Fuji 3004 Q4 PRO Quiet 4-Stage HVLP Spray System
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Fuji 3004 Q4 PRO Quiet 4-Stage HVLP Spray System
Customer Review: Great product! Fantastic support and service!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have had the Q4 system for about two years and am extremely please with the quality of the tool, the quietness of the system and the amazing support I have received from Paul Smith at Fuji and Roger Phelps at [...] from whom I bought the system.
I bought the Q4 based on web reviews, write-ups and word-of-mouth. Not being a professional finisher, I had/have plenty of finishing questions of which many are not addressed in books or online forums. Paul and Roger have been very polite and prompt in answering my questions via email and phone. I don't recall getting such great service from any other outfits in the past twenty years.
The following is some information that may help newbies like me reduce their learning curve when spraying latex (Benjamin Moore Impervo):
I don't do a lot of spraying so the easy-to-use Fuji system was right for me. That doesn't mean there isn't a learning curve. Being very picky about my finishing results, I found it desirable to do a fair amount of testing of various dilutions of my primary finish which is latex paint. Lately, I've been using Benjamin Moore's Impervo (satin). I have a "mock" spray booth set up in my garage (lots of plastic). Where I live in California, the temperatures now (late November) vary between 68-73 degrees once I have warmed the garage a bit with a heater and lights (make sure you have plenty of good lighting including a couple of low lights that will make it easy to see dust and other defects in the thing being finished. Humidity is at 20-40 percent. The needle/nozzle that works well for me is the number four (but I have also had good results with the number three needle/nozzle). The aircap is turned about one-quarter turn counterclockwise from closed and the fluid control is turned 1.5 turns cc from closed. The air flow is fully on and the mesh fluid filter is removed (though it would probably be okay to use it as my dilution). I use the vertical spray pattern as recommended. The doors that I've been painting recently are lying down horzizontally (rather than standing up vertically).
I dilute the paint in this ratio: 2 cups paint, 3 ounces distilled water and 3 ounces of XIM flowout solution (XIM was recommended by the BM dealer for Impervo (acrylic enamel) rather than Flotrol). Note, this dilution is a lot higher than recommended by Ben Moore as well as the documentation on the XIM bottle. Nonetheless, the viscosity is good, flowout is good and orange peel is not much of a problem though, having come close, I have yet to achieve a glass-smooth paint finish. Any suggestions are very welcome. The high dilution may work well for me due to the relatively low humidity level.
Prepping your object to be finished is more than half the job. Sanding to 220 grit is not good enough (for me) as the scratch marks are clearly visible through, at least, the first two or three relatively thin coats of paint. You will save time in the end by sanding to at least 320 grit if not 400 grit. Random orbital sanders will leave the telltale squirly marks if you don't hand sand them out to at least 320 grit or if you don't use a better finishing sander than the old Dewalt random orbital sand I use; which probably isn't a good example of a true finishing sander. But that's another issue.
Dust nibs in the finish seem to be an issue that every finisher must deal with. I have a minor problem with dust nibs despite having a good Jet air filter (AFS-100B) hanging from the garage ceiling and plastic all around for a make-shift spray booth. I tack cloth and lightly blow off dust prior to mixing my paint and again just before I paint. (I do a first blow-off before I mix the paint to allow for airborne particles to make it to the air filter.) If I see a large piece of dust in the just-sprayed paint, I quickly remove it with tweezers and let the paint flow out into the void left by the small tweezers. Dust nibs are gently sanded out between coats using 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper between coats. A vacuum hose is always in my non-sanding hand to suck up the sanding dust and to brush off the sandpaper to minimize "loading".
Cleaning the Fuji gun is very easy and fast. Compared to the new Apollo gun that I recently saw at a wood show (Nov. 2007), the Fuji XT gun is easier and faster to take apart. Take care of it and it will take care of you.
I hope some of this helps. Either way, you won't regret buying a Fuji sprayer!
Regards,
Andy Aronson
Customer Review: Great product, excellent service
Summary: 5 Stars
I spent a lot of time researching types of sprayers and manufacturers prior to purchasing the Q4. Reading these online reviews coupled with the discounts swayed me to purchasing this unit through Amazon.
I must say... this was a great decision. The sprayer is simple to use and has great results. Even better than that, the after purchase support was excellent. Based on the online reviews, I purchased the 6 foot flex hose and made the mistake of attaching it directly to the turbine. The turbine runs hot and the hose malfunctioned. I emailed the manufacturer at 5:00PM EST on Saturday and had an email resonse within two hours.
I have outfitted my entire shop through Amazon over the last 5 years and this is the best support I have ever received.
I recommned the product and the company.
Customer Review: Great sprayer, I am very pleased
Summary: 5 Stars
I have had this unit about 10 months now and I am very happy with it. My goal, in general, was to get a sprayer with the following features/functionality:-spray fine finishes such as lacquer and water borne finishes
-also spray thin stains as well as occasional latex and oil-based paints
-variable air pressure for more control
-spend less than $1,000
This unit has satisfied those goals very well. The variable air control is really a must, in my opinion, otherwise I cannot adequately control the atomization. This air control works very well on this unit. It does not vary the motor speed, but varies the flow through the hose with a convenient control located at the gun handle - you can vary the flow as you work and fine tune it without having to run back to the compressor unit to make adjustments. I just turn the unit on and then make all the adjustments at the gun.
This unit sprays everything have tried very well: thinned lacquer, straight stains and dyes, latex paint (with Flotrol), and slightly thinned oil base paint. The finishes are extremely smooth.
Once I have the air and fluid controls set for a given project, the amount of overspray is really remarkably small. Although it is possible to create a lot of overspray, that usually means the air control is set to high.
The unit is very easy to clean - usually I just run solvent through the gun after every coat. Then thoroughly clean the needle and nozzle after the project.
A bonus for me is the sound level of the unit - it is really very low - it is like a mid range "whoosh" . Definitely not a loud unit at all. I find that once I have everything adjusted and start spraying, I do not even pay attention to the sound of the unit at all. I understand that some other brands have very irritating noise levels. Not so here.
I also appreciate the manufacturer's after sale support. Very helpful. I also purchased (from Fuji direct) the 6 foot whip hose and the set of small plastic cups for small jobs. The whip hose is very light and I find it very helpful in maneuvering in my small spray area.
I have been happy with the needle/nozzle combination which came with the unit, although my guess for the majority of my lacquer work, the #3 nozzle would work fine also.
Customer Review: Great system
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased the Fuji a few years ago and have used it for cabinets, furniture and any other product I build. I have used it to spray shellac, latex, waterborne finishes, lacquer and stain and found it more than adequate for all. Fuji support is as good as it gets over the phone.Customer Review: Nice equipment with only minor issues
Summary: 4 Stars
Good
I love this thing. Though I've only used it for stain, it works really nicely. I have yet to use it for thicker finishes. It sounds like a canister vacuum while running. Not very loud at all.
I would have given this 5 stars if it were not for these minor but annoying issues.
Bad
1) If used as a portable machine, the plug pops out of the blower unit easily while moving it. There should be some sort of twist lock type of plug so this wouldn't ever happen. The model I have uses computer power cord and that's just asking for trouble in my opinion. If used outside in cool weather, the power cord stiffens up.
2) If used in cool weather, the sprayer hose is initially very stiff but loosens up as the unit warms it with use. In fact it gets so warm and soft that it will bend very easily at the connection to the sprayer unit. The strain relief used on the hose is too soft and will bend with the hose. I can see this as being a problem down the line and it should be addressed.