How to use a paint gun ....

[Sir Stinkalot]

Hi All ....

I was at the big B the other day and spotted a paint gun for $20.00 ... I need to paint the garage so I thought I would give it ago .... I know the limitations and I do not plan to put the final spray on that all important project.

Now the question ....

How do I use it? I hooked it up to the compressor the other day with an empty tank and it was leaking air from the tip even without squeezing the trigger.

Now for the photo .....

I assume the brass think is where the air goes .....
Below that is a knob that if I turn it towards the gun the travel distance of the trigger is reduced.
The big silver thing is where the paint goes ....
That little think in front of the trigger ... no idea.

As you can tell for $20 it doesn't come with instructions.
I would really like to know some more before I fill it up with paint and make a mess.

Stinky.

[ozwinner]

OK.

First thing, point the silver thing on the front of the gun AWAY from you.
Second thing, the silver thing on the front is the nozzle, most guns have a spray pattern that you can adjust either verticle or horizontal, yours doesnt.
So with no spay pattern, it will spay paint in a circle shape, rather than a flat fan shape.
Did you wonder why it was so cheap?

Al :(

[Sir Stinkalot]

Hang on a minute Al ...... it has three different spray nozzels ..... You just unscrew the front and put another on ..... I don't waste $20 easily :)

[cranky]

Play with the knurled knob below the air intake.

It is the adjustment for the trigger you may have it set too tight,

[simon c]

Yes, I agree with cranky. The knob is like a choke, you needto adjust it so that air doesn't leak while the trigger is released.

Simon

[durwood]

Hi Guys,

The gun you have is called a "bleeder" type spray gun. The air always leaks out you can't stop it.

This is one of the reasons it was so cheap it costs more to add an air valve. Its main reason is thats its designed to go with a cheap compressor such as a vacumn cleaner type which blows air. If you stop the air from escaping the compressor would have a hernia.

You can control the amount of paint by the knob behind the flluid needle but not the air. If you have a good compressor and an air regulator you can change the amount of air up or down but not stop it.

Also the tip on the front of the gun in the photo appears to be an internal mix cap. This means it has a slot in it to make a fan and covers over the nozzle which the paint comes out. If it is don't use fast drying paints such as lacquers use water or turps thinned paint only as it will block up quickly as the air is mixing inside the gun and blowing the mixture out through the slot. This drys the paint and it will thicken up and eventually seal off the hole.