James Miller
Owner at - Painter SprayerBeing a professional painter, James never limits himself to his job only. He wants to utilize his decade of painting experience by helping people who...Read more
Many people know the HVLP turbine for painting wood, little house interior space, and other things. They also know the compressor painting machine for painting cars. So when there’s no compressor or other painting equipment but an HVLP turbine, can I paint a car with HVLP turbines?
You can use the HVLP turbine to paint your car. You can use the turbine with automotive paint seamlessly, but it doesn’t work like other painting equipment. We will show you how to paint a car with an HVLP turbine and the safety precautions to take while painting with it. Follow through with this article to learn more.
Contents
Can I Paint a Car with An HVLP Turbine?
Although the HVLP is popular for using light paints and car paints are not on the list, you can still paint a car. However, the process is not as straightforward as it is for painting equipment they created for car painting. The HVLP turbine is lightweight, and you do not need an external air compressor to use it.
What to Consider when Choosing the Right HVLP Turbine to Paint Your Car
Choosing the right HVLP turbine for auto painting is important. As much as we have established that the turbine can paint cars, not all the HVLP turbines can paint cars. The different types of HVLP turbines have different components and stages that make them function at different levels.
1. HVLP Turbine Stages for Car-Painting
Air pressure flows differently from the HVLP turbine at different stages in the turbine. An HVLP turbine with a higher turbine stage has more psi on the tip of the spray gun. It helps for a better spray of the paint and makes the paint come out in larger quantities.
The HVLP turbine has 3, 4, and 5 stage turbines, and we recommend the one with 5 turbine stages. It will make the paint come out with enough spraying pressure that the car needs. A 4 stage turbine won’t do badly on your car, but it won’t deliver perfection the way a 5 stage turbine will.
2. HVLP Turbine Filters
Turbines draw air into them to regulate the paint and send it out for good delivery. There is no telling of the level of dirt the air can get into the paint, which can make you have a dirty job. So, the turbine filter is an important factor for painting cars. Make sure the turbine filter is efficient enough for the pressure.
3. the Type of Spray Gun
The type of spray gun the turbine has is also an important factor. We recommend the gravity spray gun because it offers better control than the siphon spray gun. So, the turbine must have gravity spray for your car to have a wonderful finishing touch with an HVLP turbine.
4. Spray Gun Tip Size
The spray gun tip size is important because it is in charge of how much paint leaves the HVLP turning. If the pressure is high and the gun tip is small, it will still disburse little paint. We recommend a tip size of 1.2mm or 1.3mm for clear coats and 1.5mm or 1.8mm for base coats.
How to Paint a Car with HVLP Turbine?
There are steps you need to follow for people who haven’t used an HVLP turbine to paint a car before. Skipping a step can make your work futile or give you a bad delivery. But before we explain the steps of using the turbine, let us explain how it works.
How HVLP Turbine Works
An HVLP turbine has a point where it lets air into it. Air goes through the filter for dust removal and makes its way to the spray gun, where it comes out through the nozzle with the paint. The nozzle regulates how much air and paint leave the turbine. So, the job of the air is to push out the paint with pressure and spread it on the car.
If the turbine takes in too much air, it won’t affect it. The air comes in according to the stage the turbine is at. This means if you set the turbine at stage 3, its airflow will be at its lowest. If it increases to stage 4 and 5, which are currently highest, the airflow will increase. All these make the HVLP work properly and the working cycle flow.
How to Paint a Car with An HVLP Turbine
1. Prepare the Car
Preparing the car you want to paint is a very important step. Cover the part you don’t want the paint to get to. The spray gun directly releases the paint on the car, and it might get to the car’s windscreen. So you must protect those parts you don’t want stained.
Some people use a cloth to cover the places they don’t want the paint to touch. But, the safest means is with a cello tape and paper. Line the tape neatly around the edges of the spot you want to keep away from the paint. Then, put the paper under it and cover the spot. Repeat the step for all the spots you don’t want to be affected.
2. Put the Automotive Paint
You cannot paint a car with just any kind of paint. It has to be an automotive painting. At the top or bottom of the spray gun, there is a container to put your paint. Open the container, pour in a reasonable amount of automotive paint, and then cover it.
Make sure not to turn on the turbine before you add the paint. This is to avoid accidental sprays on places you do not want to spray. When the turbine is not turned on, the gun trigger cannot spray out the paint because there is no air.
3. Turn on the HVLP turbine
To use the HVLP turbine, the next thing to do after putting the paint is turn on the machine. The power switch is always visible at the front of the turbine, regardless of the type of HVLP turbine. Sometimes we advise you to put water in the container, turn on the turbine, and then spray it out to wash off dust through the nozzle. But, that is not applicable all the time.
4. Select the Turbine Stage
The circuit breaker is mostly next to the power switch or the filter indicator light. Use it to select the stage you want the turbine to run at. The best stage to place the turbine to paint a car is stage 5. At this stage, the air pressure is high, and the paint sprays out efficiently.
5. Spray the Car
The spray gun should already have a hose connected from the air inlet on the gun to the air outlet on the turbine. If it isn’t, connect the hose manually, as the connection process is effortless. After that, take up the spray gun and press the trigger on it to spray the paint on the car.
Spray every part of the car neatly. If any part of the car requires a second coating, apply a second coating on it. Ensure that every painted part of the car is even, and no side is thicker or brighter than the other.
Safety Considerations When Painting a Car with An HVLP Turbine
We do not advise you to take up an HVLP turbine and start spray painting a car. There are safety precautions you have to follow keenly to keep yourself out of harm’s way.
Put on A Coverall
Before you paint, ensure to wear a coverall not to get the paint on your body. Also, not to get the paint on the cloth you are on, since you cannot go naked to paint your car.
Cover Your Nose
Inhaling the paint when your spray is not good for your health, and most times, you inhale unconsciously. So, to protect yourself from the toxicity of the paint to your health, cover your nose before you paint. You can wear a nose mask or a full-face helmet.
Know How To Operate the Turbine
Knowing how to operate the HVLP turbine is important for safe usage. If you do not know how to use the turbine, you can end up injuring yourself by putting your hands in the wrong place or causing worse damage. The best way to know how to operate the turbine is by reading the user manual.
Conclusion
It is not enough to ask, “Can I paint a car with HVLP turbines?” when you don’t know how it works. HVLP turbine is a portable spray painting tool replacement for big and fixed spray painting machines.
The turbine gives the same finishing touch to a car with compressor spray painting machines. It is easy to use, but you need to get a 5 stage turbine for a car.
Being a professional painter, James never limits himself to his job only. He wants to utilize his decade of painting experience by helping people who don’t have much knowledge about painting. That is why he created this site Paintersprayer, where he will share all of his experiences about painting with a broader audience. In Paintersprayer, James will share his knowledge and skill and help people select the best paint spraying and other painting tools.
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