I'm practicing with my paint gun today (first time ever using one) and it doesn't seem like enough material is flowing out the paint gun. I'm spraying a primer with 4:1:1 primer, reducer, hardener and am using a 1.8mm tip.

It seems kind of "sandy" when I spray, and takes about 5-6 passes to cover one area. I have a fan control ****, a fluid needle control ****, and a air adjusting valve.

The manual says to turn the fluid kneedle adjusting **** counterclockwise if the finish seems sandy, but even after turning it all the way it doesn't change.

Any ideas?

 

Could it be that the primer is too thick? It seems pretty thick to me.

 

How many turns out are you on the material ****?

 

I've tried all different settings. I tried 1 turn, 2 turns, until I was all the way out and the best I could do was this "sandy" pattern which took 5-6 passes to get coverage of one area.

 

How much air to the gun and how far are you holding it from the work piece?

 

I have the compressor set at 30PSI (that's the max it says in the manual.) I'm holding it about 8 inches away.

 

HVLP? Try 20psi to the gun and get to 6". That's what I used with my primer gun and I was using a 4:1:1 and 1.8 HVLP gun. I was around 3.5 turns out.

 

Yep, HVLP. I'll try your suggestions tomorrow.

It seemed like there was very little material coming out of the gun and it was creating a very "textured" kind of finish. I was thinking maybe this was due to how thick the primer was or something.

 

Check the cap on the lid. There's a little **** looking thing stuck into the lid of plastic cups. Make sure there's a complete breather hole there. If its not, fluid won't flow out as nicely and may not even come out at all.

That happened on my new gun. I drilled out the hole and it shoots nicely now!

 

Thanks for the help - I made the hole a little bigger.

I got the gun spraying better, but when the primer dries there is definitely some texture. Is this normal and something that I just sand out, or should it be completely smooth?

 

IMLE, primer always has texture. When its completely dry, spray it all over with cheap rattle can paint that contrasts against the primer and block sand until smooth. Your base coat tech sheet should specify what grit it needs.

Be careful around the edges when sanding though. You don't want to break through the primer and have to mix/spray more.

 

looks like youre getting dry spray, whats the psi on your regulator on the gun? i run mine at about 45psi about 4-6 inches away and i reduce my primer with a little bit of reducer....if its coming out dry, lower the psi on the regulator possibly....1.8 is kind of big for primer, imho..i use a 1.5 tip.

i had my friends hot rod friend tune the gun and seriously, when a guns tuned, you barely use any material, it all makes it on the surface!!!

 

Yeah, the primer is drying in the air before it hits the surface. Turn down your air or turn up your paint pressure....you want just enough air pressure to atomize the paint

Also do try to hold it about 6 inches away from the surface with a wide fan. That will give it less time to dry in the air and the wide fan will deter runs & sags.