Air gauge at gun

[metalman]

I want to set up a detail gun a little different than my other guns that all have a regulator/gauge on the gun.
The plan is to put a tee between the gun and the quick connect fitting and have a small 0-30 psi gauge. Then I would regulate the pressure at the wall before the 35' X 3/8" paint hose. The gun will be a Iwata LPH50 and I think it's supposed to be fed 13 psi at the gun. The thought is the gun requires less pressure and the cfm required is low. The aluminum tee and 1.5" gauge would be lighter and less bulky than a diaphragm regulator. I use my airbrushes regulated at the wall at around 25-30 psi through the same 35' hose plus a small whip and that works fine.
I know this is a no go for my full size guns that I feed at about 100 at the wall and regulate at the gun, Barry straightened me out on that .
The question is do you think it will work or will it suffer for volume? Or I may forget to cut the wall pressure before plugging in the gun and blow that little gauge :sorrow:. Any comments welcome or if anyone knows where I can find a tiny regulator smaller than the usual.

 

[Barry]

I have done what you are thinking with both the Iwata and the Sata mini's and it seems to work perfect, main reason, like you i did not want a regulator on the gun that was bigger then the gun. LOL

 

[form406]

i use the lph50 and was going to to the same thing until i saw all the grease in the regulator gauge and tossed it aside. i shoot between 25-28 at the compressor (50 gal craftsman), 5' hose. i just go by sound and sight of spraying...

 

[metalman]

I'm waiting for the LPH50 to show up, ordered it online. I have the purple HF copy of the Iwata and adjusted it the same way by sight and sound. It worked OK for a $12 gun but the tip is too small for me at .6 Reason I want to try the gauge is so I know what pressure works with whatever material etc. I'm having trouble finding a small 0-30 psi gauge with a glass lens. Acrylic or poly-carbonate will not tolerate solvents. Have and old Binks gauge but it's a 0-160 and won't be as easy to read.
What size nozzle are you using?

 

[Bob Heine]

The smallest regulator I've come across is the Iwata 8018, which seems to have been discontinued. Instead of an adjusting valve with a gauge attached, it has the regulator built into the gauge and you adjust the flow/pressure by turning the gauge itself. Here's a picture of the regulator:

Iwata seems to have replaced the 8018 with the LPR-643 or 8130, which has the knob sticking out the side like most other regulators.

 

[metalman]

That is nice. Did you ever use one and if so how did it work? I found one for sale, about $50, must be old inventory being sold off.

 

[Bob Heine]

Did you ever use one and if so how did it work?

I use mine because it doesn't get in the way and displays the pressure all the time (I have to tap my digital gauge to see the pressure reading). The valve on this regulator is not the easiest to use because it is only a quarter turn from closed to full open. The difference between 18 and 25 psi is a hair's breadth but once it's set, the pressure holds very well.

 

[metalman]

Thanks for the info Bob, I ordered that 8018 and I'll try that first on the LPH50. Maybe because the regulator is touchy to adjust is the reason it got discontinued, don't know. I'm sure, like Barry said, the gauge at the gun would work however my first choice is gauge and regulator because my other guns are set up that way, I'm used to it. I do fiddle with the pressure sometimes and it's easier right at the gun. I have another gun in need of a regulator if I end up not liking it on the little detail gun. At some point I'll post how this all goes.

 

[metalman]

I didn't get what was advertised. Instead TCP Global sent a 8130B (replaces 8018). Kind of sneaky, listed 8018 and nowhere did it say anything about 8130B. So I guess the 8018 is gone for good, who knows. The 8130B they sent looks like a cheater valve with a gauge. I'm keeping it and I'll try it when ever the LPH 50 shows up, that's another story.
Don't know why there are 2 photos.