This tip was submitted by John Top.
I had never owned a paint gun, and I researched them for my GlaStar project. I settled on the Binks M1-G, which is a gravity-feed high-volume/low-pressure (HVLP) gun. It complies with all air quality regulations with very low overspray and a 65% transfer efficiency. It requires only 18 lb of inlet pressure. It will handle all types of materials—including waterborne and high-solids—as fast as a conventional gun with a 50% material savings.
I kind of assumed that all HVLP guns were equally expensive or took a lot of added equipment until I saw a very informative ad from A&I Supply, which included a matrix comparing the Binks conversion system with a turbine HVLP on various points. I gave Binks a call, and after talking to their techies, gave A & I a call and talked to their techies. They recommended the gravity-feed M1-G gun, which will work with the small 3–5 hp compressor with a 25–30 gal. tank that most of us probably have.
A&I sells the gun for $269, which is not much more than the conventional DeVilbis gun Cleaveland offers, and you’ll probably save the difference in materials. (A&I ships orders over $50 for free.) It’s more expensive than what you’ll find at Home Depot or Sears, but if you want a quality gun at a good price, you can’t beat it.
When I talked to Binks, I mentioned that S-H was recommending a Binks Model 7 or equivalent with a #36 nozzle for the Deft primer they sell. The Binks techies said that the M1-G with their #94 fluid nozzle and #95 air nozzle will handle anything that the S-H setup will.
So far, I have used my new gun to finish-paint my engine mount. After 10–15 minutes of spraying, I was amazed that I had only gone through 3 oz. of paint. Had I bought this gun earlier, I probably wouldn’t have needed to buy an extra quart of PPG at $70! The gun can be choked down to less than an aerosol can, which keeps runs to a minimum.
I see no reason why it wouldn’t work as well with primers. Most turbine guns will not handle water-based materials, and those that do require them to be thinned. However, the Binks conversion HVLP guns are purported to do a great job of atomizing water-based coatings, many without thinning.
Funny how you tend to get what you pay for when it comes to tools!
