Harbor Freight Paint Gun Problem- help

34ford · April 06, 2006, 11:15:14 PM

Been painting parts and things are going great, no were going great. The gun is new and I've run about a gallon of primer thru it and a quart of color.

Problem is that it acts like it is running out of paint when there is lots of paint still there causing dry spots where doesn't come out. I can see some small bubbles coming up the paint cup with the lid off. With the cup off and some cleaning fluid poured in the top of the gun you can see the bubbles come up when the trigger is pulled.

Have everything snug as far as parts. Any ideals.

thanks
bob

58Apache · April 06, 2006, 11:59:56 PM

I know that you can create bubbles from having the front cover piece loose. A painter on a TV show displayed that trick for cleaning the gun. So some of the air is going up into the cup instead of out of the gun.

I'd say either your front nozzle piece is loose and you don't realize it, or there's a partial obstruction. Any chance you let some epoxy dry in there?

I have a Harobor Frieght gun and don't have any problems on the 1.4 tip, but can, and do, get the bubbles in the cup when I loosen the front piece when I am spraying thinner through the gun after painting.

Now when using the 1.7 tip, I do have "leakage" problems for some reason.

Steve

donsrods · April 07, 2006, 12:05:00 AM

How have you been cleaning the gun? I buy a 5 gallon can of "wash thinner" (inexpensive laquer thinner) and immediately clean my gun inside and out, and keep spraying thinner through the gun, into a rag, and then dumping it out, until the thinner comes out spotlessly clean. At times, hold the rag tightly up against the tip so the thinner is forced back into the cup, and you will hear it gurgling. It is blowing thinner through all the passages.

I just recently moved up to one of the low pressure high volume guns that have the white plastic container on the top of the gun, and will never go back to the old type again. Clean up is 900% easier, and you use less thinner, too.

I bet you have some clogging in there somewhere. Pull the gun completedly apart, and soak it in thinner, then clean up all the needles and readjust the flow. You just aren't getting a wet enough pattern to go on well, in my opinion.

Could be something else, but this is where I would start.

Don

34ford · April 07, 2006, 01:01:57 AM

Quote from: "58Apache"

I'd say either your front nozzle piece is loose and you don't realize it, or there's a partial obstruction. Any chance you let some epoxy dry in there?

I have a Harobor Frieght gun and don't have any problems on the 1.4 tip, but can, and do, get the bubbles in the cup when I loosen the front piece when I am spraying thinner through the gun after painting.

Now when using the 1.7 tip, I do have "leakage" problems for some reason.

Steve

Know the front piece is tight, snugged it up with the channel locks

Mine started the leakage problem with the 1.7 tip I was using to spray primer with also. Can't figure that one out. Never leaked when I was spraying the fenders, hood, hood panels, inner fender panels and the rest of the parts in the first batch. But now this problem is with the 1.4 tip.

QuoteI bet you have some clogging in there somewhere. Pull the gun completedly apart, and soak it in thinner, then clean up all the needles and readjust the flow. You just aren't getting a wet enough pattern to go on well, in my opinion.

Don, This is a HLVP gun with the cup on the top. I take it apart completely after each use and clean it up with the brush. There's no dried paint matter anywhere in the gun that I can see. All the airway passages are clean, inside is clean.

bob

1FATGMC · April 07, 2006, 01:17:44 AM

Quote from: "34ford"Been painting parts and things are going great, no were going great. The gun is new and I've run about a gallon of primer thru it and a quart of color.

Problem is that it acts like it is running out of paint when there is lots of paint still there causing dry spots where doesn't come out. I can see some small bubbles coming up the paint cup with the lid off. With the cup off and some cleaning fluid poured in the top of the gun you can see the bubbles come up when the trigger is pulled.

Have everything snug as far as parts. Any ideals.

thanks
bob

Are you using the filter in the bottom of the cup. I've had no luck with it in place. I don't use it and filter all the pait with a regular throw away filter when I fill the gun and that has worked fine. I say throw away the in cup filter if you are using one.

c ya, Sum

34ford · April 07, 2006, 01:43:20 AM

[/quote]

Are you using the filter in the bottom of the cup. I've had no luck with it in place. I don't use it and filter all the pait with a regular throw away filter when I fill the gun and that has worked fine. I say throw away the in cup filter if you are using one.

c ya, Sum[/quote]

Sum,

I don't use the filter. I use the paper filters also. I'm using the PPG cup system that attaches to the gun. I don't use the filter in those cups either.

Went to the Harbor site and they have the same gun now with the 1.4 tip for $30 and I have a 20% off coupon so I will call the store in Omaha tomorrow and see if they have one in stock. Have to go to omaha for a wedding on saturday anyways.

1FATGMC · April 07, 2006, 10:45:06 AM

Which gun are you using of thiers (part number??)?

c ya, Sum

sirstude · April 07, 2006, 03:12:56 PM

Don't forget to fill the cup partway up with laquer thinner when you store it. I even take the nozzle off and store it in the thinner. Every so often when I walk by the gun, I pick it up and pull the lever to let a little thinner run out the tip.

Doug

34ford · April 07, 2006, 06:54:18 PM

Quote from: "1FATGMC"Which gun are you using of thiers (part number??)?

c ya, Sum

It's the 43430

Glen · April 08, 2006, 02:31:28 PM

I bet the button on top of the cup is clogged. There is a little passageway thru that button that acts like a breather, it allows air to move into the cup in place of the paint that is sprayed. I had that happen once.

pop it out of the lid and make sure its clean if you have not already checked it.

1FATGMC · April 08, 2006, 08:11:54 PM

Quote from: "Glen"I bet the button on top of the cup is clogged. There is a little passageway thru that button that acts like a breather, it allows air to move into the cup in place of the paint that is sprayed. I had that happen once.

pop it out of the lid and make sure its clean if you have not already checked it.

Very good Glen

. I'll bet that is it. I forgot all about that happening to me also long ago. Now I take that button out and clean the top good.

c ya, Sum

34ford · April 08, 2006, 08:57:45 PM

Here's the PPG system I'm using.

[url]http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Marine/Home/Solutions/PPS/ [/url

The cup in the container collapses as the paint is drawn out through the gun so there is no hole to be blocked. I might have screwed up something taking it apart and putting it back together and over tightened it or something like that.
So I bought a new one today. The HB place in Omaha matched the price on the HB web site and I used the 20% off coupon I printed off the net too so it cost me $32. It will save me the frustration and paint, especially with the cost of paint now days.

It did really work well when it was working. I will be a little gentler with this one.

thanks for the input and the help trying to figure this out.

bob