Initial Impressions of Qualspray Spray Gun

[Gregory of Sherwood Forest]

I'm about 90% convinced to get the QualSpray unit. The only option still on the table is to opt for a 4 stage turbine instead.

I haven't found a comparison between the two options that I can make sense of yet, though.

[Rob Young]

We can set up a time to play with it on the driveway.

[Gregory of Sherwood Forest]

I'm about 90% convinced to buy the QualSpray system. I've been looking for a comparison between it and a 4 stage HVLP unit, but I haven't seen one I understand.

[Rob Young]

We might ask for an email to be sent out with the Friady KCWG classifieds to find a member with the Qualspray model or similar and then do our own head to head. The Guild has an Apollo 1050VR too.

Could be an interesting afternoon out on the shop loading dock.

[Gregory of Sherwood Forest]

I'm 90% convinced to get the QualSpray. 10% is still thinking about going to a 4 stage HVLP unit.

The cost difference isn't an issue, but I want to get a high quality unit that will do clears and latex. I already have a capable compressor. I only wonder which is easier to learn, use, and clean.

[jteneyck]

I've never used a turbine gun, so this is just opinion and info. I've gleaned from reading. 

I've never heard anyone say that a turbine outfit can put down a superior finish to a compressed air conversion gun.  I would think that if turbine guns were superior autobody shops would use them. 

The heated air in turbine guns can cause problems with some finishes drying too quickly.  On the other hand, if you get water or oil in your compressed air gun you can have problems with fish eyes, etc.  

The turbine outfit is portable and can be a deciding factor if that's important.   

I don't think there's any difference in ease of cleaning between a turbine or conversion gun.  3M, for example, makes their Accuspray line of guns in both versions and they look the same other than the hose leading to them.  From my own usage gravity feed cups and the 3M PPS system are very easy to clean while siphon systems are more difficult and wasteful of product. 

A pressure feed system is more versatile than a gravity or siphon system, regardless of what kind of gun is doing the spraying.  That is a big consideration in any new gun I would consider.  

Again, I've never used one, but I've always thought that the hose on a turbine gun would be more limiting in how I could use the gun in tight places.  For spraying flat surfaces it would make no difference but if you have to get into cabinets, drawers, etc. it might be an issue.  

A quality turbine outfit costs a lot more than a similar quality conversion gun.  If you have to buy from scratch then the cost is probably about the same, but if you already own a capable compressor then your additional outlay is far less. 


I ended up deciding on the compressed air conversion gun approach because I wanted the compressor for other things besides spraying.  It also allowed me to start out at very low cost with spray guns that cost less than $50 and still achieve a very nice finish.  The Qualspray gun was a big step up, but I sprayed some very nice finishes with the $10 HF gun, too. 

John

[Rob Young]

-- small snip --

The heated air in turbine guns can cause problems with some finishes drying too quickly.  On the other hand, if you get water or oil in your compressed air gun you can have problems with fish eyes, etc.  

The turbine outfit is portable and can be a deciding factor if that's important.   

I don't think there's any difference in ease of cleaning between a turbine or conversion gun.  3M, for example, makes their Accuspray line of guns in both versions and they look the same other than the hose leading to them.  From my own usage gravity feed cups and the 3M PPS system are very easy to clean while siphon systems are more difficult and wasteful of product. 

A pressure feed system is more versatile than a gravity or siphon system, regardless of what kind of gun is doing the spraying.  That is a big consideration in any new gun I would consider.  
 
-- another snip --
John

I agree on the cleaning.  After reading A LOT of manuals for both conversion guns and then turbine gun systems and finally getting a turbine system (I don't have a serious compressor nor did getting one make sense for my future project plans) the basic cleaning instructions are 99.9% identical from gun to gun to gun.  Small differences, but nothing significant.  The primary differences are when you look at the exploded view diagrams and if you had to tear one completely down, the seals and locations are different and there would be some differences in how you deal with serious boo-boos like getting at dried finish from a back flow into a gun's air chambers.  Frankly, I plan to avoid that as best I can!

One trick I've found for cleaning my siphon gun's feed tube is to grab a cheap funnel (the ones you get 3 for $1 at the store) and use the small one poked into the feed tube.  With the gun upside down I just run water in with the trigger full back.  I'm spraying out on the driveway so it's easy to just walk the few steps to the garden hose and let-er-rip.

Worked well for waterborne stuff.  Did the same with a few slugs of alcohol after shellac.  In this case I have a slop bucket and just left it out for the alcohol to evaporate.  I think that took about 37 seconds in the heat from a few weekends ago...

I did follow this up with a couple cap fulls of sudsy ammonia added to a cup of water run through the gun at pressure.  Maybe not necessary, but belt + suspenders and I'm still learning.  Can't hurt, just time and a few pennies of sudsy ammonia.

I'm using cup liners and so far, so good.  Quick clean up and I don't feel I'm wasting (much).  The PPS system looks like it can squeeze out the very last drops!  A simple liner bag just can't work in a gravity gun.

My turbine came with a 25' hose.  And even playing with it on a 90F degree day on the driveway, I didn't find the air to be too hot.  With a metal body gun I would have expected the gun to get warm to the touch.  Nope.  I think the key is the long hose.  If I wrap my hand around the hose a foot from the turbine, the hose feels warm.  At the business end, not so much.  However this is anecdotal evidence because I didn't break out the thermometers, manometers and pressure gauges.  Add to this I bought a remote AC switch so I shut off the turbine while I'm moving parts around.

The one accessory I haven't played with in my kit is a 2' or 3' extension hose that is supposed to allow the cup to be mounted remotely from the gun.  In theory this would allow you to completely invert the gun.  In practice I'm not sure how I'm supposed to manage both the now remote cup AND the turbine hose.

One final cleaning comment, after reading several manuals and now I can't remember which one recommended this, store the gun with the cup (or cap in the case of a gravity gun) off so that the gasket is less likely to take a set.  Eventually it will, but at least this way it has the chance to bounce back.

I'm learning a lot from John's posts with his 3M PPS rig.

---

I'm 90% convinced to get the QualSpray. 10% is still thinking about going to a 4 stage HVLP unit.

The cost difference isn't an issue, but I want to get a high quality unit that will do clears and latex. I already have a capable compressor. I only wonder which is easier to learn, use, and clean.

Pull the trigger (pun!) on the QualSpray.  It will do what you want.

[Gregory of Sherwood Forest]

Thanks for the added info, guys. I appreciate it. Also, sorry for the triple post above. I used QuickReply the first couple times and I couldn't see the replies after completing them, so I thought they didn't work. Then, after I used the standard reply, they all showed up. Glitch on my end or the new system? Not sure, but I hope it didn't annoy anyone.

Since I have two shops, I thought that maybe having the turbine would be good so that everything would be transportable between them, but with compressors in both, I don't see a serious need. I'll probably stick with my first impressions and go with the QualSpray.

jteneyck, I want to thank you especially for all the info and this great thread. I think it put me over the top in  being comfortable with the decision. Jewitt owes you commission for at least a couple buys, it would seem. It's great that he's so helpful and that you passed the info along.

Rob, see you Sunday for some test sprays. I'll respond to your email. If anyone else in the area wants to join us, I'm sure we wouldn't mind. We'll run some test sprays with a couple nice turbine units. We'll do it again in the future with my QualSpray, after I get it.

-G

[Gregory of Sherwood Forest]

John,
Just because I want to be sure of which one you bought-

Was it the AM6008/PPS?

"AM-6008/PPS – Same as above but replace Aluminum Cup with 30 oz PPS H/O Cup, adapter and 5 lids/liners $355.00"

I see the AM-5008 on their Ebay site, but not the AM-6008/PPS. I'll have to call to order it, I guess.

Thanks!

[jteneyck]

John,
Just because I want to be sure of which one you bought-

Was it the AM6008/PPS?

"AM-6008/PPS – Same as above but replace Aluminum Cup with 30 oz PPS H/O Cup, adapter and 5 lids/liners $355.00"

I see the AM-5008 on their Ebay site, but not the AM-6008/PPS. I'll have to call to order it, I guess.

Thanks!

That's the one, and that's what I paid for it.  The only way to order it is by phone, as far as I can tell.  But Jeff was there when I called, shipped it the same day, and I received it the next morning.  

John