Cleaned my paint spray gun.

I bought this HVLP sprayer some five years ago for painting my Ford 901. I sprayed the base primer, the primer surfacer, and the red and the gray top coats. I used it for some little thing since then, I don't remember what it was. Immediately after each use I would give it a good rinse and spray thinner through it. I am now working on an old car. I have been aware of the cleaning tanks that some people used for sprayers but didn't see the need. Squeeze the trigger and paint and air come out. Not rocket science. I sprayed the epoxy primer on the car, and that went well, but immediately after, I started on the polyester high build. It is very thick. Too thick for my 1.7 tip. I finally thinned it and after maybe eight coats called it good. Next I went to the base top coat on the interior of the car. This will be covered by carpet or upholstery. This paint soon started to plug. I had to keep increasing the pressure to get it to spray. I finished up this small area of base, rinsed the sprayer and then half filled it with black Rustoleum with a touch of hardener for the front suspension and the outside edge of the frame which I had prepped. After this marathon of paint spraying I got to thinking maybe I should try dissassembling the sprayer and see if I could clean it. Well, next morning I took it all apart and found a lot of dried paint in it. I soaked the parts in paint stripper, and found that all of the parts that came out were shiny chrome, surprise!. Next day I sprayed clear over the base that I had sprayed the day before, and found that significantly more paint came out. I plan to strip it down after every use now.

Not to be rude, but, you are SUPPOSED to strip it down after every use.

One of the basic rules, if not the main rule, of automotive painting is there is no substitute for a squeaky clean paint gun.

Yes the cleaner the better. I have a set of finger number drills. All
of the way from 1/8 to a cat wisker. Not cheep but I use it for gas
orifices to jets etc. I shoot a couple of pints of thinner through my
spray guns each time and disassemble every couple of times. You think
5hat is bad ??? You should see when you borrow a neighbors airless
sprayer and try getting all of 5he laytex paint out of it !! What a
mess. I never loan out tools anymore unlesss a friend has better tools
than me.

I learned my lesson the hard way. Had a half gallon delstar single staged all mixed up and ready to go. The spray gun was plugged from the
last time I used it. I had run reducer and lacquer thinner through it the last time I used it. Not good enough it seamed. Now I completely strip
them down, soak them in lacquer thinner, blow them out with air and carefully inspect them after every use.

OTJ

For painting tractors, I buy the $9.99 Harbor Freight HVLP guns.
Clean them and re-use them until they don't work.
Then I get another one out of the cupboard.

I have an expensive paint gun that I can buy replacement parts
for and I use it when I paint most cars. I clean it religiously.

These were done with the HF $10 gun though. I'll take it.
Yes, that truck was painted with Farmall red tractor paint.
Valspar from TSC when they sold it.
Picture doesn't really do it justice. It was an old digital camera.

I agree with Royse. I have always used those cheap Binks one quart look alikes until I bought one of those $9.95 Harbor Freight gravity feed ones and finally used it. It is light and the cup doesn't get in the way- easy to clean up. Much Much better. I bought it a couple of years ago and finally used it last week, I will only use it from now on. 5 stars!---Tee

Usually if you don't clean them thoroughly after spraying paint with a hardener the gun will be ruined.There's 2 things I won't loan out and that is my wife and my paint gun.

Nice job. I thought I may be the only one with a
Jubilee and Farmall. I put a new coat of lipstick on
both, but they are working girls, not parade girls.
I use both mine to mow, push snow, pull lawn roller,
and dump trailer. Guess you can say they mine are
showing their age.

I like IH red more than ford red. I was thinking if
I ever got the urge to repaint the Jubilee, I would
commit a sin and paint her IH red and keep the ford
gray.

"commit a sin and paint her IH red and keep the ford gray."

As long as you don't paint it green and yellow!

I have five or six of those. One still new in the box. I use them for most everything but automotive painting.

For the price, they're cheaper than buying a replacement HVLP cup.

Royse, that truck picture brings back memories. I have a good friend that had one we put a hot 440 in about 15 years ago. Red and all. Had probably 350+ at the wheels. Good fun, unless you had to pull the starter.

My paint guns don't leave the shop anymore. Anytime someone borrowed one it came back cleaned with a quick cleaning of mineral spirits and that's it. Whatever color paint they used is still all over the gun. I want to see it so clean there is no evidence of it ever being used. They can go to Wally and buy a cheap throw away gun from now on.

You have to clean that like a Marine cleaning his rifle. Sit down ,cup of thinners and q-tips.