HVLP Spray Gun Setup Tips?

[mmattockx]

I started repainting my 1100E bodywork today. Did the side panels and the front fender as a test drive before moving on to the harder tail piece and tank. The fender came out pretty well but the side panels were a bit grotty from what I could tell. I am using Tremclad paint from a can, which is a type of enamel (I think). It isn't true automotive paint but it works pretty well and a quart cost $10, which lets me make mistakes for cheap. The paint was thinned with 1 part thinner to 2 parts paint.

Let me start out by saying I am no genius at painting. I have had decent success with rattle cans on a fair number of components but this was my first time using an actual spray gun with a compressor. I am certain the gun needs to be set up better than I had it through my tinkering with no experience as to what it should be like. Which leads me to my question:

Does anybody have any links to pages and/or videos on setting up a cheap Chinese knock off HVLP touch up gun? Having some idea of what I am trying to achieve with the gun would help me tremendously on laying down decent coats of paint.


Thanks,
Mark

[nvr2old]

What do the directions (if there are any) say for the mixing ratio as far as reducing? 2 parts paint to one part reducer sounds like the paint would be very heavy to me with the paint possibly splattering rather then spraying. A 50/50 ratio is sort of the standard for a base coat. Is it a single stage paint that requires a hardener, or are you planing to use a catalysed clear coat on top of it. "Enamel" is a pretty vague description. It can mean so many things. Not trying to diss your approach by any means, it's just hard to determine what is needed with just that information. A safe place to start with your gun adjustment might be to turn the larger, lower knob, which is the fluid mixture, all the way in, and then open it up to half way through it's overall travel. Depending on how much or how little comes out at that setting would determine which way to go further..out for more, in for less.

[Nessism]

Tremclad is Rustoleum. If I'm not mistaken the reducer is mineral spirits or similar. Yes, thick to spray. Need a decent sized tip. Put it on thick and it will run. Not a friendly paint to shoot.

Only advice I can offer is to set your fan width and then play with the flow needle to give you enough paint to lay down a smooth coat. You can't expect too much from paint like that though.

[Mickeymoe]

Tremclad is Rustoleum. If I'm not mistaken the reducer is mineral spirits or similar. Yes, thick to spray. Need a decent sized tip. Put it on thick and it will run. Not a friendly paint to shoot.

Only advice I can offer is to set your fan width and then play with the flow needle to give you enough paint to lay down a smooth coat. You can't expect too much from paint like that though.

I've been painting for a looonnngg time, starting back in the lacquer days. Enamel was always the most difficult because runs weren't easily sanded out as with lacquer. And of course, you had to learn to know how much paint was enough and how much was too little when you were spraying or you'd end up with either a sandpaper like dry finish or runs.

From the description of what your doing and the paint you are using, you've taken on a difficult task for a beginner painter. The first and most obvious to me is that Rustoleum takes a very long time to dry between coats. You should always lay down a fine mist "tack coat" as your first coat. Paints designed for this dry enough (flash), so you can then put a decent wet coat on during your second pass. The texture of the first mist coat helps to keep the second coat from running. The Rustoleum I've used to paint snowblowers, lawn movers etc. has always been a long process due to the slow drying. I think if you got some better enamel from a discount auto body paint supply store, you'd be doing yourself a big favor. 10 bucks for a quart of paint means you can't expect much in the area of performance or spray-ability. The paint (basecoat) that I use on repairs that I do on the side can cost as much as 300.00 a quart, and I've heard of 1000/ gallon.

Look at some Youtube videos on "how to spray paint", or "spray painting for beginners" for some good tips. No matter how bad the paint job is, if you let it dry completely you can always sand and polish it to make it look pretty good.


Mark

[mmattockx]

What do the directions (if there are any) say for the mixing ratio as far as reducing? 2 parts paint to one part reducer sounds like the paint would be very heavy to me with the paint possibly splattering rather then spraying.

Yes, I think the paint was a bit too thick as I had it. After drying overnight the results aren't as bad as I thought. There is a bit of orange peel and some particles that got blown out of the line from the looks of it. I will be adding a filter in line before I try again. My plan now is to wet sand to get rid of the orange peel and spray another couple of coats with a thinner mix. The finish is quite glossy (better than I expected), so I think a cut and polish after cleaning it up will be all I need to be satisfied.

Tremclad is Rustoleum. If I'm not mistaken the reducer is mineral spirits or similar. Yes, thick to spray.

Yes, I think they are very similar paints and I was thinning with varsol. Out of the can it is very thick.

I've been painting for a looonnngg time, starting back in the lacquer days. Enamel was always the most difficult because runs weren't easily sanded out as with lacquer.

Probably not enamel, then. It wet sands easily and runs are no problem to clean off.

From the description of what your doing and the paint you are using, you've taken on a difficult task for a beginner painter. The first and most obvious to me is that Rustoleum takes a very long time to dry between coats. You should always lay down a fine mist "tack coat" as your first coat.

I sprayed 4 coats, only waiting maybe 10 minutes between and it flashed off and took the next coat just fine like that. The first two coats were light, then two a bit heavier. I left it overnight in a relatively cool garage (temps around 18C/65F) and it was dry by morning but still off gassing, then done with off gassing by the next evening.

Look at some Youtube videos on "how to spray paint", or "spray painting for beginners" for some good tips. No matter how bad the paint job is, if you let it dry completely you can always sand and polish it to make it look pretty good.

I will go have a look at youtube and see what I can find on gun set up. All it will take is a bit of wet sanding and touching up and it will certainly be as good as I was hoping for on a first attempt like this.


Thanks to all for the advice and experiences,

Mark

[Nessism]

Better do some research before shoot more paint on top of the old. Some paints don't like that sort of thing and will lift.

[Fjbj40]

I have sprayed Tremclad before, use lacquer thinner instead of mineral spirits. There are plenty of Internet Tremclad techniques, I worked with someone years ago that claimed putting the activator for DuPont Centari gave it way more gloss and made it harder.

The Internet paint jobs using the Tremclad involves MANY coats, then wet sand after, I never did this, I clear coated with a cheap 2 part clear. It was an OK paint job for pieces of ****

[mmattockx]

Better do some research before shoot more paint on top of the old. Some paints don't like that sort of thing and will lift.

The green went down on top of white Tremclad with no problems (I changed my mind after starting with the white several years ago and then stalling out on the refinishing project). As long as it is wet sanded and wiped clean it seems to be OK with extra coats.

I never did this, I clear coated with a cheap 2 part clear. It was an OK paint job for pieces of ****

Care to share what you used for clear? Since I bought it (2005) the bike has always been a severely cosmetically challenged mongrel, with horribly weathered OEM maroon paint along with mismatched OEM red side panels. I wanted a decent budget paint job in the colour of my choice to make it presentable and that is all. If I get the next coats done properly it will be more than adequate for my desires. It runs great but is never going to be a concourse winner while I own it, I want to ride and not spend forever bringing it back to original condition.


Mark

[Fjbj40]

I use Sherwin Williams budget line of clear. To be honest I often just spray Krylon rattle can on parts then use the same clear with great results! The clear is not an aggressive solvent based clear so it doesn't attack the paint, from my experiences anyways