Painting work is a quite common part of construction, repair and restoration activities that almost any person faces. Technologically, there is nothing complicated in the painting itself, but this is a rather troublesome process. Especially if you perform the work with a conventional tool in the form of a brush with a roller. Just for simplification of paint and varnish operations the airbrush was thought up. This device is today widely used in private households and in workshops. But, to get a good result, you should learn how to work with this tool. How to use a spray gun? It is necessary to understand this issue in stages, considering each nuance of the device operation.
What you should know about the design of the device?
There are different models of spray guns, differing in the way of feeding and the principle of operation. In the future, the nuances of the operation of electric and pneumatic devices will be considered, but for now it is worth familiarizing themselves with their general arrangement. Regardless of the power base, all spray guns have the following elements in their design:
- Tank. Reservoir for paint.
- Housing provided with handle and trigger.
- Nozzle. Nozzle spraying the mixture.
- Elements for adjusting paint supply parameters.
- Inlet fitting. A connecting element for connecting the tank to the device.
Now we can move on to the question of how to use a spray gun with a standard design. The operator is required to first carry out preparatory work, after which to refuel with tuning the tool, and then, using the trigger, apply the mixture to the target surface. In general terms, this is how the workflow is built, and now it is worth considering it in more detail.
Preparation for work
The success of the painting will to a large extent depend on the working conditions and the condition of the target surface. Initially, a comprehensive surface preparation is performed with cleaning, removal of grease stains and traces of corrosion. It is advisable to make easy alignment with abrasives. All dust, dirt and flaking elements of the old finish must be removed.
Then we proceed to the organization of working conditions. If painting is planned indoors, it is necessary to ensure the operation of the ventilation system or other equipment that will ensure air circulation. When the optimal conditions for painting procedures are created, you can begin to create a solution. In each case, the rules for its preparation will be different depending on the type of mixture and the application surface. But the most important thing is to take into account that the mixture, in principle, is allowed for use by a specific spray gun. Manufacturers themselves, as a rule, recommend the use of the most common alkyd, acrylic, oil and water-based compositions with enamels.
Assembly and tuning tool
To begin with, you should decide on the choice of a suitable nozzle. Some models come with a set of nozzles of different calibers, while others allow nozzle adjustments. For example, there are special flat-jet nozzles for spot processing that provide targeted coloring of small objects. The nozzle is installed with the mixture feed screw, after which the nuts are tightened. In terms of settings, it is important to correctly correlate the optimal pressure indicators for the gun. How to use a spray gun so that it can withstand a sufficient load when working with solvents and viscous mixtures? To do this, use the appropriate fittings - for example, for sufficient resistance to solvents, it is recommended to use a compressor hose that can withstand up to 10 atm. At the final stage, the tank is connected. It is also advisable to integrate special filters for oil and water separation into the transitional unit of the nozzle.
How to use an electric spray gun?
An electric motor spray gun has several advantages that explain its popularity in the domestic field. Firstly, such devices are inexpensive, and secondly, they require minimal organizational efforts in operation. After assembling and refueling the tool, it will be enough to connect it to the network to start work. And here the first drawback of such models is revealed in the form of dependence on the outlet. An average of 3-5 m is the standard cord length. Today, there are battery models for street use, but the presence of a battery in the composition of the gun makes the already lightweight construction heavier.
As for the work process itself, key attention is paid to the safety of the electric spray gun. How to use the tool in order to eliminate threats of damage to electrical components? Such spray guns are afraid of moisture, volatile and flammable substances. It is also not recommended to use the device in dusty places. In general, working with electric spray guns, you should not expect high quality surface treatment. These solutions are purely for infrequent work in the household, in the country or in the garage.
How to use a pneumatic spray gun?
Devices with pneumatics operate on the power of compressed air, which expels paint particles under pressure. In terms of processing quality and convenience, this is the best solution in the class of spray guns. But, working with such a gun requires serious organization. Initially, auxiliary equipment is being prepared, including a compressor with a receiver. Next, the source of compressed air is connected to the spray gun through a hose, after which the tank with the nozzle nozzle is included in the design. How to use a spray gun with a compressor to achieve a high quality result? Such devices in themselves are quite maneuverable and ergonomic, therefore, the accuracy of the painting, with the necessary skills, will in any case be guaranteed. Another thing is that there are some nuances in the technique of working with a gun, which, however, can be attributed to electric spray guns.
General tips for progress
The device should be held strictly perpendicular to the working surface, observing a distance of 5-10 cm. The greater the load and power of the spray gun, the further you can retreat, but also the proportion of paint will be wasted. How to use the spray gun to get an even coating? The movements during painting should be smooth up and down and left to right. Possible gaps should be covered with small overlaps of up to 5 cm. It is important to consider that as the distance from the center of the spray to the edges, the saturation of the flow decreases, therefore, compensation of the coating should be performed in the transition sections. Also, do not ignore the possibilities for adjusting the flow force - different modes of surface treatment will make the process more efficient and effective.
The nuances of car painting
Putting paint on a car body is at least a semi-professional task. In such works, special rules should be followed. The operation is performed in several stages, with different spray guns. So, a primer, varnish and paint are separately applied. It is advisable to use compressor atomizers, although in some cases the electric ones also show themselves well. How to use an electric spray gun for painting a car? It is better to use a combination of a spray with a remote or built-in turbine. This is also a kind of compressor device with electrical support, so you can count on a decent quality of painting. For example, such models include devices of the Wagner WallPerfect Flexio line. What is still important to consider, body painting is rarely performed by standard nozzles with a diameter of 1.5-1.8 mm. Experts advise small-format nozzles of 1.2-1.3 mm, the jet of which will provide a higher quality coating.
Possible instrument malfunctions
Although outwardly the airbrush looks quite simple, in the course of work several important processes are implemented that are sensitive even to minor painter errors. In particular, the use of too thick paint can lead to clogging of the apparatus, therefore, preliminary dilution of the composition is often required - by 10-15%. The formation of too thick “fog” also indicates problems. Again, this means either damage to the nozzle with the supply nozzle, or failure to comply with the standard distance to the paint surface. To eliminate these and other troubles, you should regularly clean the device, check the attachment points of its parts and do not forget about the instructions for use for a particular model.
Safety - what to consider?
Work should be in special equipment with respiratory protection and hands. All servicing manipulations with the tool should be performed only on condition that it is disconnected from the socket and compressor. How to use a spray gun to minimize the risk of accidental ignition? In the area of the workplace should not be combustible or explosive materials, and the entire electrical infrastructure must be isolated and grounded.
Conclusion
The main and fundamental difference between the spray gun and conventional painting tools is the speed of the painting process, in which the user himself requires a minimum of effort. But, of course, you have to pay for these benefits. For example, in 9-10 thousand rubles. the Wagner airless spray gun mentioned above will cost. How to use such a model for a beginner? At the first stage of acquaintance with the equipment, one should master the infrastructure for the interaction of the atomizer with the compressor unit and auxiliary fittings. But in the future, the painting process itself will not cause any particular problems. If there is no problem of responsible high-quality painting, then you can restrict yourself to simpler electric models costing 3-5 thousand. Quite good-quality spray guns of this level are presented in the assortments of Enkor, Caliber, Bosch, etc.