SUN GUN

Chad.S

Chad.S

Oldtimer
I've been playing around with a 3m Sun Gun that I borrow from a local shop to see if it is worth the investment.
I have decided that I must have one, but I still don't want to spend the $500.00 or so that it costs.

The biggest thing I have found that I like about it is the fact that it really helps in the buffing stage. I always pull the vehicle outside do a walk around mark the spots I missed and then bring it back in. I am finding it more beneficial there than for color matching.

My question and purpose to this post is that I am curious if anybody on here has used the infratech sun gun, it's very cost effective in comparison but it is a corded system.
I am also thinking about building one out of a Dewalt cordless drill, this looks pretty straight forward so there is a good chance I will go this route.

But looking for some opinions on the Infratech before I make any decisions.
 
I got to "handle" the 3m one at a local paint supply place. I asked them how they like it and their response was....ehhhh it's ok. They said the battery didn't last and have gone through a couple $70 bulbs. I did notice after turning on for a bit, then clicking it off there is a fan that runs presumably to cool the bulb off.

I was looking at the infratech one and me being a tight ass I figured if one bulb is good, then two are better. And it's less than half the cost of the 3m unit. Plus you don't have to worry about batteries dying. IMO.
 
I kinda feel the same way, but do a search for DIY sun gun.. I would imagine a Dewalt 18v would hold a charge, or on the flip side. I have a bunch of them so it wouldn't be as big of a deal in comparison to the one you get with the 3m gun.

Yes, if you go the DIY route you wouldn't have the fan, but I think you just need to be smarter than the tool. If it gets hot turn it off. lol..
The 3m gun must have a timer on it. it runs for 15 seconds or so and shuts off.

I do agree with them saying.. ehhh it's ok. I can tint without one, but after seeing the benefits for buffing it got my attention.. I sand so much that I always miss a spot here and there, and the light really pin pointed those spots.
 
Yeah, Right on!
And you know I never thought of using it for sanding....good idea! The main reason I was looking at one was to make sure I was getting plenty coverage with base and any blotchiness or strangeness I couldn't see in my booth.
 
i have one. its the original one. i think they have a new improved one out now. i do use it. its good for seeing if you have the right color. i also use it in the booth after i spray to see if i see anything weird or light spots that i can see through. would i pay $600 for it....hell no. would i pay 400 for it...hell no. i would make my own first. the ones i have seen used a skil 12v drill i think. whatever model it was the bulb fit in the groove in the housing perfectly. i think they made the whole thing for about $85. this is about what i would pay for a glorified flashlight who's batteries last about 4-5 min when new and 2 min with some use on them. 3m uses old school cheap ass nicad batteries in them. no NiMH or l-ion. they are terrible. chad you will never go over a whole car with one while trying to buff it out. dual halogens on a stand shining at an angle to the panel work the best really and they stay on while you work.i am glad i have it. its a nice piece but as with most things 3m its a beyond outrageous price thats not worth it. i sorta got mine as a favor for a favor kinda deal. if not i would not have it. 3 years and the same bulb is good though. no burnouts...knock on wood.
 
That's all you get for battery life??? That's crazy, no wonder it shuts down so quick on it's own.. lol..

I have never tried halogens, I may give that a try, I buff in the booth, so I have plenty of lighting, but the sun gun being a different type of light just shows the missed spots better.

I think I may start looking into the pieces to make one out of one of my dewalts so I know I will always have batteries on hand.
 
yup thats about it. i even got fed up and rebuilt the batteries with higher lifespan ni-cads. they are better but not by much because they are still ni-cad. they are the worst for battery life. booth lights are fluorescents and dont show sanding marks well. a halogen light shining across the surface will pick them right up. a detailer friend of mine that did alot of sand and buff jobs for shops had me in his shop some years back and showed me the difference. its was pretty significant. get one of the dual lights on the stand from home depot and set it up right next to where your working.
 
Random thought here... I recently had to repair a customer's HID's, and the bulbs came as a pair. I have an extra one since only 1 had burnt out and I also have an extra ballast. I'd considered building a new spotlight for hunting, but I'm curious... would it work for this purpose?

Assume I take a spotlight, replace with HID bulb, add a super long cord that will plug into a booster pack so it's still mobile... would it work? Or is an HID not the right type of light for this? The ballast draws less than 5 amps, so it should last a while.
 
Use a blow instead of a drill and you will have a cooling fan if you want to have the extended run time a power cord will give you.

Use an appropriate voltage bulb.
 
What bulbs would be correct for this? I can pull the one out of the 3m sun gun but fro what I can see it has 3m written on it. lol.

I'm going to grab some halogens as well. I've always struggled with seeing spots with fluorescents so I'm going to probably get halogens and build a sun gun.

I like the portability of a cordless sun gun.

What item are you referring to senile?
 
Thanks guys.. I'm going to try to get both a cordless and a halogen by the time I start buffing the LeMans.

for the cost I almost want to try the one W.A.R. posted.
I would really like to try to get one into one of my 18v Dewalts so I have batteries on hand but that may pop it right away.
 
Just reading Jim's link, It states right away that you want the 12v drill. I am however getting a newer 12v Dewalt lion kit next week. I will compare the bulb size to the housing that comes with that drill.
 
Over driving a 12 volt bulb by 50% most likely will quickly toast a bulb , and it will definitely shift its color higher.

Solux 4700k 10 volt bulb over driven at 12 volts emits 5000k.

The 3M SunGun uses a Solex 35w 4700k 12 volt bulb as documented in their patent application.

"Tests we preformed have indicated that a lamp of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,418,419, (i.e., the lamp commercially available under the trade designation “SoLux” 4700K lamp from Tailored Lighting Inc, Pittsford, N.Y."

http://www.google.com/patents/US20060133089


Tailored Lighting website shows the bulb in stock for $9.95 + shipping, a far better deal then 3M .

http://www.solux.net/cgi-bin/tlisto...st=db/sf=prod_group/se=SoLux Bulbs/op=eq.html


Building this is one more thing to put on my to do list, lol.
 
Good find,, especially at that cost. I was looking at some Skil brand drills today, I almost bought one for this but i'm going to wait until I get my Dewalt 12v drill to see if it will fit.
I may have to order one of these bulbs to be prepared though.
 
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