Help With New Paint Equipment

shed-n-deck

I went out yesterday and bought a light duty piston sprayer. I've never used this type of paint sprayer before, last time I sprayed was automotive finish. I thought the two would be similar, but I found out today, they aren't.

Problem that I'm having is that too much material is coming out too fast. I decreased the spray pressure, but that only screws up the pattern if I go too low. I bought a different tip, it came with a 415, they had 411, 413, and 515 tips where I bought the machine. I read the back of the packaging, it said that a .015" orifice was the smallest you could use for latex paints. What I really wanted was a 311, a smaller spray pattern and less material would be more suitable I think considering I am so inexperienced.

I bought a spray tech made by wagner. I got it at lowes. I don't paint very often, or very much, maybe once a week or two. Would tips from other sprayers work the same in my machine? Would a smaller orifice decrease the amount of material being delivered? I bought a 515, I figured the bigger fan would reduce the amount of material hitting any given spot, which it did, but I still have to move the gun faster than I can without experience. Also, I read in another thread here that it isn't true that you can't spray latex through an 11 or 13. Is that true? I would prefer to go with an .011" orifice.

If anyone has any other tips they would like to share, I'd love to hear them. I learned the hard way today that a respirator is a requirement, even with latex paint....

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Shed

paintr56

My best advise would be practice until you can use the machine for its intended purpose. Once you master that you will not want to cut back the paint being sprayed.
Latex can be sprayed through an 11 but it will keep clogging your tip it helps to strain your paint often it is more helpfull to get in the habit of moving faster and keeping up with the gun.

Jim

Workaholic

Telling us what you are trying to spray would help a lot as to what tip would be good.
Some tip gaurds can be used with other brand tips. Really i never use spraytech tips never much cared for them. I prefer using titans with a graco gun. Best bet would be to go to a paint store where you can get the proper sized tip and housing.
Here is what i use most often.
517 for ceilings and spraying closets
211 for spraying trim casings
311 for spraying doors.

There is a learning curve and some practice on some wood or drywall would be good.
As far as 11's clogging up, it never really has been an issue for me. Put a piece of panty hose or a tie on filter that goes over the inlet screen, then a filter in your gun, plus manifold filter, though with the sprayer you are talking about you won't have one. Making the panty hose more important.

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Sean

shed-n-deck

Thanks for the in depth response. I am spraying paneling, I am pre-painting the grooves with a brush because the gun won't shoot material into the grooves.

I had a better day today, I only had a few runs, and some splatters, but the splatters were caused by a dirty tip I think. It's becoming more natural feeling to spray, I think that was a lot of my problem yesterday. I also think that I need a swivel of some sort for the gun, the included hose is stiff, and has hit wet walls more than once.

Is there a lighter weight hose available that isn't so stiff and heavy?

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Shed

Workaholic

I would for sure get you a swivel for the gun, otherwise you will fight the hose all day, and the hose will win.
You could get yourself a 3/16's wip hose, a 5 or 6 footer is enough to save a lot of fatigue, they also come in 3' i just prefer the longer.
Yeah it just takes a bit of practice to feel comfortable with a sprayer.
If you give it a few lighter coats instead of a real heavy coat, that will save you from getting those pesky runs. Also if you have a 5 gallon bucket to drop the whole gun in water when not using, that will reduse some of thos spatters.

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Sean

shed-n-deck

I've been removing the tip and cleaning it when I'm not using it, and taping over the gun....What you suggested with a bucket sounds much easier.

I'll check out the wip hose too. Thanks for the help.

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Shed

neolitic

You've heard from the pros, now me.
My first time was with a rig about like yours.
I practiced for a bit on a couple of refrigerator boxes til I got the hang of the trigger, start moving before you pull, and release before you stop? Those boxes got well sprayed!
Our first deal was R/S 12" RB&B siding.
I found the angle so that you spray into one side of the groove letting the mist run over the flat from that direction, then spray the groove on the other side of that flat, misting it from the opposite direction, then hit the flat dead on lightly and every thing is covered.
This is all with the "fan" horizontal.
Clear as mud?
By panels I am thinking you're talking T-111? Thought maybe layman to layman might help.
And now we return you to the regularly scheduled experts.

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(Sorry....it seems there really are dumb questions)

shed-n-deck

I am painting an interior. I haven't tried it on panel siding yet. The panels are the thin 1/4" wood veneer with grooves that vary from 4" apart to 8" apart. The grooves are narrow, 3/16" maybe, and shallow, about 1/16".

I will be using it to paint a lot of T-111 style grooved siding panels, so your advice will be very helpful.

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Shed

paintr56

Spray it in small sections maybe 8' at a time then use a brush while it is still wet to fill the groves. This saves a lot of time because you don't have to go to the can for paint just move around the paint to cover the groves. Final coat just spray no brush.

Jim