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Thin out latex for airless sprayer?

42K views 20 replies 11 participants last post by  smalpierre 
#1 ·
Hi all, I'm new to airless sprayers (though I have experience painting cars with HVLP and murals with an airbrush). I just bought a Graco TW170 for two jobs. One is an exterior job involving painting a gazebo with 4x4 posts, and another in interior painting door/window moulding and floor trim. Exterior job is using BM latex paint and interior job using SW PC. Recommended tip sizes on cans are .15 and .17 respectively. However, I have a graco 211 tip (to get a 4 inch spray). I know using too thick of paint can blow out a tip. Can I thin down the the BM and SW paints to shoot through a .011 tip? If so, by how much? Thoughts or suggestions?
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the reply. So is it ok then to shoot a paint that is rated for a larger opening, .015-.017, thru a tip that is only .011? I had heard from a graco rep that using too thick of paint thru a smaller tip can blow the tip out. I was wondering what those that paint trim/casing with a 210-212 sized tip do to their paint if the tip is out of spec with what is recommended on the paint cans.
 
#10 ·
I have never thinned latex through an airless.

And.......most importantly....

thinning latex too much, in my experience, can seriously phuck with the sheen, and worse than that, can cause the paint to take FOREVER to cure properly. Your work may be tacky for a month or two.
 
#11 ·
I have before but as others have mentioned it changes the dynamics of the paint.

I thinned some paint years ago and it would not stay on the wall for nothing. Went to the can and it specifically said NOT to thin the paint. Well sh!t!! From then on I have been selective on when I feel it is necessary to thin.
 
#12 ·
All you have to do is look at the specs. If it can be thinned it will usually say 1 pint per gallon. You have to you common sense if it's already a thin low grade paint don't thin. If you go over the recommended amount that's when you'll start losing sheen.

Some paints won't atomize correctly unless they are thinned. Most paints today don't have much solids in the base to begin with so thinning is usually unnecessary unless you're not getting the finish you desire.

You're most likely to have thin when brushing not spraying.
 
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