DIYbanter - View Single Post - Airless paint sprayer help: primer OK, but enamel has streaks/tails

Lawrence

wrote:
I have a Graco Magnum DX sprayer with the 515 tip (0.015"). I also
added another 25' 1/4" hose section at the sprayer and coupled that to
the 3/16" 25' hose that came with the sprayer. I am painting my trim
and doors in my basement. The sprayer worked well for the latex primer
(Sherwin Williams PrepRite Classic). I set the sprayer to about half
pressure (middle of full and prime/clean).

I then flushed the sprayer with water and then paint thinner and
switched to the enamel (Sherwin Williams ProClassic Interior Alkyd
Satin Enamel). At half pressure there was considerable streaking/tails
in the paint pattern (4 or 5 main streams of paint). At full pressure
the streaking/tails were better but still not very good. I then tried a
411 tip (0.011") but the spray with that was worse than the 515 tip.

The enamel is considerably thinner than the latex so I thought the
smaller tip was going to help but it did not. I have cleaned the gun
filter and flushed the sprayer again.

Should I try using just the one 25' 1/4" hose or maybe just the 25'
3/16" hose?
Should I try a 0.017" tip even though the max tip for the DX is 0.015"?
Or is this sprayer just not going to work for the enamel?

I think you are using the right tips. I looked at my machine ( Graco
Nova 395) and I am using a 413 tip and also have a 517 on hand using
oil based primers and enamels.

You many have the tip in backward. the graco has self cleaning tips.
when they get clogged you just turn them around and run the sprayer to
unclog. There is an arrow on the tip which shows the direction the
paint flows when the gun is in use. I have made the same mistake.