Is Earlex 3000 paint sprayer OK with car/cellulose paints

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 12:50 pm

Bigdaddy has brought these to my attention for respraying my bumper. I wold fancy getting one as I could use it for hobby work (R/C airplanes etc.) as well. BUT, it would have to be happy holding and spraying cellulose type paints. Looking on ebay, they seem to have a lot of plastic components. Will these be 'happy' about having cellulose thinners near them? Also, has anyone experience of trying to get a high quality finish on cars etc. using the Earlex 3000 (bumpers are one thing, bodywork another etc.)

Grateful for any thoughts

Mike

smartmonkey · Post by **smartmonkey** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 2:42 pm

If these are the airless sprayers then don't go near them. If they are the HVLP systems then they are OK for small areas. You can always cut back to a decent finish.

You get what you pay for with spraying equipment. I would recommend jamb guns or coarse airbrushes for small to medium models. Both need compressors but they are silly cheap of late.

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 3:23 pm

Thanks smartmonkey - they are HVLP systems. I presume the plastic they use is not attected by cellulose thinners? I've never tried cutting back metallic paint. Can it be done saitsfactorily? I imagine that - for a bumper and if is going to have a clear gloss lacquer over the metallic paint - I could miss out on the cutting back. I wonder thought whether getting some spray cans made up might be the best option short of getting the real deal.

I know knothing about high pressure spraying systems. Even if the guns are cheap, do they make any sense £ wise for the budget conscious occasional sprayer? Where do you get them and what do you need to look for. I like the idea of them just fine though!

Mike

trevd01 · Post by **trevd01** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 3:27 pm

Mike, the spray cans Ian sells come with one can of colour, plus a can of clear lacquer- these are the larger size spay cans, but I wouldn't know how much of a bumper you could do with one set.

madmile · Post by **madmile** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 6:10 pm

I have it on relieable authority that Halfords mixed cans at £10 per colour are a very good match for all Bongo Colours.

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 12:23 am

I was thinking that too madmile after I dropped in and spoke with them. Anyone know what colour the bumpers are on Bongos. I'm not sure it is the 'silent silver' that goes on the main bodywork in my green/silver '95 AFT. Grateful if anyone can advise

bigdaddycain · Post by **bigdaddycain** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 1:13 am

Hi mike,
I had an airlex system, (cant remember the model number)
And it worked well for me over a couple of years.

I sprayed, sideskirts,rubbing strips,rear spoiler, door handles,mirrors,and various A.B.S. plastics with (i thought ) good results.

That was on both my cars (ford focus') one, diamond white, the other, moondust silver.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/j ... /media.jpg

On the above car i did the rubbing strips,the headlight conversion, the sideskirts,and doorhandles, with the Airlex system. They were previously black plastic.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/joannelf/G.jpg

My current car (above)in the process of me test fitting a bodykit,prior to spraying with an airlex system.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/j ... C00001.jpg

And the finished result.

With the bongo....
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/j ... C00060.jpg

The roof and rear bumper, and the arches,and plastic mudflaps.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/j ... ris018.jpg

And on the front, just the grille so far....

The problem with the airlex system is that it cant be fully disassembled to clean properly. Consequently, you find that you need to run about a litre of thinners through the system to fully purge it of paint / lacquer etc.

Although a qualified sprayer would be able to rip pieces out of my efforts,i feel i got reasonable results, considering the work was done outside with flies,dust and midges deciding to land on the wet paint.

What eventually killed the airlex was spraying my wooden gates with woodstain... funnily, that's what the system is designed primarily to do

Its cheap and cheerful mike,... Cheap and cheerful, you pays ya money....etc.

bigdaddycain · Post by **bigdaddycain** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 1:17 am

mikeonb4c wrote:I was thinking that too madmile after I dropped in and spoke with them. Anyone know what colour the bumpers are on Bongos. I'm not sure it is the 'silent silver' that goes on the main bodywork in my green/silver '95 AFT. Grateful if anyone can advise

Sorry to hijack madmile, but silent silver on mine mike, I think we have the same colour bongo's mate, neat green over silent silver...

Oh, i forgot to mention, the airlex had a real problem spraying at a downwards angle

It not being a gravity fed gun, that caused me real issues when it came to lacquering the roof of the bongo.

I now have a gravity fed gun (halfords) and am planning on getting a compressor from B&Q The comp i have my eye on is the entry level version,it has a small reservoir for air, but its cheap! (around £40 ish last time i checked)

Bonza · Post by **Bonza** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 8:26 am

Mike,
One idea might be to buy an entry level HVLP system like an Apollo Turbine model.
The results Ive had spraying with the Apollo are very good. In fact its difficult to balls it up at all. " Adjustments are only spray pattern and amount of paint.
Overspray is minimal so you really save on expensive paint.

Ive found that any "blob" or run really spoils any paint job as you know. Rubbing it down then overspraying never really looks great so you need to get it right in one shot.

Then when you've finished all your jobs just advertise it in the classifieds in car building, aircraft building mags and get most of your money back.
I lent mine to a friend building his own plane and he was so impressed how easy it was to get a good finish, he bought it off me!

Ive tried the small compressor, regular spray gun and my efforts were average. HVLP systems are just great. The entry level Apollo is now reduced from £200 down to about £140.

Bonz

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 8:37 am

Thanks as ever BigD and I know you have advised before (I get a bit muddled in my old age about things like 'silent silver' and where I heard it, was it bumpers etc.). I think the name of the gun is Earlex not Airlex as I cant find Airlex anywhere? But in any case, the Earlex 3000 is regularly fetching (including postage) £40-50 on ebay, which is weird cos they are only £69 new from Argos. At those prices, it must almost be possible to buy an entry level high pressure set-up, and they sound better. 1 litre of thinners is a lot to waste at today's prices and if you are only doing a small job. I'm beginning to think that Halfords spray cans may be the most cost/time efficient option esp. as I want to get started soon without too much fuss. Frustrating though as I've always wanted a spraying system but its the issues we are discussing that has always stopped me

On a totally different note, its weird watching my postings reach the late 20th century. There was the one that was the year I was born, then there were the rock band years, then the year I got married. We're now around the time the children were born. Some more unpleasant ones lie ahead. The Stones once sang:

"Feel so very lonely, you're 2000 light years from home"

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo

bigdaddycain · Post by **bigdaddycain** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 1:58 am

Your'e quite right mate, earlex it is... it sounds like a lughole irrigation device

Well, bugger me with a hot candle!... ive only just noticed your posts! It doesn't seem five minutes ago when i read your first post about your 17" alloy wheels! ( I think i offered you some spare alloys to use while you had yours refurbed )... not sure, have slept since then!

Mike? cans from halfords will do just fine mate. Only you know how many jobs are on your agenda buddy. In my case i had a fair few,and i probably could have bought shares in halfords for the amount of cans i'd have required from em!

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 10:14 am

Very interesting bigdaddy that the adverts for the Earlex 3000's on ebay very often say 'only used for one job'. I wonder if the owner found the clean up after the job was such a faff (if they were to be sure the nozzle etc. wasnt all gunked up next time they came to use it) that they preferred to sell. And they seem to fetch decent prices 2nd hand - I think its a 'fetish' thing that some of us are prone to. Wanting a spray gun that is.

B*gger you with a hot candle? I can think of more wholesome things to do with my weakend, IF you dont mind.

Mike

francophile1947 · Post by **francophile1947** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 1:02 pm

mikeonb4c wrote:B*gger you with a hot candle? I can think of more wholesome things to do with my weakend, IF you dont mind.

I hope that was deliberate Mike

- if not, you have my deepest sympathy

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 2:46 pm

well spotted franco - deliberate - in this case - but very often with me its just a typo

bigdaddycain · Post by **bigdaddycain** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 1:38 am

... Oh, NO...here comes mike's weakend!