Spraying Latex

I have very little experience with spray guns.

I'm doing some baseboard radiator covers. About two years ago using regular spray gun I was able to spray some latex primer onto one, It seems to have worked really well. Afterward I sprayed it with two coats of high gloss clear from a rattle can. I don't see any problems with the finish at this point.

The primer is Valspar bonding primer. It's really thick and almost dries instantly. Research said said to mix it with some water. I was using about 1:10. I had some difficulty with it and had to turn the gun up past it's max pressure.

My question is, will adding more water be an issue?

Richard S. wrote:I have very little experience with spray guns.

I'm doing some baseboard radiator covers. About two years ago using regular spray gun I was able to spray some latex primer onto one, It seems to have worked really well. Afterward I sprayed it with two coats of high gloss clear from a rattle can. I don't see any problems with the finish at this point.

The primer is Valspar bonding primer. It's really thick and almost dries instantly. Research said said to mix it with some water. I was using about 1:10. I had some difficulty with it and had to turn the gun up past it's max pressure.

My question is, will adding more water be an issue?

Mix small batches one at a time and note the mixture ratio. Do a test spray and see if it runs...if so back off the water amount. Are you using an airless system with a pump sitting over a 5 gallon pail? Or is it a hand held paint pot. They sell different tips for different paints and spray patterns for the commercial type airless. I am not sure if the small "home owner" type buzz box type has different tips for the paint pot. I had good results with water base clear coatings with the hand held pot but like you said I needed to bump up the air pressure.

Richard,

Look for "FLOOD" paint spray conditioner at the paint store. And don't be affraid to add enough water and make sure you strain the paint/water/conditioner mix before you put it in the cup.

I believe that Flood product is called Flotec or Flotek.......We used t o spray latex with the same spray guns. It was a necessity because the straight latex would heat up and plug the tip. I still use it to roll out paint also.

Kevin

Some products are pH sensitive...you might try adding a tick of ammonia. Of course, calling the manufacturer might be a good idea.

michaelanthony wrote: Are you using an airless system with a pump sitting over a 5 gallon pail?

No this is regular gun you'd expect to see in automotive shop. I'm not even sure where it came from, it just kind of showed up. I think my dad might of bought it with intentions of using it for a fence at the old house. Was new in the box but I think it might be from Harbor freight. I saw they had different nozzles, perhaps I can get one that is bigger. Like I said it worked but it was beyond it's PSI to get it to work well. I have concerns about it blowing up and making a huge mess or worse.

My concern with the paint is if adding too much water is detrimental to the paint.

There should be some sort of marking on the gun head indicating the nozzle size. Typically 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, etc.

For the thicker products you would probably want the larger nozzle. I would start with a 1.4 and see how that works for you.

Rick

Richard S. wrote:My concern with the paint is if adding too much water is detrimental to the paint.

Its never happened to me and I tend to push the limits on everything