[Rev1richie]

Hi

Got a HVLP garvity spray gun and have been reading with interest how to set them up, correct inlet pressure, 2 1/2 turns out on the mixture screw...set the fan control out to what you want etc etc. However, i have 2 questions, no mention is made of the air inlet adjuster screw, what do you use it for? is it used at all?, and my second question, which in some way i feel is connected to my first, once you set the inlet pressure with a pressure gauge, common sense teels you to remove it so it doesn't get covered in paint, or damaged or knocked. Is this what the pressure adjuster could be used for? and if so, how do you set it to the pressure you need to get the 10psi at the cap

I'm a bit confused, so any help would be appreciated

Thanks

Rich

[kenseth17]

I have a cheapy gun with an air pressure knob on it. Many don't even have it. I keep it wide open. In fact it stopped working after awhile anyways, so I removed it.
I'd leave it wide open, (along with my regulator-water trap at the wall) and attach a regulator to the gun, and use that to set your pressure at the gun. The regulator I attach to the gun does eventually get overspray buildup making the gauge hard to read, but if you regularily wipe it clean with solvent after use it shouldn't get too bad. A good regulator should be solvent resistant.
There is no way to really measure pressure at the cap. The 10 psi at the cap is for environmental-voc compliance. You want to set the pressure so that it sprays best for you, and not really worry so much about what the pressure is at the cap. Every gun is different (and painter) at what inlet pressure produces that best results without too much overspray and paint consumption, and it may also differ depending on the material you are spraying.
It takes getting to know your gun and messing around with it some to find out what that is. Many gun manufacturers give a recommended pressure in there manuals, but it is only really a guideline, and may find spraying at a bit more pressure or whatever is where the gun sprays best for you. And if its a popular enough gun, you may be able to find posts about what pressure others are running with theirs. I have an iwata lvlp, and somewhere around 25-30 lbs is what many seem to use, whild some Another model of hvlp gun could possibly need much more. Also many hvlp's require good air volume and dislike restricted air, so that often mean using a big enough air hose along with high flow fittings.

[52F1]

Originally Posted by Rev1richie

Hi

Got a HVLP garvity spray gun and have been reading with interest how to set them up, correct inlet pressure, 2 1/2 turns out on the mixture screw...set the fan control out to what you want etc etc. However, i have 2 questions, no mention is made of the air inlet adjuster screw, what do you use it for? is it used at all?, and my second question, which in some way i feel is connected to my first, once you set the inlet pressure with a pressure gauge, common sense teels you to remove it so it doesn't get covered in paint, or damaged or knocked. Is this what the pressure adjuster could be used for? and if so, how do you set it to the pressure you need to get the 10psi at the cap

I'm a bit confused, so any help would be appreciated Rich

Set up is Fluid control Wide open and turned in till it just hits the trigger....Trigger pulled all the way back (full trigger) and set inlet pressure\\
Inlet pressure is th Pressure called for in the instructions..."inlet pressure" at the Gun

52F1

[Rev1richie]

Kenseth

Thanks for the reply, I thought iwata were non cheapy guns..anyway, i see your point , getting the correct output is more than just setting all the gauges and knobs to manfs specs etc, but its a good starting point, its more about getting the right balance, i've learned that much!. And considering i'm UK based 'environmental-voc compliance' dont really apply..

I suppose it makes some sense to keep a gauge on the gun, as settings drift, etc you need to adjust things as you go along.

Saw your Album, nice car, what is it?, us brits dont keep up with your cars to well. (edit) just seen the pic again, DOH! Mustang!!!

Regards Rich

[kenseth17]

I didn't mean to make it sound like I was saying an Iwata was a cheap gun. Quite the opposite, pricey, but worth the cost.

The cheapy gun I was talking about is one I bought in the meantime off of ebay, till I could buy the iwata.

Probably more important then the gun you buy though is getting to know the gun you have, and what you need to do to get the best results from it.

I don't know which mustang your talking about, but actually the silver and black mustang was cleared with the above mentioned cheapy gun, and the green one cleared with a conventional gun I had for years. I didn't pick up the iwata till afterwards.

[Rev1richie]

Hi

I get it with the guns.. as for the mustangs, they both look good, personally i prefer the older one, saw one at an Americana rally here some years back and i was hooked, I had a Chevy G20 DayVan back then...

As you said, i think now its more important to get used to the equipment you've got.

Regards

rich

[MARTINSR]

"Basics of Basics" HVLP gun set up (click here)

Brian