Awl --

Got a few Q's, hoping someone can post a quick "faq" on using an air paint
spray gun -- for outside woodwork, like T1-11 fencing, gates, and
pressure-treated stockade fencing, etc.

We had an electric/airless Wagner ditty hanging around for quite some time,
never used, and yesterday just could not get it to work, not with paint,
water, nada. And what a racket it makes!
And I could see, from the pita clean up, that even if it did work, it would
proly never work again, from clogs, etc. The guys at my lumberyard were no
fan of this airless-wagner stuff.

So it turns out I had Husky siphon-feed air spray gun stored away, never
used (like http://tinyurl.com/93p396e , closer to the #6500, actual sku #
515-507)
so I hooked up one of them bitty pressure regulators (like
http://tinyurl.com/clzjlcu
, except with a separator), and WaLa, I'm spraying paint!!! Water based.

This husky gun seems to be "high pressure", as opposed to HVLP, but I put a
regulator on it anyway, as the box mentioned cfm at 40 psi, so I figgered
the operating pressure would be in the area of 40 psi, and my compressor is
80-110 psi.
That 40 drops to 20 psi upon spraying, but this range seems to feel right
for the gun -- with all 5 mins of my paint spraying experience.

So there seems to be basically 3 adjustments: 1. inlet pressure 2. knob
controlling trigger "depth" or spray amount and 3. a knob above that for
the "fan" or spread of the spray. As well as the "wings" of the nozzle for
hor'zl or vert direction to the spray.
And viscosity of the paint, which seems to need to be on the thin side.
Oh, and of course distance from the gun to the work!!!

Does HVLP have any advantages over non-hvlp?
Can a high pressure gun be "converted" to a HVLP gun by simply dialing in
lower pressure and perhaps adjusting the above knobs somehow?
Would another nozzle be required? I haven't seen replacement nozzles for
this spray gun. Are these generic/available?

Seems to lay down nice fine layers, which iiuc is much better for adhesion,
as opposed to thick brush layers. Will have to lay down several of these,
tho.

Does a gravity fed gun have any advantages over the siphon?
Do the more expensive "airless" sprayers have advantages over air, besides
not needing a sep. compressor/air tank?
I see they use high psi like a power washer, but I don't know if this is
necessarily an advantage -- seems like just another thing to break. The air
guns seem inherently simple, reliable.

I think this gun is going to work well, just that filling up the quart
container is going to be a bit of a pain.
Relatively easy to clean.
If I added a hose to this gun, could I siphon right from a paint can on the
ground or perhaps on a cart?

I hear people knock Husky as a crap HD brand, but I have one of their
compressors (26 gal), very quiet (for a compressor), heads and shoulders
above Sears compressors. The pressure regulator is a little crude, but
other than that, it's been bery bery good to me. Similarly, this husky
spray gun does not seem chintzy at all, almost heavy duty.

Appreciate any heads up, as I'm going to be doing some real painting
tomorrow, on T1-11, which is difficult to brush or roller.
--
EA

Existential Angst wrote:


We had an electric/airless Wagner ditty hanging around for quite some
time, never used, and yesterday just could not get it to work, not
with paint, water, nada. And what a racket it makes!
And I could see, from the pita clean up, that even if it did work, it
would proly never work again, from clogs, etc. The guys at my
lumberyard were no fan of this airless-wagner stuff.

Yeah - the old ones were kind of clunky and they sure were loud! Don't know
about the current ones.


So it turns out I had Husky siphon-feed air spray gun stored away,
never used (like http://tinyurl.com/93p396e , closer to the #6500,
actual sku # 515-507)
so I hooked up one of them bitty pressure regulators (like
http://tinyurl.com/clzjlcu
, except with a separator), and WaLa, I'm spraying paint!!! Water
based.
This husky gun seems to be "high pressure", as opposed to HVLP, but I
put a regulator on it anyway, as the box mentioned cfm at 40 psi, so
I figgered the operating pressure would be in the area of 40 psi, and
my compressor is 80-110 psi.
That 40 drops to 20 psi upon spraying, but this range seems to feel
right for the gun -- with all 5 mins of my paint spraying experience.


Turn it up. With a gun like that you'll probably want around 40psi at the
gun while shooting. It does depend on the material you are shooting and
some guns shoot heavier stuff better than others, but trial and error will
be your friend. It's not HVLP, so at 20psi at the gun, you're way under the
desired pressure - always set pressure with the trigger pulled.


So there seems to be basically 3 adjustments: 1. inlet pressure 2.
knob controlling trigger "depth" or spray amount and 3. a knob
above that for the "fan" or spread of the spray.

Correct. The fan size adjustment is kind of logical - you set the fan size
for what you need. If you're trying to shoot a very small area (perhaps,
shooting into a nook or a corner...) you'd turn the fan down to a very small
(smallest) pattern, whereas if you are shooting full surfaces, you'd open
the fan up. For most work, just open the fan all the way.

For the delivery adjustment - To set this adjustment, turn the adjustment
knob out and pull back the trigger. Turn the delivery adjustment in until
you feel contact with the trigger. This will give you the maximum delivery
rate and will be fine for most all of your needs. I usually give the
adjustment an extra 1/4 turn in at this point - your choice.


As well as the
"wings" of the nozzle for hor'zl or vert direction to the spray.
And viscosity of the paint, which seems to need to be on the thin
side.

Yup - it's suction so the design of the gun will dictate how thick the
material can be in order for it to pick it up and atomize it. One of the
best guns ever built for heavier materials is the old Binks Model 7. I
shoot Rustoleum straight out of the can with no reducers with my Model 7 and
it goes on like glass. Few guns - especially the cheap ones can match the
Model 7 in this regard. Keep your eyes on yard sales - Model 7's show up
all over the place and they're pretty cheap. You can still get rebuild kits
for them for around $40 that will make the gun perform like brand new.


Does HVLP have any advantages over non-hvlp?

Less overspray which results in less waste and lowered costs. The
disadvantage is the demand for a better compressor since conversion guns
require a higher SCFM rate than a basic suction gun. Gun specs will dictate
this.

Can a high pressure gun be "converted" to a HVLP gun by simply
dialing in lower pressure and perhaps adjusting the above knobs
somehow?

Nope. Don't even waste your time trying.

Would another nozzle be required? I haven't seen replacement nozzles
for this spray gun. Are these generic/available?

Nope. Don't even waste your time trying.


Seems to lay down nice fine layers, which iiuc is much better for
adhesion, as opposed to thick brush layers. Will have to lay down
several of these, tho.

Yup - spraying is a process of laying down thinner coats. The advantage is
that they tack faster, and you can lay down many coats in a short amount of
time, and you'll have a nicer finish when you are done.


Does a gravity fed gun have any advantages over the siphon?

Yeah... and No. For the kind of work that I'm under the impression you're
after - Not really. There are the obvious things such as working in odd
positions, but you can spray with a suction gun in a near upside down
position so that's not really as big a benefit as you might first think.
Gravity guns are easier to clean, but again - only marginally so. I still
shoot my suction guns a lot - especially for primers and heavy materials. I
have no need to move off of them - and I do have gravity guns as well.

Do the more expensive "airless" sprayers have advantages over air,
besides not needing a sep. compressor/air tank?
I see they use high psi like a power washer, but I don't know if this
is necessarily an advantage -- seems like just another thing to
break. The air guns seem inherently simple, reliable.


Sorry - not up to speed on the new airless guns.

I think this gun is going to work well, just that filling up the quart
container is going to be a bit of a pain.
Relatively easy to clean.
If I added a hose to this gun, could I siphon right from a paint can
on the ground or perhaps on a cart?


Maybe - but probably not, unless the pot is pressurized.

I hear people knock Husky as a crap HD brand, but I have one of their
compressors (26 gal), very quiet (for a compressor), heads and
shoulders above Sears compressors. The pressure regulator is a
little crude, but other than that, it's been bery bery good to me.
Similarly, this husky spray gun does not seem chintzy at all, almost
heavy duty.

There's nothing wrong with any of the Husky equipment and specifically,
there's nothing wrong with the gun you own, for the type of use I think I
understand you to put it to. I've painted cars with some dirt cheap guns
and turned out a perfectly acceptable paint job. I've also thrown some out
because I could not do anything to get a decent spray out of them. Harbor
Freight sells a knock off of the Binks Model 7 for around $40 (I think...)
that I have suggested people buy in the past. They work like a top and
parts are interchangeable with the Model 7. A complete copy of the Model 7.
Cheap does not have to mean junk. If you can get a good atomized pattern
out of your gun, then it's fine. It's like any other gun - you learn how to
work within its limitations and its characteristics.


Appreciate any heads up, as I'm going to be doing some real painting
tomorrow, on T1-11, which is difficult to brush or roller.

The biggest hurdle in shooting paint is to resist the temptation to get on
it again before the first coat has sufficient time to tack. Get on it too
soon and you'll enjoy that modern look... the artistic stuff. Some call
it... runs...

--

-Mike-

"Mike Marlow" wrote in message
...
Existential Angst wrote:


We had an electric/airless Wagner ditty hanging around for quite some
time, never used, and yesterday just could not get it to work, not
with paint, water, nada. And what a racket it makes!
And I could see, from the pita clean up, that even if it did work, it
would proly never work again, from clogs, etc. The guys at my
lumberyard were no fan of this airless-wagner stuff.

Yeah - the old ones were kind of clunky and they sure were loud! Don't
know about the current ones.


So it turns out I had Husky siphon-feed air spray gun stored away,
never used (like http://tinyurl.com/93p396e , closer to the #6500,
actual sku # 515-507)
so I hooked up one of them bitty pressure regulators (like
http://tinyurl.com/clzjlcu
, except with a separator), and WaLa, I'm spraying paint!!! Water
based.
This husky gun seems to be "high pressure", as opposed to HVLP, but I
put a regulator on it anyway, as the box mentioned cfm at 40 psi, so
I figgered the operating pressure would be in the area of 40 psi, and
my compressor is 80-110 psi.
That 40 drops to 20 psi upon spraying, but this range seems to feel
right for the gun -- with all 5 mins of my paint spraying experience.


Turn it up. With a gun like that you'll probably want around 40psi at the
gun while shooting. It does depend on the material you are shooting and
some guns shoot heavier stuff better than others, but trial and error will
be your friend. It's not HVLP, so at 20psi at the gun, you're way under
the desired pressure - always set pressure with the trigger pulled.


So there seems to be basically 3 adjustments: 1. inlet pressure 2.
knob controlling trigger "depth" or spray amount and 3. a knob
above that for the "fan" or spread of the spray.

Correct. The fan size adjustment is kind of logical - you set the fan
size for what you need. If you're trying to shoot a very small area
(perhaps, shooting into a nook or a corner...) you'd turn the fan down to
a very small (smallest) pattern, whereas if you are shooting full
surfaces, you'd open the fan up. For most work, just open the fan all the
way.

For the delivery adjustment - To set this adjustment, turn the adjustment
knob out and pull back the trigger. Turn the delivery adjustment in until
you feel contact with the trigger. This will give you the maximum
delivery rate and will be fine for most all of your needs. I usually give
the adjustment an extra 1/4 turn in at this point - your choice.


As well as the
"wings" of the nozzle for hor'zl or vert direction to the spray.
And viscosity of the paint, which seems to need to be on the thin
side.

Yup - it's suction so the design of the gun will dictate how thick the
material can be in order for it to pick it up and atomize it. One of the
best guns ever built for heavier materials is the old Binks Model 7. I
shoot Rustoleum straight out of the can with no reducers with my Model 7
and it goes on like glass. Few guns - especially the cheap ones can match
the Model 7 in this regard. Keep your eyes on yard sales - Model 7's show
up all over the place and they're pretty cheap. You can still get rebuild
kits for them for around $40 that will make the gun perform like brand
new.


Does HVLP have any advantages over non-hvlp?

Less overspray which results in less waste and lowered costs. The
disadvantage is the demand for a better compressor since conversion guns
require a higher SCFM rate than a basic suction gun. Gun specs will
dictate this.

Can a high pressure gun be "converted" to a HVLP gun by simply
dialing in lower pressure and perhaps adjusting the above knobs
somehow?

Nope. Don't even waste your time trying.

Would another nozzle be required? I haven't seen replacement nozzles
for this spray gun. Are these generic/available?

Nope. Don't even waste your time trying.


Seems to lay down nice fine layers, which iiuc is much better for
adhesion, as opposed to thick brush layers. Will have to lay down
several of these, tho.

Yup - spraying is a process of laying down thinner coats. The advantage
is that they tack faster, and you can lay down many coats in a short
amount of time, and you'll have a nicer finish when you are done.


Does a gravity fed gun have any advantages over the siphon?

Yeah... and No. For the kind of work that I'm under the impression you're
after - Not really. There are the obvious things such as working in odd
positions, but you can spray with a suction gun in a near upside down
position so that's not really as big a benefit as you might first think.
Gravity guns are easier to clean, but again - only marginally so. I still
shoot my suction guns a lot - especially for primers and heavy materials.
I have no need to move off of them - and I do have gravity guns as well.

Do the more expensive "airless" sprayers have advantages over air,
besides not needing a sep. compressor/air tank?
I see they use high psi like a power washer, but I don't know if this
is necessarily an advantage -- seems like just another thing to
break. The air guns seem inherently simple, reliable.


Sorry - not up to speed on the new airless guns.

I think this gun is going to work well, just that filling up the quart
container is going to be a bit of a pain.
Relatively easy to clean.
If I added a hose to this gun, could I siphon right from a paint can
on the ground or perhaps on a cart?


Maybe - but probably not, unless the pot is pressurized.

I hear people knock Husky as a crap HD brand, but I have one of their
compressors (26 gal), very quiet (for a compressor), heads and
shoulders above Sears compressors. The pressure regulator is a
little crude, but other than that, it's been bery bery good to me.
Similarly, this husky spray gun does not seem chintzy at all, almost
heavy duty.

There's nothing wrong with any of the Husky equipment and specifically,
there's nothing wrong with the gun you own, for the type of use I think I
understand you to put it to. I've painted cars with some dirt cheap guns
and turned out a perfectly acceptable paint job. I've also thrown some
out because I could not do anything to get a decent spray out of them.
Harbor Freight sells a knock off of the Binks Model 7 for around $40 (I
think...) that I have suggested people buy in the past. They work like a
top and parts are interchangeable with the Model 7. A complete copy of
the Model 7. Cheap does not have to mean junk. If you can get a good
atomized pattern out of your gun, then it's fine. It's like any other
gun - you learn how to work within its limitations and its
characteristics.


Appreciate any heads up, as I'm going to be doing some real painting
tomorrow, on T1-11, which is difficult to brush or roller.

The biggest hurdle in shooting paint is to resist the temptation to get on
it again before the first coat has sufficient time to tack. Get on it too
soon and you'll enjoy that modern look... the artistic stuff. Some call
it... runs...

Greatly appreciate the heads up.

So it seems you really do need a pressure regulator *at* the gun, OR a
dedicated tank with the proper pressure.

You mentioned a pressurized pot.... I've been wracking my brains over this
for some time, couldn't remember what it was called, but I actually had one
of these, ages ago, from Sears, and man, did it work great!!
Hmmm.... here's a HF one:
http://www.harborfreight.com/2-1-2-h...ank-66839.html

I just called a NJ HF, my buddy is going to pick it up in an hour!! Bingo,
this solves all my problems! You literally can just drop a full can of
paint in this (not pour it, just put the whole paint in!), and spray away!
With this pressurized pot, it looks like I'll be able to do some outside
house painting as well.

As I have now about 7 min of paint spraying experience, I proly shouldn't be
editorializing, but from a purely mechanical/intuitive pov, I'm just blown
away by how much simpler and more ergonomic this air spraying is over the
wagner-type airless. I guess the issue is, most people don't have air
compressors, so the airless strategy becomes essentially a default strategy.

BUT, if you price the HF pressurized can, pancake compressor, and gun, it
totals $165, not a lot more than the Wagner crap, and in some cases less,
and a lot less than other airless systems, with, imo, much greater
simplicity (despite the separate components) and much more versatility.

Again, really appreciate the help.
--
EA



--

-Mike-

Existential Angst wrote:


Greatly appreciate the heads up.

So it seems you really do need a pressure regulator *at* the gun, OR a
dedicated tank with the proper pressure.

At all guns - absolutely. Do yourself a favor and go to Harbor Freight and
buy them there. They are about $4 each (I think...), and they are plenty
good enough. Forget about the dedicated tank with proper pressure idea. As
soon as you add more hose, you've changed the pressure at the gun. Just put
a regulator on every gun. And... put a ball type water trap on every gun.
They too are very cheap at HF. Some things are worth spending more money on
at other places, but these two items are not.




As I have now about 7 min of paint spraying experience, I proly
shouldn't be editorializing, but from a purely mechanical/intuitive
pov, I'm just blown away by how much simpler and more ergonomic this
air spraying is over the wagner-type airless. I guess the issue is,
most people don't have air compressors, so the airless strategy
becomes essentially a default strategy.

Well - yes... and no. The airless stuff used to have the advantage of being
able to spray latex as well. Siphon guns suck at that - and not in the
right way! Today's dedicated HVLP (not a conversion gun) are reputed to
shoot latex quite well. Don't really know - don't own one. My wife does
all the latex work around here. I just shoot the nasty stuff.


Again, really appreciate the help.


Absolutely - if you have any more questions, just ask, and I'll make up some
more answers...\

--

-Mike-

"Mike Marlow" wrote in message
...
Existential Angst wrote:


Greatly appreciate the heads up.

So it seems you really do need a pressure regulator *at* the gun, OR a
dedicated tank with the proper pressure.

At all guns - absolutely. Do yourself a favor and go to Harbor Freight
and buy them there. They are about $4 each (I think...), and they are
plenty good enough. Forget about the dedicated tank with proper pressure
idea. As soon as you add more hose, you've changed the pressure at the
gun. Just put a regulator on every gun. And... put a ball type water
trap on every gun. They too are very cheap at HF. Some things are worth
spending more money on at other places, but these two items are not.

Good to know.





As I have now about 7 min of paint spraying experience, I proly
shouldn't be editorializing, but from a purely mechanical/intuitive
pov, I'm just blown away by how much simpler and more ergonomic this
air spraying is over the wagner-type airless. I guess the issue is,
most people don't have air compressors, so the airless strategy
becomes essentially a default strategy.

Well - yes... and no. The airless stuff used to have the advantage of
being able to spray latex as well. Siphon guns suck at that - and not in
the right way! Today's dedicated HVLP (not a conversion gun) are reputed
to shoot latex quite well. Don't really know - don't own one. My wife
does all the latex work around here. I just shoot the nasty stuff.


Again, really appreciate the help.


Absolutely - if you have any more questions, just ask, and I'll make up
some more answers...\

Bless you. I'll keep you posted on my pressurized paint pot.

Why would siphon guns have trouble with latex? Isn't it only a matter of
viscosity?
These guns seem to specifically specify low to medium viscosity. I find
that cutting many paints with water helps brushing, and apparently helps
spraying.

Oh, my little test run last nite (with latex, flamingo pink... g ) did
very well. A very thin coat, but apparently excellent coverage, bonding.

But it's good to know that if these are doing well with latex, I can do oil
as well.
iirc, the airless guns require special nozzle thingies for oil paint.
--
EA






--

-Mike-

Existential Angst wrote:

Why would siphon guns have trouble with latex? Isn't it only a
matter of viscosity?

Probably, but by the time you can thin down latex enough to atomize, it does
not spray well. As well - it's the composition of the paint itself. Robert
(nailshooter) has really delved into this stuff much more than I ever have.
I tend to stay at the level of equipment and technique, where he really digs
into the specifics of different spray materials, etc. He could offer a lot
more detailed insight than I can. What I can tell you is that it is not
always just a matter of viscosity. Some materials just do not atomize.
Sorry - when it comes to latex, I've reached the limits of my understanding
with that statement.

These guns seem to specifically specify low to medium viscosity. I
find that cutting many paints with water helps brushing, and
apparently helps spraying.

To a point. Remember - no matter what you are spraying, you can easily over
reduce anything. These things are formulated to accept only a certain level
of reducer, and only certain types of reducers. At a point, if you think
about it, you're shooting more reducing agent than paint. How's that going
to work out? Adhesion depends on a minimum level of the paint itself.
Color penetration depends on a certain level of the paint itself. At some
point - you screw yourself when reducing any paint.


Oh, my little test run last nite (with latex, flamingo pink... g )
did very well. A very thin coat, but apparently excellent coverage,
bonding.

Good for ya! If you can get good coverage and what appears to be good
adhesion, then go with it. My stand-by recommendation - never exceed the
manufacturer's recommendations. You really can push those a bit, but you
have to know what you are doing and you are taking your chances in doing so.


But it's good to know that if these are doing well with latex, I can
do oil as well.
iirc, the airless guns require special nozzle thingies for oil paint.


Your gun appears to be very capable. I don't want to sound too encouraging
because tip sizes and a lot of other factors come into play, but hell...
give them a try. Worst you can do is screw up, and screwing up a paint job
is not the biggest mistake we can ever make in life.


--

-Mike-

Mike Marlow wrote:

Well - yes... and no. The airless stuff used to have the advantage of being
able to spray latex as well. Siphon guns suck at that - and not in the
right way!


I used to use a cheap bleeder type gun that came with my compressor
for laytex paint, with good results. I would thin the latex paint with a
2 to 1 ratio with hot water. I painted the outside of an old house one
night. While I was busy painting, other people were pulling weeds and
cutting the grass. It almost caused wrecks the next morning as people
stared at what had been an abandond house for over ten years. It was on
a busy highway, and an eyesore for over a decade. I knew the people
buying it, and offered to paint it, if he bought the paint. The hard
part was constantly refilling a small tank with paint, since I didn't
have a paint tank.

Michael A. Terrell wrote:
Mike Marlow wrote:
Well - yes... and no. The airless stuff used to have the advantage of being
able to spray latex as well. Siphon guns suck at that - and not in the
right way!


I used to use a cheap bleeder type gun that came with my compressor
for laytex paint, with good results. I would thin the latex paint with a
2 to 1 ratio with hot water. I painted the outside of an old house one
night. While I was busy painting, other people were pulling weeds and
cutting the grass. It almost caused wrecks the next morning as people
stared at what had been an abandond house for over ten years. It was on
a busy highway, and an eyesore for over a decade. I knew the people
buying it, and offered to paint it, if he bought the paint. The hard
part was constantly refilling a small tank with paint, since I didn't
have a paint tank.

Modern airless are GREAT for stain/latex. I have 3 different guns, two
for latex one for stains. Hoses for different colors and different tis
based on material.
Graco and Titan are my preferred units. Units that can handle 5 gal are
handy. I also have a hopper that attaches to the inlet to allow singles
easier.

--
Steve W.

Steve W. wrote:


Modern airless are GREAT for stain/latex. I have 3 different guns, two
for latex one for stains. Hoses for different colors and different tis
based on material.

The OP's gun should be great for stains - that's why I draw the line on my
comments about latex. Latex is a different beast and I try to be very
honest in saying that I don't have any expertise in spraying it. Stain -
well, that's a lot more like shooting real paint.

Graco and Titan are my preferred units. Units that can handle 5 gal
are handy. I also have a hopper that attaches to the inlet to allow
singles easier.

Good input. Experience counts!

--

-Mike-

Michael A. Terrell wrote:


I used to use a cheap bleeder type gun that came with my compressor
for laytex paint, with good results. I would thin the latex paint
with a 2 to 1 ratio with hot water.

That would scare me on first thought, but like I said - I'm dumb when it
comes to latex. I defer to the experiences of others. How did it hold up
over time?


--

-Mike-

I've gotten to try a real HVLP setup at a woodworking show, this uses
a turbine setup like a reverse vacuum cleaner and really big air
hoses. The advantage is that there's virtually no overspray and you
can almost handle the thing like an airbrush. You had to be careful
with the viscosity of the finish, though. The conversion guns are
better than the regular spray guns as far as overspray, but still
produce a big cloud if you're trying to finish the insides of cabinets
and such. Haven't tried latex, i use my conversion guns for car work
and woodworking finishes. You can rapidly exceed what a portable
compressor can deliver if you're using a regular old-style pressure
sprayer.

If I were to do a house, I'd rent one of the high end airless setups
that runs out of 5 gallon buckets, about as far from one of the Wagner
critters as you can get. They take a lot of cleanup, so not really
the thing to haul out for craft work and small jobs.

As far as equippage on the gun, I use a dedicated air hose, just for
painting and used for nothing else, a regulator at the gun and a
dessicant-type water filter. I also have a 4' whip hose on the gun
itself.

Stan

On Wed, 19 Sep 2012 21:12:24 -0400, "Existential Angst"
wrote:

Awl --

Got a few Q's, hoping someone can post a quick "faq" on using an air paint
spray gun -- for outside woodwork, like T1-11 fencing, gates, and
pressure-treated stockade fencing, etc.

We had an electric/airless Wagner ditty hanging around for quite some time,
never used, and yesterday just could not get it to work, not with paint,
water, nada. And what a racket it makes!
And I could see, from the pita clean up, that even if it did work, it would
proly never work again, from clogs, etc. The guys at my lumberyard were no
fan of this airless-wagner stuff.

So it turns out I had Husky siphon-feed air spray gun stored away, never
used (like http://tinyurl.com/93p396e , closer to the #6500, actual sku #
515-507)
so I hooked up one of them bitty pressure regulators (like
http://tinyurl.com/clzjlcu
, except with a separator), and WaLa, I'm spraying paint!!! Water based.

This husky gun seems to be "high pressure", as opposed to HVLP, but I put a
regulator on it anyway, as the box mentioned cfm at 40 psi, so I figgered
the operating pressure would be in the area of 40 psi, and my compressor is
80-110 psi.
That 40 drops to 20 psi upon spraying, but this range seems to feel right
for the gun -- with all 5 mins of my paint spraying experience.

So there seems to be basically 3 adjustments: 1. inlet pressure 2. knob
controlling trigger "depth" or spray amount and 3. a knob above that for
the "fan" or spread of the spray. As well as the "wings" of the nozzle for
hor'zl or vert direction to the spray.
And viscosity of the paint, which seems to need to be on the thin side.
Oh, and of course distance from the gun to the work!!!

Does HVLP have any advantages over non-hvlp?
Can a high pressure gun be "converted" to a HVLP gun by simply dialing in
lower pressure and perhaps adjusting the above knobs somehow?
Would another nozzle be required? I haven't seen replacement nozzles for
this spray gun. Are these generic/available?

Seems to lay down nice fine layers, which iiuc is much better for adhesion,
as opposed to thick brush layers. Will have to lay down several of these,
tho.

Does a gravity fed gun have any advantages over the siphon?
Do the more expensive "airless" sprayers have advantages over air, besides
not needing a sep. compressor/air tank?
I see they use high psi like a power washer, but I don't know if this is
necessarily an advantage -- seems like just another thing to break. The air
guns seem inherently simple, reliable.

I think this gun is going to work well, just that filling up the quart
container is going to be a bit of a pain.
Relatively easy to clean.
If I added a hose to this gun, could I siphon right from a paint can on the
ground or perhaps on a cart?

I hear people knock Husky as a crap HD brand, but I have one of their
compressors (26 gal), very quiet (for a compressor), heads and shoulders
above Sears compressors. The pressure regulator is a little crude, but
other than that, it's been bery bery good to me. Similarly, this husky
spray gun does not seem chintzy at all, almost heavy duty.

Appreciate any heads up, as I'm going to be doing some real painting
tomorrow, on T1-11, which is difficult to brush or roller.


I just finished spraying stain on my shop of which part of it was a
new addition which had unprimed T1-11. My neighber has an airless
sprayer but we still needed a roller to get an even cover. That
plywood is just one giant sponge. I think we got less then 100 sq.
ft. per gallon. You may find it helps to have someone behind you with
a roller.

Mike M

Mike Marlow wrote:

Michael A. Terrell wrote:


I used to use a cheap bleeder type gun that came with my compressor
for laytex paint, with good results. I would thin the latex paint
with a 2 to 1 ratio with hot water.

That would scare me on first thought, but like I said - I'm dumb when it
comes to latex. I defer to the experiences of others. How did it hold up
over time?


It was still good after five years. That was when I left the area.

If I had a lot of latex to put on, I would look
at one of these for the DIY crowd.

http://www.graco.com/us/en/products/.../truecoat.html
Check this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlDZdJRK7xA

I have seen one of these used at a site and they do work.

This is NOT a Wagner POS and the price reflects that.

On 9/19/2012 6:12 PM, Existential Angst wrote:
Awl --

Got a few Q's, hoping someone can post a quick "faq" on using an air paint
spray gun -- for outside woodwork, like T1-11 fencing, gates, and
pressure-treated stockade fencing, etc.

On Fri, 21 Sep 2012 07:42:37 -0700, Pat Barber
wrote:

If I had a lot of latex to put on, I would look
at one of these for the DIY crowd.

http://www.graco.com/us/en/products/.../truecoat.html
Check this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlDZdJRK7xA

I have seen one of these used at a site and they do work.

Why not a Magnum 15 or better, which could be used for int/ext house
painting, too?


This is NOT a Wagner POS and the price reflects that.

They've come a long way since I bought my Graco handheld 30+ years
ago. It's a corkscrew type which flings paint.

--
Life is like one big Mardi Gras. But instead of showing your boobs,
show people your brain, and if they like what they see, you'll have
more beads than you know what to do with.
-- Ellen DeGeneres, Tulane Commencement Speech, 2009

On 9/21/2012 2:54 PM, Larry Jaques wrote:


Why not a Magnum 15 or better, which could be used for int/ext house
painting, too?

I think most guys with the "every 5 years paint job" don't really
need the big dog sprayer that will sit in the corner and go straight
to hell.

On Mon, 24 Sep 2012 14:19:09 -0700, Pat Barber
wrote:

On 9/21/2012 2:54 PM, Larry Jaques wrote:


Why not a Magnum 15 or better, which could be used for int/ext house
painting, too?

I think most guys with the "every 5 years paint job" don't really
need the big dog sprayer that will sit in the corner and go straight
to hell.

You're probably right, Pat. But for essentially the same price...

--
Never trouble another for what you can do for yourself.
-- Thomas Jefferson