Cleaning up a Spray gun

[angelboy]

I've just broke my spray gun cherry and I'm now wondering if there's any hint or tips on cleaning up the gun.

I've used water based paint and after cleaning out the remaining paint from the cylinder I filled it back up with water and ran the gun until the spray was clear.

I've pumped the needle quite a few times to get off any further paint.

What else should I be doing.

It's only a cheap £20 gun from Silverline not a £250 job.

 

[thick_mike]

If you're using waterborne paints, the the most important advice is clean it with water immediately. If you clean up before it's stared to dry it's pretty easy to clean (you can use some washing up liquid in the water which will help). I would normally clean out the pot, then run the water through the nozzle. Press your finger over the nozzle tip a few times to blow the water back up through the pot.

 

[mailee]

I would also add once it is clean leave some water in the pot and drop the air cap in until it's next use. I have a small toothbrush that I use to clean the air nozzle wings and the fluid tip, I also clean around the threads on the pot lid. :wink:

 

[scholar]

For waterborne finish (all I use and therefore know about) I use acetone to clean the gun periodically. You want a gun cleaner brush (I am still using the one that came with the gun) and an old toothbrush - cleans up a treat). Mostly I only need to use water.

For acetone, you can use SWMBO's nail polish remover until she starts to ask awkward questions... I bought a 5L tin of pharma grade 99% acetone B.P. (just googled for the best deal) which should keep me going for several lifetimes.

cheers

 

[Bradshaw Joinery]

we bought a gun cleaning kit and havent regretted it, although probably not necessary. rifle brushes of various sizes and a oiler with a very fine nozzle to keep the moving parts crisp.

 

[neilyweely]

Stumbled on this thread and just wanted to ask; I have bought a second hand Graco ST Max thing - quite expensive new, but mine is, although working, covered in water based paint. And I mean covered. Any ideas on how to clean it, short of chiseling it all off?
Thanks, and sorry to hijack a bit.
Of course the advice stating to leave some water in the bottom of the pot is good, and it is IMPERATIVE to clean the gun as soon as it is used, or else you end up with one like mine, although the gun is clean (as it is new) it is the body of the thing that is filthy. It is a ST695, i think, so quite why you would let a system that costs 2.5k get so bluddy dirty is quite beyond me. I did wonder about sandblasting it. Any ideas?
Thanks again
Neil

 

[Chrispy]

This might sound obvious but gun cleaner/wash works very well on all sorts of finishes including water based and even pva on the glue roller,softens it any way. you can get it ame place as lacquers or car paint shop etc £5 or £6 per 5L tin.

 

[Dibs-h]

Stumbled on this thread and just wanted to ask; I have bought a second hand Graco ST Max thing - quite expensive new, but mine is, although working, covered in water based paint. And I mean covered. Any ideas on how to clean it, short of chiseling it all off?
Thanks, and sorry to hijack a bit.
Of course the advice stating to leave some water in the bottom of the pot is good, and it is IMPERATIVE to clean the gun as soon as it is used, or else you end up with one like mine, although the gun is clean (as it is new) it is the body of the thing that is filthy. It is a ST695, i think, so quite why you would let a system that costs 2.5k get so bluddy dirty is quite beyond me. I did wonder about sandblasting it. Any ideas?
Thanks again
Neil

That sounds like an airless sprayer - in which I would not bother. The pressure the paint comes out at the tip - as long as you clean the tip, how much "cacked" on paint in on the gun is not an issue.

Dibs

 

[No skills]

I wish I had taken some pictures of one of our spray guns we have just forced into service (after the death of the current horrid electric thing (thank god)), its a Kremlin airmix system and in the region of 3.5-4k new. It was left in the hands of a member of staff in our old yard while our firm intergrated (yeah right) into the new yard/company, over 6 months he did no maintence - never cleaned it and didnt fix a couple of minor leaks that happened :evil: When it came to the new yard and wheeled over to me it was covered in paint and dirt and in some places had inches of paint built up on it (honestly!), luckly he didnt come with it :twisted:

Its certainly true that thinner/gun cleaner will soften paint if the item is left in it to soak but it will only soften the surface, if its much more than 1/4" of paint then you need to use tools to dig it off and then do the soaking to finish it off. Trust me I know this :wink: to "clean" the frame of that spray gun I had to use a ball pein hammer to knock the paint off.

 

[wallace]

How about useing a sonic cleaner. They used to use them at a place I worked for cleaning paint nozzles. You just submerge the item in a solution and switch it on, it uses sonic waves to clean the item.

 

[neilyweely]

Dibs
You are right, it is an airless. And thanks, that is EXACTLY what I wanted to hear. Sorry I didn't reply before, am So busy I rarely get in front of the PC these days.

Best wishes

Neil