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Recommendations on spray gun

Vfr1200

Active Member
So I’m on my second spray gun ,, been buying cheap tools up to this point

I’m sure its my inexperience on cleaning a gun but ive tried different ways with same results ..

I’m using the Stewart Eko prime and i get about 3 good priming sessions out of the gun and it quits spraying ,,

Today it sprayed perfect for one aileron and went to do the second and it clogged up again ,,i cleaned the gun with thinner sprayed some thinner through the gun and it was spraying fine , fill it back up with primer and no bueno was instantly clogged

Any advise would be greatly appreciated

I’m using a spray gun from manards but ready to try a something else at this point
 
You ne if you were not already doing so, need to unscrew the cap and take the nozzle out that the cap holds on and clean it very thoroughly. DeVilbiss finish line 4 is a quality gun for under a couple hundred bucks. Paint is very expensive. And the effort it takes to reprep a surface is frustrating to say the least. I would spend the money and get a quality gun.
 
Cleaning

You ne if you were not already doing so, need to unscrew the cap and take the nozzle out that the cap holds on and clean it very thoroughly. DeVilbiss finish line 4 is a quality gun for under a couple hundred bucks. Paint is very expensive. And the effort it takes to reprep a surface is frustrating to say the least. I would spend the money and get a quality gun.

What he ^ said.
Disassemble and thoroughly clean the gun every session. Stuff builds up in the tip real fast. I neglected itba session or two and removed a big doughnut shaped wad 1/8" thick. It should be nice and shiny inside. Check the needle. Check the nozzle too. Lots of tiny holes to direct the fan. They all need to be clear or the fan will spray crooked.
I really like my DeVilbiss FLG, but today I bought a Harbor Fright Black Widow HTE. Dang thing is a work of art. Can't wait to try it. It's a copy of the SATA 5000 ($999) gun.
By the way, they are on sale till end of the week.
https://www.harborfreight.com/20-oz-professional-hte-compliant-gravity-feed-air-spray-gun-56153.html

3M PPS cups have a built in strainer. I use 6oz 200 micron.

Last, use a quality regulator at the gun. Inuse an RTI Mini 1/4". Hose from compressor feediing the air/oil separator then regulator at the gun.
 
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I recently upgraded to the Devilbiss Finish Line 4 from their Starting Line gun when my skill level finally outgrew the SLG. The FLG4 is awesome, much better pattern than the SLG. They all demand proper cleaning. Pull the needle and nozzle. I use the Dekups system, disposable measuring cups and a squeeze bottle with MEK. The combo makes cleanup a breeze and minimal solvent needed.
 
Paint strainers can be had pretty cheap on Amazon. It’s always good to use one, especially for primer. The solids in primer are not ground as fine as paint. A good clean after you spray also goes a long way. I like to pour a little thinner in a mixing cup and put the air cap in it while I clean the rest of the gun. When that’s done I’ll give the air cap a good brushing and then wipe it down with a clean paper towel.

A good inexpensive paint gun that I like is the Devilbiss FLG5. It’s about $140 from spraygunsdirect. For an extra hundred you can get a Devilbiss GPi. It’s a pro level gun at a reasonable price.
 
Gun cleaning

Great tips and great advise , pretty sure it has to be in my cleaning stage ,, I’ll disassemble the gun tomorrow to clean internal parks ,, down side of the situation is I’m about out of primer and my order is on back order like everything else these days , I did purchase to the ratttle can for a back up but prefer not to mix match primer colors
 
Prime

When the gun works i gets good results
 

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Cheap HVLP Spray Gun

I've had good luck with the inexpensive purple HF HVLP Spray Gun. Cleaning prior to first use and after each use is important. The tip is VERY hard to remove the first time. There are some good videos on YouTube on cleaning, setup and use. Good Luck!
 
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Lots of different spray guns. Lots of choices. Not sure if there is any one gun good for everyone. This is the one that I would like to own.
 
I like my Harbor Freight purple spray gun for primer. I think I paid like $15 for it and it has primed the entire RV-6 project with two part epoxy (SPI). I have a Devilbis GP1 for finish paint but don't need it for primer as the purple gun works well for that. The cost of the purple gun is low enough that I keep a spare on hand.

Do you need to clean the Steward eco-poxy with solvent? I thought that was water base...
 
Eco-poxy

I like my Harbor Freight purple spray gun for primer. I think I paid like $15 for it and it has primed the entire RV-6 project with two part epoxy (SPI). I have a Devilbis GP1 for finish paint but don't need it for primer as the purple gun works well for that. The cost of the purple gun is low enough that I keep a spare on hand.

Do you need to clean the Steward eco-poxy with solvent? I thought that was water base...

It is. Clean up with soap water would be fine but I would still clean with a solvent. Wouldn't take much water in the gun to ruin a paint job.
 
problem solved maybe

Having shot thousands of gallons of everything from house paint, to colored thinner for a job. I will say one thing is certain.
If the gun is plugging up it's not the gun, But the operator.
I must have 15 different spray rigs/guns in my shop.
If the product isn't strained GOOD it will plug up any gun. Oh, Ya, how about the clean air?
I have a cheap cheap touch up gun that is 30 plus years old that will shoot paint just fine IF the paint doesn't have chunky stuff in it.
Sometimes I get in a hurry and think, Oh this new paint will be clean enough and BAM get a plugged up gun.
I'm mad at myself not the gun.
My three cents worth Art
 
Operator error

So tore into the gun today to embarrassing to post pictures of ,, soaking and replacing filter with a good cleaning so should be fine ,, really appreciate the input
 
Nothing to be embarrassed about. Even pros have spray gun problems. Sometimes you have to do everything from an extra thorough cleaning all the way to a complete tear down, chemical strip, and installation of a rebuild kit.
 
So tore into the gun today to embarrassing to post pictures of ,, soaking and replacing filter with a good cleaning so should be fine ,, really appreciate the input

Methylene chloride will clean it well. Check carb cleaner labels. To soak parts in it, pour a layer of water on top of the solvent or it will all evaporate at normal room temps.
 
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HF cheapie gun

This spinner was test painted in polyurethane with the Harbor Freight purple gun, I think the gun is OK for small jobs but not for a whole airplane as the transfer rate is too low. It seems to atomize better if the pressure is higher. I also got a couple of specks of residue as a result of not cleaning out the gun properly from when it previously had primer through it.
 

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After owning a motorcycle paint shop and a plethora of guns at all price levels I came up with this: A NEW, cheap paint gun that is clean is FAR superior to a dirty gun that cost thousands. I always use at least (3) guns for paint.

1. dedicated primer gun with 1.7 mm tip.
2. color gun for various base colors. For small project a simple jam gun, for larger surfaces I recycle my previous clear gun.
3. dedicated clear gun.

NEVER use the clear gun for color. Never use the color gun for primer. Always spray lacquer thinner through the guns after each use. If I was using a self etching primer to put below the epoxy (or other primer) I also had a dedicated gun for that (think veri-prime, etc).

Always strain ALL the paint and use a disposable moisture collector at the air inlet on the gun. It is also useful to get a pressure gauge to mount near the moisture trap to ensure the pressure is the same every time you use it as most guns have their own happy pressure.

MOST important of all is to know proper PPE for the product you are spraying. Read the data sheets for the paint you are using and take is seriously.
 
I had the problems you described when I started out and had no experience with spraying ( using EkoPrime, EkoPoxy, and JetFlex WR). I was only able to get decent results when I switched to the 3M Accuspray system.

The Accuspray is close to foolproof for beginners. You can swap tips to various sizes 1.2-2.0mm (about $5 each), its very easy to clean, easy to adjust and it uses the PPS disposable cups that you seal up with unused paint.
 
Nice

This spinner was test painted in polyurethane with the Harbor Freight purple gun, I think the gun is OK for small jobs but not for a whole airplane as the transfer rate is too low. It seems to atomize better if the pressure is higher. I also got a couple of specks of residue as a result of not cleaning out the gun properly from when it previously had primer through it.

That spinner looks nice .. Are you painting your own plane then ?
 
That spinner looks nice .. Are you painting your own plane then ?

Yes I'm planning to paint it myself. It's not at that stage just yet, but doing some tests with paint and equipment in the meantime. I'll use single stage solid colors (not metallics or pearl) to keep the process as simple as possible, since I'm not a spray painter, but have painted a couple of cars and motorcycles and quite enjoyed the process!
 
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