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In that case, then yes, buy a good paint gun. I saw that number thrown around in the thread earlier but I assumed you all were joking. OP: check out the iwata LPH50. Iwata products in general use less air than sata or devilbiss and make less overspray. I will never own a sata product. They are a great gun, but if you ever need parts you're screwed as they are insane expensive. They also only sell aircaps, nozzles and needles as matched sets.

The LPH50 looks like it's about $50 more expensive than the FX1000. It also comes with a .6 mm needle - too small, right? If so, I guess I'd be buying more needles. Anyway, curious to hear if you think it's that much better than the FX1000.

Thanks
 
The biggest factor is a quality paint job however is your prep. Everything must be clean enough to eat off of. Any parts receiving paint must be sanded. Bare metal areas need epoxy primer or self etching primer. When you buy your paint and primer, ask the counter person for copies of the tech sheets for the product you are using. Then read and follow said tech sheets.

Everything is down to the bare metal - it's all been sandblasted. However, I don't know if I have a epoxy or self-etching primer. I suspect that I don't. It's Lechler Acrylic HS 5:1 filler. Says it's "a high filling product for repairs." Should I return it and ask them for epoxy or self-etching primer?

Self-etching primer is Lechler 04318 - https://portal.lechler.eu/DesktopMo...oad.aspx?EntryId=135584&Command=Core_Download

And this looks like their epoxy primer - https://portal.lechler.eu/DesktopMo...load.aspx?EntryId=37633&Command=Core_Download

The actual paint is Lechler 155 acrylic enamel - https://portal.lechler.eu/DesktopMo...load.aspx?EntryId=41120&Command=Core_Download

Thanks,

Scott
 
Choose your fluid nozzle based on what the product you're using says in the tech sheets. 125 for an FX1000 is a good price. I will check my iwata catalog at work Monday as their website kind of sucks. In general, thicker product, bigger tip. Although keep in mind nozzle size on a detail gun will always be smaller than a full size.
 
If you already have self etch you should be fine. You need one or the other, not both.

Sorry, my post above wasn't clear. I have Lechler Acrylic HS 5:1 primer. Said to be a high filling product for repairs. I'm thinking I should go get some self-etching or epoxy primer, whichever one is compatible with the acrylic enamel.

Got it on the tech sheets and nozzle size.

Thanks!

Scott
 
Either should be compatible. But read your sheet on the 5:1 primer very closely because if you use that primer you will most likely need to sand it before you top coat which could possibly be extra unnecessary work. If it was me, I would use an epoxy primer such as PPG DPLF over the entire crankcase, bare metal included. The advantage of this product is that you can go directly to top coat without sanding.
 
Either should be compatible. But read your sheet on the 5:1 primer very closely because if you use that primer you will most likely need to sand it before you top coat which could possibly be extra unnecessary work. If it was me, I would use an epoxy primer such as PPG DPLF over the entire crankcase, bare metal included. The advantage of this product is that you can go directly to top coat without sanding.

Ok, I will go pick up some epoxy or etch primer.

Thanks for the input!

Scott
 
If you do etch primer you'll have to sand it before topcoating, and most etch primers are not reccommended to be directly topcoated. You want a primer surfacer in between the etch and your top coat to prevent the acids in the etch primer from staining your top coat. But every product is different, that's why I can't stress the importance enough of reading the tech sheets.
 
If you do etch primer you'll have to sand it before topcoating, and most etch primers are not reccommended to be directly topcoated. You want a primer surfacer in between the etch and your top coat to prevent the acids in the etch primer from staining your top coat. But every product is different, that's why I can't stress the importance enough of reading the tech sheets.

Ok I will definitely check out the tech sheets. Thanks again!
 
Ok, reading the tech sheets, they said I could spray the enamel top coat on top of the epoxy primer, so that's what I'm going to use.

I also bought a Sharpe FX1000 mini HVLP gun with 1.4 mm tip recommended by @Stihlhead460.

Here's a question -- the enamel top coat calls for a 1.2 or 1.4 mm with an HVLP gun. The primer calls for a 1.6 - 1.8 mm tip with an HVLP gun.

The FX1000 gun doesn't have replaceable tips; I would need to buy another gun to spray with a 1.6 or 1.8 tip. I'm assuming, however, that I can spray the primer with the 1.4 mm tip. What do y'all think?

Scott
 
Fx1000 is considered a detail gun and in general, detail guns run smaller in tip size than a full size gun. A 1.4 detail gun is basically a primer gun and equivalent to probably a 1.6 to 1.8 in a full size gun. My advice: mix up a small batch of you epoxy and do some sorayouts to see how it sprays. If the primer is indeed too thick, thin it with whatever is recommended on the tech sheet. If there is no recommendation, you will probably be safe thinning it 10% with acetone or a urethane grade reducer.
 
Resurrecting this thread (rather than starting my own) for touching up (not a full repaint job) my Stihl MS650:
  • Found some NOS Valspar tractor paint in ford gray
  • Checked the SDS sheets for the Majic hardener and think it's about the same as the older Valspar hardener (and doesn't cost $100 per bottle like the rustoleum hardener)
    • I will be mixing small batches of paint to brush on: think eye droppers and test tube size samples. Preserving the remainder of the chemicals with a cheap argon wine saver
  • Sounds like for touch ups a rattle can epoxy primer over freshly scuffed paint/metal-surface is the way to go (2K EPOXY RUST-CURE PRIMER USC-3680032 or Max Spray 2K 3680034 2K Epoxy Primer)
Any advice or issues you're seeing with this plan?

Thanks!
 
These are reportedly the GERMAN paint codes for Stihl paint, I don't know how to translate to American paint codes. Old Stihl white is German paint code RAL 7035. Old Stihl Red/Orange is RAL 3000. New Stihl orange is RAL 2004. New Stihl white is RAL 9010. Hope this helps.
 
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