Thread: Spray gun for 121l/4.5cfm?

G'day Bob,
I bought a GMC 30 litre compressor a couple of years ago and then bought a kit from Super Cheap Auto or someone like that. It consisted of spray gun, tyre inflator, blow off gun (very useful), engine degreasing gun. I used it to paint a fibro fence with Wattyl SolaGard applied without any dilution. The only drawback was the the width of the spray fan, it was probably 50mm wide but I think it was still quicker than using a brush or roller. The motor was running most of the time keeping the tank full but as long as the pressure doesn't drop I don't think there is a problem with this.

If I was going to do it again
1. I would go to a air tools specialist shop and get a nozzle which was bigger so it would let out more paint.
2. I would spray the fence with one coat of Bond Crete first as it seemed to really soak up the first coat of Sola Gard.

Repco have a catalogue out now and they are advertising an air kit for $39.99 containing the bits mentioned above.

There is a thread on the Renovators Forum which I started asking about spraying a house. The consensus was that to do it properly you needed a high volume low pressure set up (about $1000+ to buy) to get enough paint onto a rendered wall, so I used a hairy roller.

But I would use my compressor for the fence, and a cheap gun should not have any problems spraying varnish.

Good luck.

Hi Bob, Lenco here again. I reckon my little spray setup is similar to yours. I use a low pressure gun and work at about 50 lbs and it goes like a beauty. And paint, definitely acrylic, even for exterior. Good quality stuff is guaranteed for 10 years and then recoat time. Acrylic doesn't go hard and chip like enamel and is easy to clean equipment, no mucking around with turps. The previous guy (i dont remember his name) was saying he only got a small width spray pattern,- maybe it was a touch up gun?, but you should get a wider spray than that. Cheers, Lenco

Yeah beer is good, how could I forget that. Yeah, my tank is only 26 litres I reckon and for about $150 they chucked in the gun as well. I get a good wide spray but had to dilute the acrylic which is pretty thick anyway. I remember on Deals direct a little while back they had a gun and a big pot, -about 10 litres from memory plus hoses for about $200. I nearly bought one just for the hell of it but for spraying a house they'ed be the go. What's the deal with bond crete, that would be as pricey as a good sealer wouldn't it?. Cheers, Lenco

G'day Lenco,
I don't know how the Bond Crete would compare with a sealer for price. I would dilute it according to their instructions, but I think it would stop the paint from really soaking in to the fibro fence. I did not dilute the Solagard when I sprayed the fence. I think that there is a bit of a risk diluting the paint because if it gets to watery you might have to do 3 or 4 coats and then you're probably better off to do 2 coats undiluted and use a brush or roller.

On the subject of spraying a house, the overspray and the need to mask everything is a consideration. One of the guys who answered my post on the Renovate forum said that he had used a LPHV gun to put the paint on and then used a roller to push the paint right into the cement render, rather than leaving it sitting on the top. I think that spraying a big house might be feasible, but I did mine with brush and roller and I don't think that it was any slower than spraying.

Yeah, I diluted about 15 % and it stuck well.There is a danger with brushing onto azzy,- a few years ago I had a mate helping me on a house and he painted the first coat on to the hardiplank which was set up on stools and planks. I had top quality paint, Weathershield from memory. Anyway, it was a warm day and my mate whacked the paint on but it was way too thick. The next day I could peel the paint off in strips.Yeah, painting in full sun is not the best and thinning is a good thing I reckon and you really have to brush it in. I'm a 3 coat man regardless, interior or exterior. I've still to use that ceiling paint that changes colour but what a boon that will be. I agree, spraying a house would be too much hassle for me,- brush and roller, way to go. I still wouldn't use Bond crete,I dont care how good it is, ha ha ha. Cheers, Lenco.

Gday Guys

Thanks for all the tips. I plan on using one of those big bucket of green fence paint from bunnings. I am concerned with over spray as my shed is about a metre from the fence and to paint the front of the fence the shed is directly behind. So if I don't want a nice "stenciled" effect on my shed, I will have to do some thing. I was thinking of getting some strong magnets and attach a sheet to the side of my colour bond shed wall.

I dont know how the paint will stick as I am using some pickets redressed from an old fence and new ones made from dressed pine from bunnings. Much cheaper than the cyprus pickets they have there.

I knocked up the fence uprights last week with wood bolts into the sleeper retaining wall. I ressed the bolt heads with a spade drill. looks rough yet tidy.

cheers gents

The only dressed pine we get from Bunnings here is radiata,- Hope you've got better pine over your way Cheers.Lenco