Is it okay to leave finishing material in a spray gun for a few days or
do I need to clean it after every use? I'm referring to Shellac or
water based lacquer. thanks

"Mike in Arkansas" wrote in message oups.com...
| Is it okay to leave finishing material in a spray gun for a few days or
| do I need to clean it after every use? I'm referring to Shellac or
| water based lacquer. thanks
|

Cleanliness is next to godliness.

It also keeps the spray gun in good working order.

--
PDQ

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"Mike in Arkansas" wrote in message
oups.com...
Is it okay to leave finishing material in a spray gun for a few
days or
do I need to clean it after every use? I'm referring to
Shellac or
water based lacquer. thanks


If you want reliable, always-ready service from your spray gun,
clean it out EVERY time you are ready to stop using it for more
than a few hours, say lunch or a quickie inthe afternoon, etc,
and it'll hardly ever give you any problems.
The first time you can't get dried material out of a nozzle,
the orfice, or spray angler, you'll really appreciate keeping it
clean thereafter, but why go thru it? You'll appreciate it even
more the first time you're half way thru a job and a piece breaks
loose and plugs/partially blocks something.
I had a neighbor took meticulour care of his spray gun. But
he was always complaining it had to "rest" every few minutes of
use. I glanced at it, grapped a piece of wire, poked thru the
blocked airhole in the top of the canister, and he bragged about
me for weeks! I was his guru after t hat g.

They're so easy and fast to clean, it's really not a problem to
leave fifteen mintues at the end of evry job for a thorough
cleaning and wipe down of the sprayer and hoses/couplings, etc.,
if needed. Also, never leave water sitting inside anything; blow
it out, wipe it out, whatever it takes. You'll have lots fewer
surprises down the line.

HTH

Pop

Some watersoluable products contain additives that will interact with
aluminum, if in contact for extend periods.
Not sure what's in them to cause the problem, but I've read it on several
labels.
If you have aluminum parts in your gun this could cause a problem.

"Mike in Arkansas" wrote in message
oups.com...
Is it okay to leave finishing material in a spray gun for a few days or
do I need to clean it after every use? I'm referring to Shellac or
water based lacquer. thanks

When I have a spray job that is going to take a couple of days I do the
following:
spray first coat of material
take off canister with spray material and cap it (a latex glove works great)
clean spray gun by spraying solvent through it from another canister.
when ready to spray again reload canister with spray material and repeat.
This also works if you are spraying several different materials over a
period of several days, and need to switch back and forth.
"Mike in Arkansas" wrote in message
oups.com...
Is it okay to leave finishing material in a spray gun for a few days or
do I need to clean it after every use? I'm referring to Shellac or
water based lacquer. thanks

"Mike in Arkansas" wrote in message
ups.com...
Thanks everyone. Looks pert near unanimous.


Hey Mike - one additional thought. Most materials have a pot life and it's
usually specified by the manufacturer. Pot life will be affected by
additives such as reducers and/or retarders, so you have to pay attention to
the details. I still recommend mixing up only what you will shoot in a
given session, but if you need to span a day or two, check with the
manufacturer of the product you're shooting and inquire about the pot life.

No matter what you decide - clean the gun with the appropriate solvent
before putting it up. Pot life is good information with respect to how long
the material will last once mixed up, but you still have to treat that gun
with tender loving care.

--

-Mike-