No.71: The Road to Becoming a Master Sprayer

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Guide to Mastering the Air Spray Gun – Part 1 

Key Note 

This guide elaborates on the essential operations and settings needed to master the air spray gun. The aim is to create a uniform paint surface with high gloss. By acquiring these techniques and knowledge, you can significantly improve the quality of your painting work. 

To master the use of an air spray gun, the following steps are essential: 

• • Basic Spray Operations: Learn the correct posture and handling techniques.
  • Basic Setup for Spray Operations: Understand how to work with the right settings.
  • Order of Spraying: Grasp the sequence for efficiently and evenly applying paint.
  • Gun Cleaning and Disassembly: Acquire knowledge on how to maintain the gun.
  • Safety Measures for Spray Operations: Learn the precautions necessary for safe operation.

The goal of spray painting is to achieve a high gloss and beautifully finished surface. The state just before the paint drips is considered the best for leveling. It’s important to develop a sense for creating the ideal paint surface through this state. Ending the work with an insufficient paint surface due to the fear of dripping will impact the final appearance.

 Step 1: Points of Basic Operations 

• • How to Hold: Stabilize the spray gun by supporting the body with your index and little fingers, and pulling the trigger with your middle and ring fingers. For suction guns, which have their center of gravity lower, holding the trigger with the index, middle, and ring fingers is advisable.
  • Positioning the Gun: Keep the spray gun perpendicular to the surface being painted, holding the air hose in one hand to avoid contact with the object.
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  • Using Your Whole Body: Not just with your hands, but use your arms and legs to move the gun, making sure your weight shifting is smooth.
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  • Trigger Operation: Practice stopping at the first stage of the trigger to release only air and then moving to the second stage to spray paint while in motion.
  • Order of Spraying: Start from the outside of the surface and switch to the second stage of spraying at the edge. After passing the endpoint, switch back to the first stage.
  • Overlap Patterns: The spray patterns should overlap by about half their width. If the gloss is insufficient, narrow the overlap or increase the output.

Step 2: Points of Basic Setup 

1. 1. Paint Viscosity: It is crucial to adjust the paint’s viscosity within the appropriate range using an Iwata viscosity meter.
   2. Pattern Checking: First, on a surface other than the one being painted, confirm a normal round spray pattern. Then, create an elliptical pattern and make adjustments if any abnormalities are found.
   3. Adjustment of Settings: Depending on the shape and form of the object being painted, adjust the air pressure, output, and pattern adjustment screw accordingly.