What am I doing wrong - Spraying Exterior Latex

[Alan Lightstone]

I use acetone when I need a deep clean of anything that's been used for "latex" paint including getting any gunk out of brushes. I do not believe that DNA is going to do anything, although it's nice as a final rinse.

Is acetone better than lacquer thinner for that deep cleaning?

[Jim Becker]

Is acetone better than lacquer thinner for that deep cleaning?

Better? Probably not, but I'm not a fan of lacquer thinner for safety reasons. Acetone has to be used with care, but it's not as bad as lacquer thinner. 'Just a personal choice on my part.

[Tom M King]

Use Brush Cleaner if it's set up. The low VOC version even works pretty good. I use a lot of Acetone, but always outside in open air. Can't be as bad as gelcoat kicking in a gun-have to use Styrene for that, and you probably can't even buy it in California.

for brush cleaning: Every time I clean a brush used for paint, also in the job is one of the small stainless steel brushes with angled bristles. You only sweep one way. Even if the brush has only been used for ten minutes, the brush will help. Done in a sink with water, and continue until the brush looks like new, and only clear water can be squeezed out of it. Let dry, and put back in the cover that it came in. A brush is cleaned before it gets laid down to start with.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I read that denatured alcohol is good for cleaning dried latex paint. Anyone use that on their guns?

Alcohol may (very slight chance) have an adverse effect on Aluminum. Granted, it would take a very high concentration & elevated temperatures, but, who knows what conditions can come together by chance?

As an FYI - w/regard to Ammonia - that can affect copper, zinc and brass - so be aware of that. I forgot to mention that above.

[Jery Madigan]

I'm late to this party, but would like tadd a couple of things.

First, brush cleaner (I use Kleenstrip) from the orange store is the most effctive sovent to dissolve waterborne paints. If you read the labels, it is the only one rated for that purpose. I clean my fuji gun ith warm water fter evcery use, but shoot about 20 oz of brush cleaner once in a while.

Second, go airless for painting a house. Go airless for painting cabinets. The high-end cabinet finshes (Renner, Centurion, Milesi) layout 10 times better with airless. Trust me, I have a mini mite 4 and have tried both. These finishes are far more durable than anything I know of that can be efectively shot with a turbine.

You don't have to break the bank to go airless. I bought my original Graco X5 for $260 and it shows up on Amazon just north of $300 if you track it with something like Keepa. It was $302 for the last week of January and does that occasionally. It ia powerful enough to spray a house and I have had good luck on kitchen cabinets. More powerful and versstile than the handhelds.

There is absolutely no need to waste a gallon of paint for a short run. This is especially true if you add a hopper. A guy on youtube worked out the fittings to make a hopper for the X5. Here is his video with the parts list in description.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUySZ3iB1BA&t=233s



I made one of these and it is way easier to run small batches with the hopper. I t seems to requir3e 20-24 oz t fill the system but about half of that is recoverable when done. You cant spray with only 4oz of finish to start like you can with PPS< but not bad and definietly not a gallon.

I made his hopper with two modifications. I attach the hopper to the machine with a strip velcro around each of the near leg and handle - much more secure than his metal strip and easy to remove the hopper to take it to the sink to clean.

Second, he doesn't say, but it looks like he cannibalized his suction tube to use with hsi hopper. I did not want to ruin the suction tube assembly, but found the same tubing at Lowes - look for 5/8" reinvforced hose for 10' for about $20. This raises the hopper to st to more like $40 but quite the bargain. You actually only need about 12" of tubing, so maybe you can find it by the foot.

The other upgrade I made is to use the Tritech ultra-finish tips. Those run about $37.

I find myself using the airless about 3:1 vs the turbine. No thinnng (sometimes thickening), better finish and fewer coats.

[Ole Anderson]

Latex=airless. My first experience was renting an airless to paint a dozen 6 panel doors for my son. Since then I bought a Graco X5 and have used it on probably a dozen projects. Just another tool in your arsenal. BTW, any unused paint in the hoses gets pumped back into your can, pushed through by water.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I learned the hard way to stop painting long before the cleaning water makes it to the gun. At least a quart of paint is lost to the cleaning process on my rig. Eventually I will get a project that justifies getting a Graco Ultra Max cordless. With the cost of paint these days it won't take long recoup the expense.

[Tom M King]

I don't use a hopper, but push the leftover back in the container with water. A little extra water in waterbourne doesn't hurt anything. Take the tip out, and turn the pressure down to run it back. I can't believe I lose a quart of paint.

For inside, and finish jobs, I use a 1/4 x short hose. They make 3/16 x 25 foot hose now, but I haven't bought one of those yet. The 1/4x25 doesn't hold a whole lot, but I don't waste that anyway.

Absolutely get a tip guard that will take a fine finish low pressure tip (FFLP). Putting a gauge on the rig will save wasted finish, and time. Write down the pressure that is best for any particular finish/paint, or get the Titan gauge with the green zone. For a FFLP tip, but the pressure in the green zone, and go to work.

The new, high end guns make a world of difference in handling, but they aren't cheap. Any gun will work with any pump. Graco, and Titan have the same threads.

When Graco came out with a portable Air Assisted Airless rig, I bought one. After the first time using it, I sold my top end Apollo HVLP because I knew I would never use it again. Very soon after they came out with that AAA rig, that they developed the FFLP tips for, they figured out they would work fine with regular airless at less than half the pressure. I bought a new tip guard for my old airless gun, and sold the AAA rig as soon as I could after the first use.

[Jery Madigan]

The advantage of the hopper is that uou don't need to try to suction that last 1.5" of finish in the can. You can overcome some of that when using the suction tube by taking off the metal rock guard and rubber-banding on a 1-gallon paint strainer bag instead. That gets your tube opening right at the bottom of the can.

Tom, try the gold Tritech tips. They use barely more pressure than the FFLP tips and produce a nicer finish. The tips will fit the orange Graco guard that is for RAC V. A new Tritech tip guard is like 30 bucks if you want to match up. 7/8" thread. A 308 tip does almost everything well for interior.

[Tom M King]

Will do. Thanks.

edited to add: I see they have some _06 tips. I'm glad to see that. I'm going to start with a 306.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edWic3-re8A

[Tom M King]

Just ordered a 306. Should be perfect for a current job I'm working on-garage doors. I have a couple of old Rac V tip guards.

I built a hopper once using one of those large plastic jugs for a water dispenser. The pickup went down in the neck. It was too much trouble to keep up with though, since I almost never use something down to the bottom anyway.

[Jery Madigan]

Just ordered a 306. Should be perfect for a current job I'm working on-garage doors. I have a couple of old Rac V tip guards.

I built a hopper once using one of those large plastic jugs for a water dispenser. The pickup went down in the neck. It was too much trouble to keep up with though, since I almost never use something down to the bottom anyway.

Hi Tom,

I probably would use 308 or 310 for that at least. I have shot pretty thick paint with the 306, though.

One thing to watch out for with the 06 tips is that the max mesh gun filter offered by Graco is 100 mesh which passes particles that are about 150 microns or about .0059, so you are right on the edge in terms of clogging the .006 tip opening. Tritech offers a 150 mesh /100 microns/ .0039 filter for use with the 06 tips.

Jerry

[Tom M King]

I have plenty of the two different Graco filters. Are the Tritech filters the same size as the Graco ones? I have 208, and 308 Graco FFLP tips, so I'm sure I can get by with those if the 06 won't work. This job will all be horizontal anyway.

I'll be spraying EM8000, and Totalboat Halcyon.

[Jery Madigan]

I have plenty of the two different Graco filters. Are the Tritech filters the same size as the Graco ones? I have 208, and 308 Graco FFLP tips, so I'm sure I can get by with those if the 06 won't work. This job will all be horizontal anyway.

I'll be spraying EM8000, and Totalboat Halcyon.

The em8000 will be fine. I see that the Totalboat is a clear WB Poy that should go just fine - it is mainly less-than-high-end pigmented coatings that would have some large particles. It is fairly low in solids - probably why many coats are needed. Strain your coatings as best you can. I'm sure you know that you can jsut dunk your gun in a bucket of water between coats.

I did find tds for the Totalboat:

https://www.totalboat.com/wp-content...tds-6.3.21.pdf

I see that you have 45-90 seconds for a wet edge, so it is good that you ar going airless as you move much more quickly - even with the 306 tip.

I would just try it. Changing out tips on the fly is easy. Much quicker than changing hvlp aircaps.

I don't think that the filters are interchangeable. Just be sure to use the yellow Graco filter (100).

[Tom M King]

I'm going to spray the 8000 tomorrow, if they are right with the weather report this time. The 06 tip won't be here yet. I'll spray some test passes on cardboard, and post the pictures. I won't be buying another gun to use the Tritech filter, or at least, don't think so yet. A container stays with the rig to drop the gun in between coats, which is sometimes overnight when spraying walls in houses.

All my equipment has some age on it. My 100 mesh filters are blue. My pump is 30 years old, and the "new" gun maybe 10 now. I do so many different things that it doesn't get used that much. Some years not at all, and other years maybe 3 or 4 times.

Many thanks for your help.