Jun
Spindles Making Your Head Spin?
Painting Spindles: The never-ending Staircase
Ever gone through the pain-staking task of painting all the balustrades and handrail of your staircase? Double the ‘pain-staking’ factor when you live in a town house, like me! Yes, that’s right my other half and I painted all 90 staircase spindles by hand! 90! We must be mad! I have to add, this was pre-children so we had time for these mad DIY projects. Now it would not be so easy. We’d end up with a paint-splattered toddler looking like some contemporary Damien Hirst masterpiece and two frazzled parents. So, what would I do differently? I’d most certainly turn to the QTech HVLP Paint Sprayer. With less time and more mucky toddler finger prints to cover, the HVLP is definitely the answer. It had me hooked at ‘spraying a door in two minutes!’
What Is A HVLP Paint Sprayer?
The QTech HVLP 5
To put it simply, a HVLP paint sprayer stands for High Volume, Low Pressure. Fitted with a turbine that produces a constant air flow, the HVLP produces even and constant paint atomisation. Rather than a motor and piston and a compressor filling a tank of reserved air, it is the air itself that disperses the paint. You’ll notice that we have stage 3 and 5 HVLP machines available. The stages merely refer to how the turbines are rated. A higher stage means a higher air flow rate to support paint atomisation. HVLP turbines deliver warm, dry air as opposed to compressors which produce cooler, damp air. In essence, if you’re looking for the most professional finish, select a higher stage.
Conventional systems produce pressure of around 45-60psi though achieve a low volume of around 8cfm. The HVLP works with a much lower pressure of around 10psi yet producing a high volume of about 100cfm. Though some of this ‘technical-speak’ might give you brain-ache, this machine is actually incredibly easy to use. In fact, whether you’re a pro or a painting novice, anyone can get to grips with the HVLP.
Under Pressure
So, what does this low pressure mean for my paint spraying? Having more air than pressure means that more paint is emitted from the gun to the surface. In fact, the transfer rate is around 90-95%, as the paint Is going exactly where you want it rather than overspraying. It also means you are less likely to be left in a fit of coughs by a bounce back of paint that leaves you in some suspicious looking Harry-Potter-esque dusty mist. Consequently, this means less paint is wasted, reducing the cost of paint by about 30%.
Need for Speed
HVLP:Spraying doors in Two Minutes
I bet you speed demons were wondering when I’d bring up that point of spraying a door in two minutes! One of the huge bonuses of the HVLP (and in fact all of our spray machines), is the time it saves. In a society of time-poor people, any short cuts that will give us a little extra time for a hot cuppa/cold beer (insert your choice here) is a bonus. The HVLP boasts a much faster application than a traditional brush or roller. In fact, tests have seen a 60% saving of time. Consider all those fiddly painting jobs like cornices and those dreaded spindles I mentioned earlier, the HVLP means there is no longer a need to stipple in and lay off. This machine really does machine those awkward jobs such as trims, furniture, kitchen cabinetry, stair rails, balustrades or tight corners/spaces a doddle.
Pin-Prick Precision
The HVLP in action
The HVLP Paint Sprayer is made for detail and precision. It is fitted with an adjustable gun enabling you to adapt your spray pattern/fan width using simple controls on the gun. This means you can zoom over a door or cabinet panel with a wide 8-inch fan. However, you can also shrink the fan width to penny size for those tricky cornices and other detailed projects. The control you have on this spray gun is second to none, meaning though you may need some masking preparation it won’t be the usual long-winded and tiresome job. This easy-to-control gun makes it an excellent option for a novice as it creates a softer spray as the gun lays the paint instead of blasting it.
I’m sold, anything else?
If I haven’t spun your head quite yet, there are a couple more perks of this nifty little machine. The HVLP sprays a range of products from stains to primers, lacquers, eggshell, latex and epoxies. It is able to apply much thicker materials whilst achieving a smooth coverage from such a fine mist. The finish is flawless with incredibly even coverage. In terms of the machine itself, it is renowned for its excellent performance as well as being quick to set up and clean down. The unit runs more quietly and is more environmentally friendly, lessening the pollution that other machines may release.
The HVLP is small, compact and lightweight making it easy to transport and move from one job to another. Let’s face it, you’ll be fitting jobs in right, left and centre with all the extra time you’ll be saving. If you’re new to the world of spraying, the budget-friendly cost of these machine makes it a cheaper way to get into spraying. It would be remiss of me not to mention a couple of important points regarding safety when using the machine. As with many machines you must stay protected and wear the correct PPE. Of course, a spray machine is riskier than a paintbrush (unless said paintbrush is in my toddler’s hands!) due to the pressure used to eject the paint. The nozzle can cut your fingers if you are careless and do not use the correct protective measures and PPE.
Get your hands on a HVLP Paint Sprayer
So, if you’re itching to get that DIY project started, head on over to our online shop to get kitted out with your HVLP and any other painting prep tools and PPE that you may require. There is also a great demo video of the HVLP in action over on our YouTube page.
