# Paint Sprayer



## WilliamsHoneyBees (Feb 17, 2010)

Any advice on an economical but good paint sprayer? I paint a few hundred boxes a year. 

Thanks,


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## drlonzo (Apr 15, 2014)

Sounds like something I'd like to hear about too. Hand painting slows me down and hurts the arms after a while.


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## Michael B (Feb 6, 2010)

I bought a nice hvlp set up. Great quality sprayer. Problem is its too good. Takes many coats to get enough paint on the boxes. Also, hvlp is tough with latex. The viscosity has to be just so or it wont spray correctly. It takes as much time getting the paint ready to spray as it does painting. So its great for furniture or molding but to tedious for bee boxes.

Don't laugh......but my wagner power painter is awesome for bee boxes. Two coats and done. The finish is decent when you dial in pressure and volume. I can paint 30 boxes in an hour with 2 coats.

An airless sprayer would work great too but they are costly.


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## colby (Jan 12, 2013)

just a hobby beek, but i use a 6" x 1" roller. takes about 3 minutes per box and I don't have to clean up the spray equipment


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## WilliamsHoneyBees (Feb 17, 2010)

Michael B said:


> I bought a nice hvlp set up. Great quality sprayer. Problem is its too good. Takes many coats to get enough paint on the boxes. Also, hvlp is tough with latex. The viscosity has to be just so or it wont spray correctly. It takes as much time getting the paint ready to spray as it does painting. So its great for furniture or molding but to tedious for bee boxes.
> 
> Don't laugh......but my wagner power painter is awesome for bee boxes. Two coats and done. The finish is decent when you dial in pressure and volume. I can paint 30 boxes in an hour with 2 coats.
> 
> An airless sprayer would work great too but they are costly.



You have a model number? Is it the wagner power painter plus? 

Thanks


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## WilliamsHoneyBees (Feb 17, 2010)

colby said:


> just a hobby beek, but i use a 6" x 1" roller. takes about 3 minutes per box and I don't have to clean up the spray equipment


After a few hundred boxes a year I can probably paint a box in under 2 minutes with a brush! HAHA


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## Michael B (Feb 6, 2010)

pine_ridge_farms said:


> You have a model number? Is it the wagner power painter plus?
> 
> Thanks


Its an older wagner Xtra Power Painter Pro Model Number 0500102

The best thing is it has a large 2 gallon axillary reservoir that connects to the gun with a tube. Great when you are doing a lot of painting.


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## Michael B (Feb 6, 2010)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WAGNER-ELEC...3?pt=Paint_Paint_Supplies&hash=item19f9357fef

A steal.. Better hurry. Ends is 30 minutes


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## colby (Jan 12, 2013)

I should have been more clear. One coat oil primer and two coats latex finish. One minute per coat. And as i said no spray equipment to clean.


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## WilliamsHoneyBees (Feb 17, 2010)

pine_ridge_farms said:


> Any advice on an economical but good paint sprayer? I paint a few hundred boxes a year.
> 
> Thanks,


Thanks Michael B for answering my question and giving me advice on a paint sprayer!


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## broodhead (May 30, 2009)

Find yourself a used Titan 440 or 540, they are great machines for doing that kind of spraying. I picked one up off Craigslist and paid a very reasonable amount for the machine complete with lots of extras. For me it works great, I stack boxes upside down about eight or ten high and let the paint fly. Excellent results, cost effective, long lasting and I can get my money back anytime I want to sell it. 
I also go to local paint stores and buy rejects for about a buck or two a gallon. Sometimes a couple of jars of honey will get me a five gallon bucket. 
My boxes are colorful and the cost is affordable.


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## WilliamsHoneyBees (Feb 17, 2010)

broodhead said:


> Find yourself a used Titan 440 or 540, they are great machines for doing that kind of spraying. I picked one up off Craigslist and paid a very reasonable amount for the machine complete with lots of extras. For me it works great, I stack boxes upside down about eight or ten high and let the paint fly. Excellent results, cost effective, long lasting and I can get my money back anytime I want to sell it.
> I also go to local paint stores and buy rejects for about a buck or two a gallon. Sometimes a couple of jars of honey will get me a five gallon bucket.
> My boxes are colorful and the cost is affordable.


Thanks, I'll look into them!


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## WilliamsHoneyBees (Feb 17, 2010)

drlonzo said:


> Sounds like something I'd like to hear about too. Hand painting slows me down and hurts the arms after a while.


Amen to that!


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

I am speaking as a painting contractor. Grayco 395 495 are a great sprayer. 
The 390 is a fair one but not as good as the first two.
Titen 440 is good. Both can be found on Craigslist for a couple hundred dollar. Make sure it isn't leaking fluid or paint around the seals. I can't say anything about the sprayers that come Home Depot or lowes. They are a cheaper pump to start with. Get a 315 or 415 tip for spray latex. The first number is how wide the fan is the second is opening size. After about 50 gallon that tip will be getting worn out. If you are in a cloud of overspray it is SHOT. You can go through more paint with a sprayer. I still will back roll boxes to work the paint in the pores on first coat or if it has peeled. Wooster make a nice 4" roller with a micro fabric cover that works nice. You need at lease 25' of hose and a whip makes things more comfortable. PM if you have any other ?
David painting


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

The one in the link is a piece of garbage in my opinion.
David painting


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

So you have to decide if the money for the sprayer and post cleaning time, thinner to make it spray, tarps, over spray etc vs a roller and an extra 10 minutes a box. I do 10 boxes a week time slowly over the year I have a spot and just do it once a week. I paint 5 things or build 5 things every day of the year and make up for missed days on a weekend. Different ways for different people. And yes sometimes in the summer I do stacks and stacks of them with a sprayer.


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## capitalbeesupply (Jul 28, 2013)

pine_ridge_farms said:


> Any advice on an economical but good paint sprayer? I paint a few hundred boxes a year.
> 
> Thanks,


The 18V battery operated Graco airless sprayers work nicely if your only going to do a few hundred boxes a year. They use the same tips as the Graco/Spraytec/Wager line. You can buy them at Menards, most commercial paint stores, etc. You can spray latex without thinning. You will have to refill the cup often since it is only 1 quart, but what is nice is that you don't have a bunch of paint used up priming hose like you would in a regular airless sprayer. You can raise or lower the spray pressure easily. They come with two LiOn batteries and a charger. We typically get a gallon of spray per battery charge from what recall offhand (the batteries charge fast so we just keep cycling between two when doing a small batches of hive bodies or other parts). Cleanup is easy, you can use bag liners in the cup, throw the bag out which cleans the cup up fast and run clean warm water through it followed by the pump cleaning/storing solution for airless sprayers. If we are storing them for a long time (more than a couple days) we will take the piston apart and get every spec of paint out. We use and have used a variety of airless sprayers for painting hive parts from Spraytechs, Amsprays, Wagners but those little Gracos are a favorite of many of the guys in the shop. They are a little heavy, not as light as just handling a spray gun, but not terrible either. One issue with spraying is that you will use a lot more paint than if your are rolling them. Some paint is lost in overspay. You can minimize that by using a trim spray tip which gives a smaller fan than the typical airless spray tips.

Rich
Capital Bee Supply, LLC
Madison, WI


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## dynemd (Aug 27, 2013)

I've got a handheld Graco TrueCoat Pro II Electric Paint Sprayer, it has a cord not batteries. I use the less wide 315 tip which works very well with thick Behr latex. I can spray a thin or thick coat on my boxes with a really nice smooth finish. Sure I've got some overspray to deal with but this gun is fast and not hard to clean.


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

The newer model are better than the first generations. I don't remember witch model is the rebuild able one but if you go this way it is the one you want. They are supposed to be fairly good but do have there problems. It needs cleaned real good from what I have read on the professional board . These pumps do have a fairly short life buy my standards. The professionals are using these more for when you need to spray one door and want a sprayed finish. Latex only. The only time I spray boxes is if I have a ton of equipment to do or if I have a dirty pump. 
David


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## McBee7 (Dec 25, 2013)

I bought an old school paint gun (air powered) after christmas for $16 on sale. I'm not sure it will work for what I build, but I hope it'll paint maybe 5 boxes before I have to refill the quart cup...
http://www.menards.com/main/tools-h...ls/heavy-duty-spray-gun/p-1655228-c-12915.htm

=McBee7==


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## broodhead (May 30, 2009)

I must agree with Smokepole about the type of sprayer used for boxes. Both Graco and Titan are top of the line high production sprayers and they do the best job possible. The time saved is worth the price, you can spray a lot more than just boxes. My fence now looks great and the time saved probably paid for the sprayer.
Put several coats of paint on your boxes, you need your equipment to be weather protected and a bit more paint goes a long way.


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

McGee.to spray latex with it you will need the right air cap/needle. And really thin it to spray it.


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## RAK (May 2, 2010)

I thin all my latex paint down with Floetrol found in lowes. Sprays better.


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## McBee7 (Dec 25, 2013)

Thanks smoke-pole for the advise, as I'm ignorant in the painting world,,,I just read the instructions and I'll have to use the internal mixing nozzle, and have the air and flow screws adjusted , and as you said---Thin out the latex paint so it sprays easily----I hope this thing works out, last year I painted about 100 boxes over 3 days with a roller and thought I lost my sanity,,,LOL... 

==McBee7==


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## rookie2531 (Jul 28, 2014)

If you are selling them and don't care how long the paint last, then spray. If you want deeper long lasting penetration then use a brush, the coat will be thicker too.

Graco, in my opinion are superior though. I have always used the airless, air supplied type, those babies will spray with 1000' of hose on.


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

Mcbee just a thought. Why don't you stop at a rental shop or Sherwin williams (some rent) and give a normal airless a try out. They are not that expensive to rent. It will most likely come with a simi worn tip. But it would give you a feel for a good machine and what is involed in spraying boxed with something that is good. I use something to space between the boxes. I have used 16 penny nails they roll a piece of stair stick. I still think the first coat should get back rolled. I would not use a your air cup gun. You will pull your hair out before you are done. With a airless you can use straight out of the can.


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## capitalbeesupply (Jul 28, 2013)

My-smokepole said:


> Mcbee just a thought. Why don't you stop at a rental shop or Sherwin williams (some rent) and give a normal airless a try out. They are not that expensive to rent. It will most likely come with a simi worn tip. But it would give you a feel for a good machine and what is involed in spraying boxed with something that is good. I use something to space between the boxes. I have used 16 penny nails they roll a piece of stair stick. I still think the first coat should get back rolled. I would not use a your air cup gun. You will pull your hair out before you are done. With a airless you can use straight out of the can.


You may need to cut in the handholds first with a brush depending on the design of the handholds. The boxes we make have a 17 degree undercut. So we invert stack them with spacers, cut in the handholds with a brush, spray the stacks to get an initial coat on, roll the endgrain joints while wet, warm till cure, then give them a second coat and cure. If you have crummy lumber (poor quality #2 with knot gaps and resin pockets) you'll have to do more work to prep them in advance of spraying or roll those areas when wet yet (they will show up real fast after spraying if you don't catch them on first examination). Also, if your using poor paint you may get tannin bleed through depending on the lumber. If you have lots of time and ambition you can pre-prep the end grain of the joints by sealing it prior to painting.


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

A lot of time I will spray and back brush or roll. I like to do them upside down so I can see things.


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## WilliamsHoneyBees (Feb 17, 2010)

Thanks everyone for the advice on sprayers and the tips for application.


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## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

When I use a spray gun (Graco) I usually use it on the house or barn. BUT, I plan ahead and have any new / old boxes that need work lined up and ready to go. Since I use the same paint on the house as I do on the hives it works out good. For me, the time it takes to clean the equipment after spraying is a pain so I try to make the process worth it. Two years ago I did two coats of paint on a side of my house and also got two coats on about 25 medium boxes.


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

One of the reason I don't normally spray boxes. I just keep a Wooster 4" roller skin in a zip lock Baggie. Roll some when I have time or when I make new. Plus I could do this out in the field. I keep my paint in a five with a roller grid at all times. When I start to get low I find a new mistint and away I go.


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## WilliamsHoneyBees (Feb 17, 2010)

I bought a wagner power painter plus and have painted 75 boxes this week. Love it. Really fast, sprays a thick coat and not to bad to clean. Overspray is a problem, but thinking ahead laying down plastic and doing 35 to 40 boxes at a time it's a breeze. Takes me around 40 minutes to paint that many boxes and another 15 to 20 to clean up. I do have to go back and hit the hand holds quickly with a brush and any cracked knots that need an extra glob of paint. There is a video on my facebook page if anyone is interested in watching.


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## ccar2000 (Aug 9, 2009)

I bought a little Graco unit from the local home improvement store that stands on the ground with a suction hose that sits down in a bucket of paint. The sprayer is on a hose so it is maneuverable and does not lose prime when you tilt it sideways or upside down. When you are done painting hive bodies, you can knock out a shed, barn or garage with it. Clean up is not that bad.


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## McBee7 (Dec 25, 2013)

I'm thinking maybe I'll just ask my daughter to send over the grandson (11) in old cloths and pay him $1.50 for each box he paints with a brush and roller,,,lol,,,,
And let him be "creative" 

==McBee7==


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

I have a nephew who is 15 and a couple of his friends paint the hive bodies. I pay them a good wage and you can't believe how many they can paint with a roller in a couple of hours.


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## pinkpantherbeekeeper (Feb 10, 2016)

FWIW... I have used the cheap harbor freight sprayers you can get for $20. Let me first say they are very cheap in quality. Puts out paint ok-ish once dialed in and adjusted. Nothing precision but for covering an area it worked ok. Might be worth it if you consider it a disposable paint system.


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## Jim_in_PA (May 17, 2016)

For the type of paints used most often for hive components, you'll want an airless sprayer. HPLV and other similar types of guns do not often perform well with these thicker coatings and thinning isn't a great idea for water borne finishes.


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

Airless is the only way.


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## Aroc (May 18, 2016)

You can get some good quality airless sprayers made by the professional sprayer manufacturers such as Graco and Titan. They have started to make homeowner models and for a couple hundred bucks you can get a good airless model to do what you want it to. We bought one on eBay for about $200.00. We have painted a garage and a couple of rooms so far and it works great.


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## GoodyFarms (Jul 10, 2016)

I'm surprised that it hasn't been mentioned yet, but unless you can afford or justify a quality sprayer, you're probably best served by renting a quality one once a year for a day. You get a quality sprayer at a fraction of the cost of even a cheap sprayer without the hassle of it breaking down or maintaining/storing it. If you're way out in the boonies this may not be a viable option but even many small town hardware stores have equipment rental.


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