What about HVLP sprayers??

Can you use a HVLP sprayer for latex paints? What about the gravity fed sprayers? I have a 150psi pancake compressor would that be enough to run one of these? I won't use it much and it is really for smaller jobs not like painting a house. More like painting adirondack chairs and a picket fence. Thanks for any help.

 

I've never used a true HVLP although I have several of the HVLP conversion guns that operate using an air compressor. Generally latex paints don't spray well with air compressor cup guns. The paint has to be overly thinned in order for it to atomize [spray out of the tip] and the quick drying latex tends to dry up on the tip of the gun because of the air flow.

Painting with a cup gun or pressure pot takes a lot of cfm. Spraying works best with a larger compressor and good size tank. I doubt if your small compressor would operate a cup gun [properly] for more than a minute or so at a time. Once the air pressure falls, the gun becomes incapable of atomizing the paint = spits instead of spray You would then have to wait until the compressor built the pressure back up. CFM is more important than PSI.

An airless is the best type of sprayer for latex paint. They do make small quart cup airless pumps although it may be hard to find a good one. Look for one that has a fan type spray. It will give you better control than one that has a round spray pattern.