Guys,

In the past I've monokoted all of my models except one that I brush painted.  My goal is to get away from monokote and start painting my future models.  I will be using Brodak dope.  I have been looking at automotive touch up guns, but dont know which to buy.  The following two guns look decent, but I am unsure if they will do the job:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=47016
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=86

Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

Thanks,
Jason Greer

Thanks for the response Joe!  I think I will give the 4 oz gun a try.  The price sure seems reasonable. 

Jason

I hesitated on commenting here. But Mark and I have pretty well known opinions on this topic. Mark is right, you get what you pay for. I have a Central Pneumatics gun. It's a big one with a 20oz cup that I use for shooting primer. It works OK in this application. Primer is tough on guns and I didn't want to spend a lot for something that wouldn't last a long time due to the application.

You don't have to spend a ton on a decent gun. Something like a DeVilbiss FinishLine gun goes for around $60 on sale and is a pretty decent unit. Not top of the line or anything, but serviceable and it will last and be consistent in use. The trouble with the Harbor Freight guns is they are inconsistent. You might luck out and get one that has had a decent build, but like anything that is mass produced cheaply, it's a crap shoot. They work OK for what they are. It depends on how important the job the gun does is to you. It's a lot more work to get a good finish with this sort of gun. Really, what you get with a better gun is ease of use and consistency. I sprung for a good SATA gun and haven't ever regretted it. It's really easy to use and shoots the same every time I use it. And it will last. But spending a lot of one isn't really required, just that you get one that is well made and will be consistent in use.

Jason,

Ah, the big question. I use the cheapo Harbor Freight gun to shoot primer (fillercoat), I have a modified DeVilbiss gun that I shoot color with and the Sata gun for clear. It's a matter of convenience. If you don't mind taking the gun apart and cleaning it thoroughly between using the color coats and the clear, then one gun is fine (though if you buy a good gun, don't shoot primer through it. It's hard on the gun over time). The nice thing about having two guns for painting is, you only have to do basic clean up on the color gun between changing colors. Nothing is quite so irritating as using a gun you just used for color with clear and having a glop of some color splat on the your nice finish or contaminate the clear.

So as I say, it's mostly a matter of convenience. You really have to clean the gun well when going from color to clear. And that can be pretty tedious.

Just a note. Usually when I'm done with a finish, I take all my guns down and thoroughly clean them using the little brushes and solvent. I lube the seals then put them away. A gun will last quite awhile when properly maintained.

>> SO in short, what Randy said.<<

Gee, it's usually me saying "what Mark said".   

Randy,

Yes sir.  I'm the one!  How have you been doing?  I certainly remember that storm.  I seem to recall one tent ending up in the top of one of the trees! 

Are you still flying any free flight?  Our last flying site dried up several years back so I am 100% control line now.  I still have all of my free flight models, but no place to fly them. 

My wife and I have already made plans to attend the 2010 CL nats.  Are you planning on attending?

Jason

Randy,

Those Muncie storms are really something.  They seem to blow up out of nowhere and things tend to go bad in a hurry. 

Hate to hear that your back is giving you trouble.  Dad has been fighting back troubles for the past few years.  After witnessing him being down with his back, I can certainly understand how that could affect your modeling enthusiasm.  I hope you get to feeling better. 

I sure hope you can attend the nats this year.  If you are able to attend will you be there for the FF or CL week?

Take care,
Jason
 

I think either of the two guns in your post will work just fine ....."equally important" is a good water trap filter between compressor & gun to eliminate moisture buildup....and a regulator to set psi for each different gun you are
using. Spray practice wood to get proper spray pattern before doing model.

   Geno

To put it simply,how about an analogy here,,,
 you can fly the pattern with a flight streak,, and if your good you can score well, its been done, Or you can fly the pattern with an Impact, or Cardinal, or Trivial pursuit,,,
which one is more likely to HELP you fly the pattern effectively

Spray guns are just like that,, you can make a cheap one work sometimes, you can make a good one work all the time,
One other thing to think about, How many hours have you spent prepping that plane for paint,, how much is your time worth?  a cheap gun that doesnt work right ONE TIME, will cost all of that labor you lovingly invested in that airframe. Personally, I want to pick up my spray gun, and KNOW THAT ANY PROBLEM THAT ARISES IS NOT FROM MY EQUIPMENT! that reduces the number of possible problems from 1000 to 500, 

I sure have to agree with this Mark. I've used cheapos and done OK, but when you eliminate the variability of the gun, the painting sure gets easier.