I purchase a tuoch up gun and medium sise spray gun for my composte work
I read in one my books that a spray gun with at least 2.2mm tip should spray the gel coat fine
what I want to know is, is this accurate? will acetone to clean the gun enough to use again and again? I will dedicate this gun just for only G.C.
brand names, models, links, pictures would all help
A proper cup gun would be better for gel-coat if you intend to use it for anything more than occasional hobby use.
A cheap Chinese HVLP spray gun with a 2.2mm air cap and needle, will work for spraying gel coat, but is a lot harder to clean than a cup gun.
Finally gel-coat can be very easily applied to smaller parts using a brush, which is much cheaper than either of the above options, and will work fine in most situations.
What exactly is a cup gun?
I have a USA made HVLP gun with a 2.2mm tip.
I was going to try and brush the gel coat on, but i am tryingt o get a few moulds done at the same time to make spraying the moulds worthwhile.
Cup gun is intended for spraying gel-coat, and uses a disposable paper cup to contain the gel-coat, which makes cleaning a lot easier. You should find more info on these on most good material suppliers web pages.
Be careful if you intend to use any sort of quality HVLP gun for spaying gel-coat, as guns can be ruined if gel cures before cleaning can be carried out.
If you are using a cup gun to spray gel, then its probably going to be quicker than brushing even on small to medium moulds, but if you use an HVLP gun spraying small to medium moulds, then the clean up time may mean brushing is faster.
the cup guns are selling for $140 up. are there any less expensive options?
I don’t wamt to ruin my hvlp gun, but I guess I could always brush the resin on.
I want to try and not half ass things
If you are making GRP mouldings, using pigmented gel-coat, and your parts arent that big, then there is no real reason to spray. Also brushing will mean less smell, mess, and expense.
and by brushing it on…he doesnt mean pour it on and spread it around…too thick and your tooling gelcoat/gelcoat top layer will produce more crack than harlem
ES Mfg. G100 cup gun. Whatever the price, it’s worth it.
Comes with #6 nozzle which is good for Gel Coat and primers UNthinned. Buy a #4 at the same time, for thinner stuff.
Brushing on gel coat is crap. Waste of time, and inconsistent results. Spray even the smallest parts.
i agree…i spend $200 on my cup gun setup and its the best money ive spent so far…ive made my money back 10 times over
how much and where can I buy?
also, tet. what are some names of composite supply shops in the burbank and san fernando valley area? I remember u mention some shop in burbank
The gun on ibferglast.com is a very popular gun. I think i know which one u are referring to. I found that same gun for like $130ish.
I guess ill buy it and see what happens. Maybe ill try brushing on for one mould
Brushing will work fine, but a good idea to read up on the recommended methods of doing this, if you are new to composite work.
Spraying with cup gun is faster and easier to do than brushing though, and may well be a better option for anyone not wanting to bother with the more involved brush application process.
well I am about to bite the bullet and pick up a cup gun for $150 shipped. what I want to know is:
will any generic cup gun spray all types of gel coat? even some heavier epoxy gel coats?
are there any disadvanatages to using a cup gun?
where can I read more about how the cuo gun works?
The tip is what determines what you can spray, which is easily changed in seconds. Don’t spray epoxy gel coats. It will constantly drip if pointed down.
Might be a good idea to get hold of a few books on composites and have a good read. Spraying epoxy is something that can be extremely damaging to your health, but maybe not something that is very clear?
yes, I have heard the same thing about spraying epoxy, its very bad. epoxy gelcoat should always be applied by hand
I’m in the same position, trying to choose a gun… Will the cup gun work well for spraying gel on finished parts or is it better used only in mold constructing parts?
There should be no need to spray gel on finished parts, but you may need to spray clear coat, which a cup gun is going to struggle with.
Sorry, didn’t explain myself correctly… I’m wondering about using one for gelcoat re-spraying on boat repairs or building fiberglass parts not using a mold process.