Looking to purchase pro type gun from caswell have questions

[chicagorich]

Hello i have been running a small fab and powdercoat operation for over a year now and i will be moving into a 3000 square ft. facility next month. I have been using a hobby gun with good results, i do mostly small parts like intake manifolds, valve covers, etc. Some of my gripes with the hobby gun are inconsistent powder flow, and not being able to put on a thick coat with one shot, I also have a lot of powder waste. I am looking to purchase a pro style gun from Caswell, i cant decide between the pro system and the new portable pro system. I leaning towards the portable because its cheaper and looks easier to clean and change colors. But i have never seen this style powder coating system and i am worried about performance, reliability, and replacement part availability. Caswell or anybody else can you tell me more about this gun?

[bzer1]

Re: Looking to purchase pro type gun from caswell have questions

I have one and can tell you that it does work well. Parts are readily available. I bought one of the first to come on the market and have been using it for for over a year and a half, and have not had a problem with it yet. The trick is to get it setup properly in the beginning. Try to remember that it's not like the hobby gun and will take alot more tweaking to get it in a good starting range. To be honest it's the same as any other pro level cup gun except that it's in a different box. I'm satisfied with mine. Color changes are very fast and the flow and voltage adjustments are easy to use and work very well. I think you'll be happy with it. Let me know if you have anymore questions. I've coated everything from nuts and bolts to frames and furniture and have had great results.

[FSTFBDY]

Re: Looking to purchase pro type gun from caswell have questions

Do you have to refill that cut alot? Right now I use a Nordson Sure Coat gun with a box feel vibrator. Ive been looking at the suitcase guns for another gun also.

[bzer1]

Re: Looking to purchase pro type gun from caswell have questions

What I found was that when I first got it I wasted alot of powder getting it setup. Once I got used to the gun and the way it works I was able to adjust it very quickly and increase the transfer efficiency and now find that I'm using less powder to do most jobs. As a nice side effect I'm also going though fewer filters in my booth. I don't do any production work so I almost never need to refill the cup, but each job I do I'm also pouring less powder than I did in the beginning. Basically I would use something like 2 lbs to do 4 wheels, and now I'm using a little over a pound.

[chicagorich]

Re: Looking to purchase pro type gun from caswell have questions

thanks for the replys i think i may go with portable gun because i do many small to medium parts with all types of different colors, so quik color changes are a must for me. $1200 for a 100 kv gun seems to be the cheapest you can find. What settings gave you the best results?

[lcaswell]

Re: Looking to purchase pro type gun from caswell have questions

If you decide to purchase the portable gun, it has a full 1 year warranty. If it breaks, we will replace it.

If you don't like how it performs, we will take it back per our return policy.

We stand behind our products 100%.

[bzer1]

Re: Looking to purchase pro type gun from caswell have questions

I start my settings at 50K on the voltage, and 2.5 on the airflow. As I said mine is the first available in the US so the air gage is not in psi. I think it equates to about 22 psi or so. I actually don't even look at the gages during setup, I adjust the voltage by gage and the flow by feel. My advice is that if you think you're ready for a pro level gun then you probably are. I've priced other pro cup guns and was surprised at the prices. They range from $2800-$4200. I even tested a few out and found no significant advantage to paying the extra money. With the huge adjustment range I have even been able to ALMOST eliminate faraday problems. Also do yourself a favor and take a good look at the deflectors, I got all that were available and use every one. My gun has an aluminum gravity cup which works great but sometimes I'd like to be able to turn the gun on it's side to get a better shot and can't always do that. My opinion is that this gun is a great choice for a small shop that's looking to grow but can't pay top dollar for equipment. I'd actually like to get the new model but can't afford it right now. But when I can I'll most likely add one to my existing shop.

[chicagorich]

Re: Looking to purchase pro type gun from caswell have questions

thanks for the info bzer1, whats with the new gun? Is it from caswell? How much is it and where can i get it?

[bzer1]

Re: Looking to purchase pro type gun from caswell have questions

The original Alpha gun had an aluminum gravity feed cup. The latest setup which is what you see on the Caswell site uses a plastic fluidized or pressurized cup, which I think might be a little better for spraying metallics and additives like metal flake. This configuration may also help you to use less powder, because you're not relying on an air blast in the gun to fluidize the powder. Even without these advantages I really like the way my gun performs. Now if I could talk Caswell into giving me a healthy trade in...

[chicagorich]

Re: Looking to purchase pro type gun from caswell have questions

why are tavos posts being deleted?

[sswee]

Re: Looking to purchase pro type gun from caswell have questions

Tavos posts were deleted due to a violation of "Terms and Conditions of Use". Any further inquiries can be directed to Lance Caswell.