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2 weeks ago the future finally arrived. Their statement "Please also remember, we do not make the motor. After shutting down and disconnecting the electric and hose, I inspected the unit and found metal shavings at the hose outlet. It is made by Ametek-Lamb Electric. Using this sprayer was a dream. I sent and email (on a Saturday) to FUJI direct, detailing the situation. The learning curve was quick and simple. 99.99% last at least 10 years and get a lot more usage than yours so it's just bad luck."Yes, I have had it for 2 YEARS prior to its 1st use, but FUJI has stood behind their name and product.
They have shipped me a complete, new motor and turbine replacement along with simple instructions. After much research and past experience with their products I settled on the FUJI brand. I purchased this unit 2 years ago with the future in mind. The stain and poly coats came out flawless. But on to the title topic.After maybe 15 uses I started to hear a brief rattle come from the compressor.
They do not warranty their motors, but we do warranty our product so we are happy to replace it. Their reply was damn near immediate. As with most hobbyist woodworkers, I too never looked forward to the finishing process. It came and went 3x's before it was constant. For those of you with the older black unit, they also made note of a modification that they have done to the sound proofing foam which they also sent a diagram with instructions.Does it get any better.
Further inspection revealed that a turbine blade had broken away from the shaft and ground up.
No "Your call is important", "Press 4", "Press 1" BS but a real live human.Hope this helps. Sanding sealer, alcohol dye, stain, sealing shellac and two coats of water based urethane went on without a hitch. Buy the whip hose and mini-cup set. Alcohol based finishes use slightly less air but not much. This prevents contamination of non-compatible finishes on the small pieces of furniture I make.Clean the gun right after use. It sprayed six coats of various finishes flawlessly. I called to double check on cleaning the gun because it seemed too simple. If you don't mess around with the air flow you get the hang of the gun performance quickly.
Lower the cup then squeeze the trigger to get liquid remaining in the gun to drain. I didn't and plugged the gun but cleared it by spraying solvent through it (got lucky).For oil and waterbourne finishes leave the air valve on the hose open fully and adjust the amount of fluid at the gun. Latex paint will build up on the nozzle and can be peeled off while in use but should get a complete cleaning afterward. This is the only finish that seems to require this treatment.The viscosity reccomendations and cup they provide are right on. This machine does it all and the other reviews accurately cover the features I like, too.Thought I would give some tips I've learned using it. I justified the cost of this equipment on a commission for 1200 feet of solid cherry baseboard molding and chair rail.
I use one cup for oils, another for alcohol based shellacs and dyes and the last for water finishes. Spray solvent through it until clear. There is little overspray even with full air flow.This gear has exceeded my expectations and the customer service is great. Don't use old finish or, if you do, be sure to filter it through 190 micron filters from Home Depot or Lowes. Since purchasing two months ago, I have also sprayed acrylic latex paint on victorian gingerbread and railings, deck preservative on railings, primers on custom made windows and other various finishes on cabinets. Its that simple.
I am completely happy with this equipment. I unscrew the nozzle and clean it in an ultrasonic cleaner.
If you are like me you love to make things but dread the time and effort it takes to do the finishing of you hard work. What use to take me 5 days can now be done in less than two. I did a great deal of research and bought the Q3. Brush marks made me dread the final outcome.
My suggestion is that you order extra strainers for the can as well as feed tubes. I have never done spray finishing before and I was tired of brushing finishes. After I worked this out the final product was amazing. The great thing about this machine is the power. Three thin coats work much better than two heavy coats. Let me start off by saying that I use to hate finishing more that anything.
This is no longer an issue and believe it or not I look forward to doing the finish work now.I purchased this system over a year ago and I must day that I am very pleased with it. This machine is very quiet. The 6 kitchens that I have done have all come out great and my customers are very complimentary about the end product.The price tag may seem high but when I factor in my labor it has paid for itself many times over. One thing I found out about this system is that less is more. There was always the thought that it would not look good when you put on the finish. You can stand next to it and carry on a conversation.
Over time these will become very gummy and for the lost cost of replacement it is well worth it.I highly recommend this system. I was able to spray Minwax Poly straight from the can after I filtered it.
Works just like new once again. As a hobbyist woodworker, I don't use it everyday, though I've used it to spray Behlen's Rockhard Table Varnish (polyurethane which I reduce by 50%) on custom built cabinets for the kitchen, garage and laundry room. I've owned my Fuji Q3 for about 3 years now. Works great, easy to use, especially with the optional flex whip hose. I've never been disappointed with any aspect of this unit and heartily recommend it to anyone with similar needs. Recently, I disassembled the gun and soaked/cleaned the parts according to the owners manual (imagine that)., and that had an amazing effect on the quality of the spray pattern.
So far, I've only used it to spray latex paint on a cabinet I made, but it worked great. I did purchase the optional flexible whip hose. I have always had my furniture professionally sprayed. It makes it easier to manuver the sprayer in tight places. The Fuji rep was very helpful and gave me several suggestions. I spray outside rather than in my shop. I have tinnitus, and am extremely pleased with how quiet the turbine is--no louder than my vacuum cleaner.
To save some money, I decided to learn to do this myself. I'll mostly be using it for spraying lacquer or varnish. I love my new sprayer. My only problem is that I live in Indiana and won't be able to use it again until it warms up.
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