I had a painting project this weekend, so I decided I'd fire up my
father's old Craftsman bleeder-style paint gun for the first time. It
worked well enough with the shellac-based primer (unthinned), but I
didn't even try to spray the Glidden Alkyd/Oil Enamel. The enamel was
only a little less viscous than molasses, and the instructions on the
can said "Do not thin." I figure I probably would have had to cut it
about 25 to 30% to get it spraying consistancy.

I know my father used the gun to spray enamels back in the 50's.

Should I ignore the instructions on the paint can and thin it to
spraying viscocity, or should I have faith that it will spray at it's
original viscocity? I do have a viscocity cup, and it looked like the
full-strength enamel was going to take 5 or 10 minutes to drain out of
the cup instead of 25 seconds.

Thanks,
Ed

Ed Bailen wrote:

I had a painting project this weekend, so I decided I'd fire up my
father's old Craftsman bleeder-style paint gun for the first time. It
worked well enough with the shellac-based primer (unthinned), but I
didn't even try to spray the Glidden Alkyd/Oil Enamel. The enamel was
only a little less viscous than molasses, and the instructions on the
can said "Do not thin." I figure I probably would have had to cut it
about 25 to 30% to get it spraying consistancy.

I know my father used the gun to spray enamels back in the 50's.

Should I ignore the instructions on the paint can and thin it to
spraying viscocity, or should I have faith that it will spray at it's
original viscocity? I do have a viscocity cup, and it looked like the
full-strength enamel was going to take 5 or 10 minutes to drain out of
the cup instead of 25 seconds.

You should thin to the appropriate viscosity. The "do not thin" instruction
is CYA for the EPA, it has nothing to do with the chemistry of the coating.


Thanks,
Ed

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--John
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