charged. I had a much more pronoun Cajun accent when younger, but I’ve been in Baton Rouge for years now where they are more mixed with Southerners.
I knew it!! Thanks for the reply, and greetings from two states to your east. Also, thanks for beating Miami last night. :)
Truth be told, not many of us expected a win, but that's what makes it all the sweeter.
''Bite the bullet''? Say What????? Brandon... these guns are like $11 bucks... the bullet you want to bite would probably cost you more, hahahhaaa!.
Hey im using enamel exterior paint with this gun. Anyone think i should thin the paint a bit? And if so wat should I use. Thanks
If the paint is water based or latex. My opinion would be to use pure water. Not alot . U can ruin the paint and it will never dry. Make sure you do by little samples. Good luck
They screwed me bro mine has a plastic spray tip😢
Did you thin the paint out?
What state r u from ?
dont forget a water seperator on your air line
It is water based paint. So water in your line will just thin the paint out a little more. He's not exactly painting a concourse car here.
@@1pcfred true.. but still a good habit to get Into
@@PcRat1 horses for courses. Never do anything any better than you have to. Because perfection is the enemy of good enough. Do enough good enough and you'll have the resources to tackle the jobs that demand excellence. Diddle about when you don't have to and you'll never get to where you need to be. Habits for habit sake is a bad habit itself.
@@1pcfred I'm not a perfectionist by any means either lol.
Paint is paint.. if it looks good and your happy. Hey job well done. :)
@@PcRat1 that's it. If you're happy it's good.
Paint Thinner you add 50% paint and 50% Pain Thinner and you can even shoot thru a 0.8 no problem. But if you mix 80/20 - 70/30 paint/paint thinner you should be just fine just make sure you stir it well so it mixes all the way.
Good video ty man!😉
Good to know on spraying heavy stuff
i'll thin it up with acetone a bit
How did the doors turn out?
So im bout to paint the trim around my house, what kind of paint should I use with this gun? I see somebody said don't use base paint.
how big is your air tank for reference.
aaron fuksa I have a very old craftsman 10 gal, 1.5 hp. I just finished my kitchen cabinets....35 doors and 20 drawers. It did fine.
John Nosacka How smooth was the finish?
jockellis I won’t say it’s factory finish, but it’s as smooth as any DIY’er could ask. Cabinet doors were painted when hanging vertically and came out smooth, and without any sagging since I also did not over apply like you might with an airless
John Nosacka Thanks. I’ve got a HF gun but used an aerosol can to paint some cabinet doors and wasn’t too happy with the result.
Good to know.
What size air compressor are you using? And what size hose on your air compressor are you using?
Yes, your right. Your not a full time painter. How did them vertical surfaces work for ya at that mil thickness?
charles hart everything looks great. No sag, no orange peel.