I'm in the market for an HVLP turbine system and need more information. I had the opportunity to go to the "Wood Works!" expo this past weekend where I saw both Apollo and Turbinaire. For the past two days I have been reading everything that I can get my hands on.

The results of my research are:

- A three-stage turbine is really the minimum.
- A four-stage is necessary if one plans to shoot latex.
- Pretty much all of the units out there use an Ametek Lamb turbine.

Given that a good turbine HVLP system is in the $800 range, about $200 of that is the spray gun itself. The rest of the cost is in the turbine. When I did a Google search for Ametek p/n 116765 (the three-stage turbine) I found it available for under $150.

Would it be feasible to just buy the turbine, build a box around it with appropriate air filtration, and buy a decent gun? I figure I can have a functional system for under $400 this way.

Am I missing something obvious here or would it really be possible to build this?

In all honesty, an HVLP "compressor" is really nothing more than a two or three stage Vacuum cleaner motor. I have a book that outlines the construction of the compressor. I can't for the life of me think of the name or find it since we have just moved.

I have considered hooking a "TRUE" HVLP gun to the output of my 5 horse Shopvac to see how it would perform.

Has anyone tried this?

Another test that would be amusing, hook the gun to a leaf blower. It is the same type of device, why not?

It is completely do-able. Just be sure that the compressor side of the turbine is sealed from the cooling/motor side. You can also use a piece of Formica to direct the air to the outlet you install on the turbine side. (Just to round out the inside of the box and reduce air turbulence)

Good luck, let us know how it turns out.

seanderson

That sounds reasonable enough. I just learned that there was a plan in Fine Woodworking magazine back in 1994 that described how to make an HVLP turbine. Unfortunately it's out of print. More unfortunate is that they choose the wrong turbine for the box.

If you're looking at Apollo and Turbinaire, you should also look at Fuji. Mine is a Q4. Very dependable. Great performer. http://www.fujispray.com/ Price was right, and I think you can find them new on ebay.

I purchased the Apollo several years ago and have had good service from the factory when I needed information and additional parts. I did find that replacement parts are not cheap and the shipping and handling charges are at the high end. However, they have always had what I needed and with a quick turn around. (shipped the same day ordered)

Thanks for the info! I had looked at Fuji's site previously, but didn't know of anyone using their equipment.

My understanding of the turbine-based equipment is that the turbine itself is pretty similar from one brand to the next. It's really the gun that makes a difference. Have any of you ever tried a different brand of gun on your turbine to see if it was any better?

At the wordworks show I was able to hold two different Apollo guns. Their high-end is completely metal and has a nice ergonomic design to it. It was comfortable to hold. The cup is teflon lined. However the only way to get that gun is to buy their $1000 four-stage turbine kit. If you buy any of their three-stage kits, you get their standard gun which is similar in design, but has a plastic handle. The cup for that one isn't teflon-lined, but the handle probably doesn't get as warm being plastic. It's a trade-off. Apollo believes in bleeder guns.

Fuji only offers one gun which has a plastic handle. It is non-bleed.

Turbineaire offers a couple of guns. Their standard model is an all-metal bleeder unit. They offer an "industrial" non-bleeder as an option.

Prices seem to be all over the map. Fuji offers their low-end non-bleed system for $599. Turbinaire is $549 for roughly the same thing with a bleeder gun. Apollo has a few more levels in their product line, but the Model 800 is comparable and is around $700.

All of the companies sell their guns alone for under $300 which is what makes a DYI turbine so attractive.

Thanks again for the info guys. I'll wait and see what others have to add to this discussion before making a choice.

It's in a different class, but for the record, I use a 10 year old Wagner Finecoat, cheap plastic HVLP ($150). I spray water based polyurethane with it, and I can get an excellent finish. I would think that unless you want to spray latex, or similar heavy finishes, that any of the guns you're looking at would work just fine.

I am familiar with those. They use a single-stage turbine. My local Rockler carries a similar model for around $100 and puts it on sale regularly.

http://www.rockler.com/ecom7/product_details.cfm?&offerings_id=10469

Here's an amusing thought: I should buy the cheap single-stage unit and use it for a while. Then when I want a little more power, replace the turbine with a three-stage unit. Then when the brush finally wears out, replace it with something better. I think this is called a planned upgrade path. :)