Any tips on gun setup?

[Ed]

Hello,

Was painting my motor on the weekend, using 2 pack and an HVLP gun.

Used 2 part colour, 1 part hardener, and approx 15% reducer. (as per PPG specs).

The paint is much thicker than the acrylic i am accustomed to using, in addition, I was using an HVLP, which atomises quite finely and was a bit of a pain to use..

Gravity feed gun, i was using about 60 psi into the gun, and had the fluid volume adjuster backed nearly all the way out.  I had thoroughly cleaned the fluid tip (1.4mm), needle etc immediately prior to working.  

Atomisation was ok but i had to work alot closer to the job then normal, and move alot slower.

Is this normal for 2k thru a HVLP gun? (my first foray into 2K paint), or is it just me not being used to the characteristics of 2K paint?

The sump came out ok with good gloss and minimal orange peel, using 2 double header coats (although slow work)

Has anybody got any tips on getting better flow out of the gun?
will reducing the paint further be detrimental to the job (metallic paint, I dont want the particles to float)?

It's a Star HVLP gun..perhaps it's the gun?  At this stage I think I will revert to a "normal" gun with 1.3mm fluid tip...  


any ideas are appreciated

Cheers

Ed

[spider]

 :)Hey Ed,
               I know the feeling. I bought a HVLP GUN and found it horrible. It is exactly as you said, had to move slow just to get a good coat, did the same thing as things as you outlined and will never touch the gun again. I will stick with the normal gun, even if you do lose more in overspray. Actually the FE is being painted with a graco spray unit that the oldman has. It sucks paint straight up, no air, and if you no what you are doing the finish is unbelievable. We sprayed a lx torana i had, fully stripped and everywhere painted, it was painted in half a hour, and only used 1/2 to 3/4 of the paint undiluted and the  finish was like the paint had been poured on. You get no overspray when adjusted right, and it is the equivalent of roughly 2 coats in one hit. It is unbelievable. I dont know why people dont use them more.
Cheers Spider 8