Paint Question

[cracker39]

I've sprayed latex before with good results, but this time, I just don't trust my old paint guns to work as well as they used to on pressure feed and don't want to take a chance of screwing up the finish. So, I returned the latex and bought Glidden oil-based porch and floor enamel and stayed with Zinsser, getting a can of their oil-based primer. I know I can spray the oil-based paints, thinned a little with mineral spirits, with the HF gravity feed gun I have and get a good finish. At least as far as putting on the print anyway. Just how good it will look depends on my plywood's surface, and I know it ain't perfect. I found more open grain in the curb side...you can see it better after the primer was put on. So, I still have some more filling and sanding to do before I can re-prime it. Maybe I can get both done tomorrow.

[cracker39]

I got two coats of primer on today. I read the label on the finish enamel, and it takes 4-6 hours to dry to touch and 24 hrs before recoating. It's after 4 PM now, so it's too late to put on the first coat today. The weather is against me finally. Tomorrow I can do one coat, but as of now, Saturday has thunderstorms forecasted, and the long range looks like rain every day until next Friday. So, it's probably going to be a week before I can get both finish coats done, unless the Saturday forecast changes.

I don't want to have to cover it up with the tarp until the first coat has 24 hrs to set up, or I may scratch the top paint pulling the tarp uo and over it. I may end up backing it back under the canopy until it gets the final coat of paint.

It all depends on the weather, which has been good to me so far, except for being HOT. I've had to pull my resperator off every 10 or 15 minutes and wipe the water out of it, and drink to make up for the water I lose thru persperation.

But, at least, something is going right. The Zinsser oil-based primer has done a really good job of helping hide the grain. It won't be auto paint quality, but it may end up looking better than I thought it would. And, it dries fast. As soon as I put on one coat, I could start hand sanding from where I has started painting. I used a fine sanding sponge and just brushed out the overspray before recoating.

I had some initial problems with my HD gravity feed paint sprayer, but I am sure it had to do with lack of volume, as the compressor isn't rated as high as the sprayer needs (14 cfm). The sprayer started spitting little specs of dry paint (which sanded out once it dried). I started listening to my compressor. When it started running, I'd spray for only 5-10 seconds longer, then wait for 5-10 seconds before making another couple of passes. When the motor shut off, I'd resume regular spraying until it started running again. That worked...no more problems.

[cracker39]

I know I'm boring the pants (skirts?) off most of you with all this BS detail. But, I have a plan. I worked overtime today, hand sanding the last coat of primer to a relatively smooth finish. Tomorrow morning, I'll spray on my first finish coat of enamel. If the forcast has changed and Saturday will be clear, I'll leave it where it is and spray the 2nd coat Saturday. If we're still going to get rain on Sat, after I spray it tomorrow, I'll just back it back under my canopy so It won't get rained on and work on the interior until the forcast looks favorable for a 2nd finish coat.

Before it goes under the canopy, I'll jack it up and put on a wheel and tire and measure for the fender clearances so I can work on them if it rains.

[Artificer]

I know I'm boring the pants (skirts?) off most of you with all this BS detail. But, I have a plan. ...

This thread is definetly not boring. I'v purchased a gal. of Zinzer oil based sealer, and a a gal. of Behr porch and deck paint for the exterior of my trailer, so you're experience has been helping me with my planning.

[GPW]

C39, check for moisture in your compressor, that'll make it spit too ...

[cracker39]

C39, check for moisture in your compressor, that'll make it spit too ...

I'm sure it needs to be emptied. Last night, I thought about doing that this morning before painting again. I do have a water filter on it and it is collecting moisture.

[GPW]

Back in the old days , we emptied the tank every day , or right in the middle of a Kustom van mural , SPLAT !!!! Right on some Barbarian womans' T*t...( Hey , that's what they paid me for ...hahahahaha) Unless the water trap is "Killer" , it won't handle the moisture in the air ,and the water in the tank too ... just trying to help ...

[cracker39]

just trying to help ...

And, I appreciate all the help I can get.

[cracker39]

OK, GPW, or anyone else with experience with this problem, opinions/answers?

I drained my compressor tank before starting painting today. I got the top, front, back, and most of one side done, and then on the end of that side, it started spitting tiny water drops. In desperation, I hooked up another hose (100' total now) and finished that side and the other without any more water drops. I suppose the water hadn't gotten all the way through the 2nd hose.

I had looked at my filter and saw no accumulated water it it. I removed it from the compressor, and started to unscrew the drain valve when I saw it was already loose. That probably caused the compressor to run harder to put out air thru the hoses. Would air getting out the bottom of the filter prevent the water in the air from being removed? Is that why I was getting water thru the hose? I need to know how to solve this problem before I start the 2nd coat in the morning. The filter is the HF dual filter/oiler with the oiler removed for painting.

Another observation: The Glidden polyeurothane, oil-based enamel I bought had in the instrucions, "do not thin". I tried it their way on the front and most of the top and wasn't getting the smooth coerage I wanted. So, I thinned some (roughly 8-10 percent), and it covered better. I also found that with the HF gravity feed gun, I had to slow down and overlap more to get no streaks. The front and top has some streaks that I think will cover up with the 2nd coat. Although, most of the top can't bee seen from the ground and if any lookers have a ladder with them, they don't get close.

[Nitetimes]

... it started spitting tiny water drops. In desperation, I hooked up another hose (100' total now) and finished that side and the other without any more water drops.

If it's hot and/or humid out it will make water and unless it's a VERY good filter water will find it's way thru it, the only way to eliminate all the water is an air dryer and they are generally out of reach of the average persons budget.
Keep a blow gun handy, when you start getting water put it on the hose and let the air blow it out, not the perfect solution but it helps.

I had looked at my filter and saw no accumulated water it it. I removed it from the compressor, and started to unscrew the drain valve when I saw it was already loose. That probably caused the compressor to run harder to put out air thru the hoses. Would air getting out the bottom of the filter prevent the water in the air from being removed? Is that why I was getting water thru the hose? I need to know how to solve this problem before I start the 2nd coat in the morning. .

A lot of those filters are designed to run with the drain cracked open just a bit, it lets some of the excess water out while you are working.
I always keep mine cracked when I'm painting, but I also have an 80 gallon tank and a large compressor so I can afford to lose a little air.
You didn't get water in thru there as it's under pressure all the time.

[goldcoop]

OK, GPW, or anyone else with experience with this problem, opinions/answers? The filter is the ....with the oiler removed for painting.

Dale-

Don't take offense if this comes out sounding stupid...

You removed the oiler for painting, but are you using the same hose you used for air tools with the oiler attached?:roll:

So you aren't having a oil in the hose problem, right?:thinking:

Just a thought...

Cheers,

Coop

[Mitheral]

Would air getting out the bottom of the filter prevent the water in the air from being removed? Is that why I was getting water thru the hose? I need to know how to solve this problem before I start the 2nd coat in the morning. The filter is the HF dual filter/oiler with the oiler removed for painting.

A leak shouldn't really affect the effectiveness.

Ideally what you want is your water seperator and filter at the end of a long run of metal pipe. The pipe acts like a radiator cooling the compressed air and allowing water to condense. When setting up a shop for spray painting I take half a dozen sticks of inch or inch and a half black iron pipe and join them together with either street 180s or a pair of 90s and a short nipple. Mount the pipe to a wall.
EG:

Hot, water laden air comes in the top at the right. Is cooled by the pipe as it zig zags to the bottom. Water condenses and runs into the bottom of the T fitting on the left. The T also acts as a rust trap. Nice cool dry air is extracted from the elbow on the left where it goes to a silca dryer and filter. Both Ts have ball cock valves on the down pointing leg to allow water to be drained.

PS: automatic oilers shouldn't be used with hoses that are used for painting.

[cracker39]

You removed the oiler for painting, but are you using the same hose you used for air tools with the oiler attached?:roll:

So you aren't having a oil in the hose problem, right?:thinking:

Just a thought...

Cheers,

Coop

I thought someone would catch that. I haven't used the oiler at all, so there's no risk of he hose. I've been dropping oil in the individual tools occasionally...mainly my brad nailer which is all I've used lately.

I should have looked for an inline filter while at HD today...dumb of me not to think of doing that.

If I see a spec of water, I'll put on the blower and see if I can clear it out. But, won't more keep coming through? I can also move my compressor down to the ground level, about a foot lower than it is now.

[Artificer]

In the past, I've plumbed up a full 50' coil of copper tubing to add in-line with the hose. Needed a quick fix, and I had the tubing sitting on the shelf.

Where is your filter located? Near the compressor, or at the end of the hose run? If you're running 100' of hose, its acting like Mitheral's pipe system. The filter needs to be after where the air has cooled. (after the first run of hose)

Another fix is to have a fan blowing on the tank/line. Not sure how effective it will be, but it can't hurt. After a bunch of spraying, the tank probably gets hot enough so the moisture in the air doesn't condense out untill it reaches the hoses. I know the little finned heat tube from the compressor to the tank on mine gets hot enough to burn my hand.

If you're any good at soldering copper, and nothing else works, and you don't want the expense/trouble of copper tubing or Mitheral's pipe, you can make a water cooler for the air line. Basic idea is to get a couple of 1/2"-3/4"-3/4" tees. 1/2" is on the end of the tee. Solder the tee's onto the end of a chunk of 3/4" copper tubing. Solder a 1/2" copper tube inside of that. Put air fittings on the 1/2" line, and garden hose fittings on the 3/4" line. Hook up a pair of hoses to the heat exchanger, and crack the water. Here in Wisconsin, the water temp is around 55deg, so it works decently. Not sure what Fl water temp. is.

Yet another possible solution... Get a large bucket/bushel basket/barrel. Coil the first set of hose after the compressor in the barrel. Then put a filter in line, then the rest of the hose to the sprayer. Cover the hose with ice and water. This system works even better if you combine it with the roll of copper tubing idea

[Mitheral]

Get a large bucket/bushel basket/barrel. Coil the first set of hose after the compressor in the barrel. Then put a filter in line, then the rest of the hose to the sprayer. Cover the hose with ice and water. This system works even better if you combine it with the roll of copper tubing idea

Also if you've got a fridge in your shop you can run your compressed side thru 10-12 feet of copper tubing coiled up in the fridge. They actually make refrigeration units designed for this purpose. Make sure to T off an drain at the exit end.