Features of the device and tips for choosing a manual spray gun

To do painting or whitewashing at home with a roller or brush for a long time, and the consumption of paints and varnishes is quite large. Isn’t it better to use these painting tools as auxiliary tools, and to purchase a more modern device for basic work? Nowadays, hand-held spray guns are becoming increasingly popular, allowing to paint large areas evenly and without drips, while ensuring savings in building mixtures.

Content:

• What does the device look like
• Pros and cons of using a spray gun
• What to look for when buying a device

What does the device look like

A manual airbrush, working from air pressure, unlike mechanical, airless ones, vaguely resembles a children's water gun. The principle of operation is similar - if the water "does not shoot", you have to pull the trigger a little to pump air. The atomizer design is very simple:

1. Base (body) having 2 valves: for air injection and for suction of paint. The spray gun must rotate freely, allowing you to change the direction of the ink jet.
2. Pressure hose.
3. A suction hose equipped with a filter so that the spray nozzle does not become clogged with solid particles.
4. Two-piece fishing rod. This design allows you to change its length.
5. A pump located inside the housing. The principle of the pump is based on a piston system.
6. Tank with dye.
7. A lid that, if the pump does not work, closes the container with paint.

Pros and cons of using a spray gun

To repair an apartment or a private house, the purchase of a manual spray gun is justified, because it:

• It is inexpensive;
• does not require special painting skills to work with it;
• allows you to quickly and evenly, without drips, to paint any surface;
• the simplicity of the design contributes to the fact that the spray gun rarely breaks, and if a breakdown occurs, it is easy to fix it yourself.

Of the minuses, it can be noted:

1. The inconvenience of manually pumping. Beginners can not yet feel the intensity of the jet escaping without a nozzle, and without timely pumping of air, the pressure during the supply of paint can drop.
2. The ability to use only water-based compositions. But this is not a very big inconvenience: in residential premises you can use a manual spray gun for whitewashing or painting walls, ceilings or floors with water-based dyes. As a rule, these are water-based acrylic paints that are environmentally friendly and very durable. Spray painting using various dyes based on a water-based emulsion allows internal and external work using a painting gun.
3. The formation of "fog" in the process. It is difficult to deal with this drawback, since during operation of the sprayer around the nozzle a suspension of small dye particles is formed, which settles not only at the object of painting, but also on other objects. To avoid unnecessary contamination, all objects that are not to be painted must be covered with unnecessary materials. If water emulsion solutions hit the surfaces not prepared for this, then the stains must be washed off with water.Water-based compositions harden quickly, and after some time it will be very difficult to remove them.

What to look for when buying a device

When choosing a spray gun you need to pay attention to:

• technical characteristics that provide ease of operation and features of its operation;
• quality of construction details;
• features of the pump.

The technical characteristics include:

1. Convenient placement of the center of gravity when you can work with a spray gun for a long time without fatigue for the hand of the master.
2. Functionality of the spray head. It should have several sizes and make it possible to adjust the strength and thickness of the jet during painting.
3. Convenience when cleaning. Despite the fact that only water-based emulsion formulations are used in the painting gun, the remains of which after work can be easily removed with water, the device should be easily disassembled.

It may be necessary to clean the nozzle or filter when the aqueous emulsion mixture has already “seized” and has become strong.

Paying attention to the details of the design, it is necessary to take into account such moments:

1. The case must be metal and treated with corrosion protection.
2. Spray nozzle opening and adjustability. The more nozzle diameter options, the better will be the painting of surfaces.
3. Ease of operation of the "trigger" spray. It should work softly, with light resistance. Excessive stiffness or lightness when pressed can affect the quality of the paint when the jet of the paint or primer leaves the nozzle unevenly, and this will affect the quality of the repair.
4. The location of the solution device. A sprayer with a lower tank is cheaper, but less convenient to use. It is advisable to use it only by holding it vertically, otherwise it may begin to “spit” with paint due to a violation of the air-dye ratio when it enters the nozzle. If you happen to purchase a unit with a lower tank, then the acceptable level of inclination can be found out by pouring water into a tank and spraying it on the street.
5. Density and quality of gaskets. Gaskets made of Teflon or similar materials are preferable, because they allow working not only with aqueous emulsion solutions, but also with some types of paints based on not very aggressive solvents. Unfortunately, the presence of such gaskets in the spray guns greatly increases their price, and most get an atomizer with conventional rubberized seals.

The operation of the discharge pump can be performed according to the following principles:

1. Mechanical, when pumping the air mixture by pressing a special lever. A similar thing can be observed with a children's water gun. This method is inconvenient in that without experience it is difficult to determine the need for swapping, and the spray jet is often uneven.
2. Pneumatic, more convenient to use. In pneumatic injection of the air mixture comes from the compressor, the air supply network or from the pump, which works assistant. Pneumatic spray guns are conventionally considered semi-automatic, and their device allows you to more evenly distribute the coloring matter on the surface, providing material savings, because the air mixture flows uniformly, and the likelihood that the unit will “spit” even with a filled solution tank is reduced.

Hand painting gun has its pros and cons. But is it worth it to buy to repair an apartment or a private house? The answer will be positive, because this device, which is not difficult to operate, despite some restrictions on the use of dye preparations, will help to carry out repair work faster, better and avoid troubles such as stains or streaks. And if some substances can not be used in the unit? There are few such substances for home repair, and you can apply them with a brush or roller.