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Painting Firearms Components

I just finished reading the “So You Want to Paint—Where to Start” article by Dale Stitt in the March 2011 issue of Products Finishing. HVLP spray gun jumped out as a possibility for painting our products.

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 Q. I am a design engineer for a company that makes components for firearms. Many of the components are decorated by painting, and they must have excellent looking finishes. We are considering upgrading our present 20-year-old paint line and I’ve been assigned the task of finding the best painting methods and equipment. 

I’m not really up-to-date on painting operations. Therefore, I have some questions relating to automatic spray guns. I am considering HVLP. I just finished reading the “So You Want to Paint—Where to Start” article by Dale Stitt in the March 2011 issue of Products Finishing. HVLP spray gun jumped out as a possibility for painting our products. I was wondering if you could help me make a choice between the various types of HVLP guns and the various suppliers of that equipment. P.E.

 
 
A. Dale Stitt wrote an excellent article on the subject. Certainly HVLP spray guns will do a good job applying your coating on your product. Since I don’t give specific product and equipment recommendations in Painting Clinic, you will have to make your own choice. There are two ways to evaluate equipment suppliers: 1) Take samples of your products to a few supplier’s facilities to be coated using their equipment. 2) Have a few of the HVLP suppliers come in to discuss and possibly demonstrate their units in your plant. Based on the results of these test runs, make your decisions.
 

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