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Airless spray gun - Is it any good?

AndyAndyAndy

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Seeing a lot of cheap (under $40) airless spray guns. Is it any good for painting things like motorcycle frames, DIY welded metal stuff (shelves, tables)? What type of paint does it use, can you mix color to your liking? Is it better than rattle can paint job?
 

Kartorbust

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Haven't used one before, but I've cautiously been wanting one. I'd watch some videos on YouTube on them to see if they are worth it.
 

Denny

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Go to Harbor Freight and buy one of their spray guns and an air compressor. You will be much happier in the end with the results and saving money on wasted airless spray gun, wasted paint and having to strip lousy paint job from projects. 😀
 

Hellion

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I will add myself to the "other side" who thinks these paint sprayers are wonderful--this new tech seems to be good.

One of my favorite YT channels, MasterMilo, has used an airless paint sprayer and I'm fairly certain it's regular enamel (Rustoleum or the Dutch equivalent) they're using. Also fairly certain it is a top-of-the-line $$$$ machine or just a good one. Turn on subtitles:


And yes you should watch a few of the restoration series videos on their Iraqi Type 69 tank (Chinese copy of Russian T-55). It's nuts.
 

Denny

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For painting a Tank a flat color maybe or staining your wooden deck or wood fence. For painting something nice they $uck.
Seeing how this is not really a Tank restoration or modification site I respectfully say you are wrong. If you actually had tried to use one as I have you would agree.
 

Hellion

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Opinions vary, but I'm not going to follow yours as concrete fact. I'm going to call your opinion "a different experience" or maybe "user error". :giggle:

Never said this was a tank restoration site (c'mon man!) but it's the same type of thing and the same principle, can you not see the similarities?
This is definitely a modification site, unquestioningly. That is included under the umbrella of DIY. The OP said motorcycle frames and metal shelves, he didn't say he was painting the Sistine Chapel.

That tank is painted in gloss or semi-gloss, for the record. Other videos show that the finish is pretty nice and crisp. There's no indication that the first coat is super thick or obscures fine detail. Then again the turret in particular is a rough steel casting and is imperfect by design.
Other parts are not 'imperfect' but are as precision as anything else (weapon systems in particular) in the western world.
 
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