I'm using the 3M Accuspray 2.0 system with Akzo epoxy primer. I watched a bunch of videos produced by 3M to try to get a feel for how I should set the gun up. I followed their recommendations.
3M recommendations:
- Set the top knob (fan) to 1-1.5 turns out.
- Set the bottom knob (fluid) to 3-4.5 turns out.
- Set the pressure at the gun to 20psi when pulling trigger.
The pressure at my air compressor was set at 90psi. When not depressing the handle on the gun the pressure at the gun is around 90psi. When pulling the trigger it drops to around 20psi.
This was my first time using a paint gun and it seemed to me that the air pressure was too high. The paint was going on really thin (maybe the fluid knob needs to be opened up further?). I think I was wasting paint with overspray. I ended up using 18oz of Akzo to prime all the parts for the -14 horizontal stabilizer and I didn't put it on thick. Just enough so the aluminum didn't show through.
In another thread I asked for priming tips and it was suggested I should use 4oz of Akzo- and even that might be too much. With two long spars, a bunch of ribs, stiffeners and two skins, there is no way 4oz would work with my gun settings so something isn't set up correctly. I ended up doing 3 spray sessions with my 6oz cups to get everything covered (with 30 minute wait each time I mixed the primer). It was a LONG day!
My questions:
Should I reduce the air pressure at the compressor? Otherwise when I first pull the tigger it's at 90psi before it drops down to 20psi. Is this where I'm wasting paint? Should I set the fluid knob to 4.5 -5 turns out?
3M recommendations:
- Set the top knob (fan) to 1-1.5 turns out.
- Set the bottom knob (fluid) to 3-4.5 turns out.
- Set the pressure at the gun to 20psi when pulling trigger.
The pressure at my air compressor was set at 90psi. When not depressing the handle on the gun the pressure at the gun is around 90psi. When pulling the trigger it drops to around 20psi.
This was my first time using a paint gun and it seemed to me that the air pressure was too high. The paint was going on really thin (maybe the fluid knob needs to be opened up further?). I think I was wasting paint with overspray. I ended up using 18oz of Akzo to prime all the parts for the -14 horizontal stabilizer and I didn't put it on thick. Just enough so the aluminum didn't show through.
In another thread I asked for priming tips and it was suggested I should use 4oz of Akzo- and even that might be too much. With two long spars, a bunch of ribs, stiffeners and two skins, there is no way 4oz would work with my gun settings so something isn't set up correctly. I ended up doing 3 spray sessions with my 6oz cups to get everything covered (with 30 minute wait each time I mixed the primer). It was a LONG day!
My questions:
Should I reduce the air pressure at the compressor? Otherwise when I first pull the tigger it's at 90psi before it drops down to 20psi. Is this where I'm wasting paint? Should I set the fluid knob to 4.5 -5 turns out?