| Review by mgradwohl | posted 342 days ago | 1256 views | 1 time favorited | 11 comments | ![]() |
![]() |
- . K-Grip Siphon Spray Gun
- Brand: . | Category: Gluing and Finishing Supplies

This is a review of the following http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=17858&filter=critter%20spray
I have had this for a while, and it was $40 when I bought it, it’s $50 now.
I primarily use this for spraying interior latex paint on furniture.
This gun has a bad rep, but I like it. Yes, it makes a cloud—wear lung protection.
I mix the paint with water, pop it on the compressor, set it to 40psi (I have a little pancake compressor) and spray small projects.
I just finished a mantle (80 inches long 8 inches deep 6 inches high) for wifey and the paint is like glass.
This gun will do just fine until I get that Earlex or Fuji.

























11 comments so far
CessnaPilotBarry
home | projects | blog
1281 posts in 599 days
posted 342 days ago
I own two HVLP rigs, including a Fuji 4-stage.
I LOVE my Critter!
With the Critter, I usually spray sealers, stains, and dewaxed shellac, on projects that are small enough for the Critter’s spray. The only negative is the lack of pattern adjustability, but I can live with a round pattern. This is the easiest spray gun to clean that has ever existed.
-- - Please help keep Lumberjocks an enjoyable escape by refusing to participate in political discussions. Simply spit out the bait and ignore the thread...
Peter O
home | projects | blog
1024 posts in 771 days
posted 342 days ago
I’ve had mine for almost a year, and just started using it. I really like it! It won’t replace my HVLP, but for small jobs, it’s hard to beat the fast setup and cleanup, and I can get a decent finish with it.
-- http://www.north40custom.com -- http://north40studios.etsy.com --
Brad_Nailor
home | projects | blog
1221 posts in 854 days
posted 341 days ago
I have owned a Critter for a few years and I love it. It’s easy to clean, and sprays great. I have had nothing but good results with it. It does have allot of over spray, but I usually use it outside or in my garage with a mask so it really isn’t a problem.
-- David, South Windsor, CT "I love the smell of sawdust in the morning"
Dusty56
home | projects | blog
3470 posts in 584 days
posted 341 days ago
? Is the overspray not controllable by adjusting the pressure ?” I’ve been thinking about getting one of these , but if it isn’t adjustable , what good is it ? Thanks for any info you can supply : )
-- You know you're getting old when you know the difference between you're (you are) and your (belonging to you) AND how to use them in a sentence .
mgradwohl
home | projects | blog
190 posts in 710 days
posted 341 days ago
You can adjust the pressure down, which will give you less ‘bounce’ but then the material needs to be thinner as well.
I’ve had no problem just ‘guessing’ with latex and mixing in water until it looks right to me.
Peter O
home | projects | blog
1024 posts in 771 days
posted 341 days ago
Because it’s a siphon gun instead of pressure feed or gravity feed, a certain amount of pressure is required to create the siphon. You can adjust the pressure down to a certain point to reduce blow-back (bounce, overspray), but it only goes so far. This is not the gun for large jobs or poorly ventilated areas, but it certainly has its uses.
-- http://www.north40custom.com -- http://north40studios.etsy.com --
Chris Cunanan
home | projects | blog
223 posts in 377 days
posted 341 days ago
do you have the porter cable 150psi pancake? they say air req is 3.0cfm@90 (whatever that is at 40) but my PC pancake is rated something like 2.5, is that ok you think? that sucker is louddd
Brad_Nailor
home | projects | blog
1221 posts in 854 days
posted 340 days ago
Chris I use it with my Porter Cable 150PSI pancake compressor and it works just fine. I use an in line desiccant moisture remover and I usually set the pressure at the compressor at around 38-40 PSI so by the time it gets to the gun its a little lower. I have sprayed water based paint with it, which I thin down slightly and I also add a little Flowatrol as well. The pattern it sprays is round, and kinda small so I wouldn’t use it on a large spraying job, but for shelves, small furniture and cabinetry it works great. I have also sprayed water based poly with it and it worked really great for that. I am going to purchase another one for just spraying laquer..I have yet to try this and I am wondering if I will get the same results as the paint???
-- David, South Windsor, CT "I love the smell of sawdust in the morning"
Dusty56
home | projects | blog
3470 posts in 584 days
posted 339 days ago
Thank you Gentlemen for the feedback : ) Happy Holidays to all !
-- You know you're getting old when you know the difference between you're (you are) and your (belonging to you) AND how to use them in a sentence .
azor
home | projects | blog
41 posts in 339 days
posted 337 days ago
How do you go about determining viscosity [big word] of finishes you would wish to spray with the critter? I’ve also tried using air brushes for small projects. Does anyone have experience with that approach, i.e, how to thin out the finish/paint for spraying?
-- It isn't as easy as the demos make it seem.
bamboo
home | projects | blog
2 posts in 76 days
posted 73 days ago
After reading all the positive reviews of the critter spray gun, I finally bought one recently from Amazon. I tried to test it with water and for some reasons, nothing comes out. I have a Bostitch 1.5 HP 6 gal 2.7 cfm @90 psi and 3.4 cfm @40 psi. I tried it at various pressures ranging from 30 psi to 60 psi, and nothing comes out. Does anybody has any idea if I have done anything wrong? Thanks