Cup Gun Painting

Bud Cline

I want to spray paint a new metal exterior door for my daughter and I want to use a cup gun. In the past I have never been able to get latex paints to go through my cup guns but maybe that's because I have no idea what I'm doing.

I have always used either automotive paints or oil-based paints that could be reduced with a thinner.

The local Menard's paint department guru looked at me like I was nuts when I told her whatever we used had to be able to be sprayed with a cup gun. In fact, she said: "With a what gun"? She insists latex will work but in my experience it has never worked, it can't be reduced enough to spray in that manner.

So.....what's the scoop guys? What type of paint do we need to buy. Keep in mind the color will have to be color-mixed to my daughters liking and the automotive finishes won't qualify in her desired color range for this project.

Tell me what use.

boman47k

Sounds like you need to use a different tip to me. I'm thinking a tip for latex has a bigger oriface and shaped a little different. Maybe someone with more experience with spray equipment will straighten us both out.

BACKWOODS

I spray latex all the time with my Devilbiss Finishline HVLP gun. Thin it down with Flotrol till you get 2 streams dripping from a paint stir stip when you pull it out of the paint for about 10-15 seconds. I think my gun has a 2.2 tip.

Bud Cline

Yow...my gun is a simple old fashion cup gun basically used to spray laquer finishes years ago. I don't have the HVLP but I know latex can be sprayed with them.

I have never used FloTrol and have no idea what it is but it has been suggested before, I just have no experience with it.

I don't think the tips on my guns are interchangeable as far as orifice size is concerned but they may be. Never seen stand-alone tips for these particular guns. They are basic Craftsman brand.

BACKWOODS

Check out Harbor Freight if you have 1 close to you. Not the greatest tools but for every now and then paint gun they are OK.

Railman

Use mineral spirits to thin to necessary viscosity, maybe 4 oz per gallon. It may sound crazy, but it works. There is already some in most latex paints. It will thin, & then allow the air bubbles to escape form the latex before drying. I did this for about 5 years in my rail shop before switching to another brand paint, which didn't need thinning to spray with our pressure cup hvlp guns .
Joe

boman47k

Yep, got a couple of them myself. Noticed one of them had two tips in it when I got it out of my shop. I was thinking the other one may have been for latex, but I seemed to have misplaced it. I have never ran latex through one of these. Did a good job on some patio furniture though with oil. Years ago, I used these to spray laquer on woodwoork.