Originally Posted by
Mulo
Amazing gun !
So now I decided which gun to use I should figure out what to put between the compressor and the gun.
I was thinking to put a air regulator, water and dust filters at the compressor outlet, then the hose to the gun where I'll put the Iwata air controller + an water filter. Am I forgetting anything?
I've read a post (don't remember where) from a painter who said that he has something like: compressor > water filter > hose > water and dust filter fixed on the wall > other hose to the gun > water and air regulator on the gun inlet -I don't remember where he put the first air regulator (at the compressor outlet or between the two hoses) but he uses 3 water filters.
What's your opinions ?
As I've written in previous posts, your biggest enemy to getting a smooth glossy paint surface is water and oil coming from the compressor through the air line to your paint gun. A piston type compressor builds up heat in both the compressor and air. When the air cools, condensation forms in the line. In a perfect world where no expense is spared, a dryer is attached between the compressor and the start of the air line. This cools the air and takes out the moisture.
I'm going to assume your budget does not allow for a dryer. I don't have one either. What I do have is 3 airline filters designed to work together just outside of my spray booth. They sell these as a unit for paint spraying in a booth. The 1st one is a regular filter that removes most of the water/oil. The 2nd one has a finer mesh filter to take our what the 1st one missed. The 3rd one is a desiccant type of filter that removes any remaining water. Desiccant filters are filled with those little balls that absorb moisture.
After my 3 filters comes my airline pressure regulator. Than I have a hose that goes inside of my booth. It is in 2 parts. The 1st rubber section goes to a kind of manifold on the wall of the booth. The 2nd section is lighter than rubber hose. The 2 sections kind of stabilize the 2nd section so it is influenced less by the weight of a unsupported longer hose.
On the end of the hose I put a light weight quick release (made mostly out of aluminum) hose connector. Make sure you get one with a bigger hole that is designed for high flow HVLP guns Don't use a standard one commonly available.
On my spray guns I have one of those small bulb shaped light weight airline filters and then the 2nd air line regulator. Of course I have the male portion of the quick release connector on the other end of the filter. On my clear coat gun I have a small desiccant type filter. On my primer and color guns I have those bulb shaped filters.
Years ago I used to be driven crazy but occasional junk on the surface of my paint. They are usually described as dust nibs. All that stopped when I got serious about filtering my airline significantly.