so i have a HVLP gun that i'm going to use to spray acrylic enamel onto the engine block.

i've used a gun before, but always doing furniture, so i do know how to spray. paint, on the other hand, is a new thing, as well as setting up and using the gun specific to paint.

so, basic questions:

1 - stir paint well, pour through strainer into container. stir reducer well, pour equal amount through strainer into container. how long can this mixture sit around before it is no good?

2 - how long between coats?

3 - i have a (not sure of the term) water separator that goes between the air compressor and the gun. there are very little instructions with it, but it does say something about oil???

4 - it also has a valve to regulate outgoing pressure, but no gauge, how do i know where to set that?

5 - after using, clean cup on gun out with lacquer thinner, then spray though gun until clean. anything else?

basically, all the tips you can give will be appreciated, as this is all brand new to me.

thanks!

How I would do it:

Paint and reducer into mixing cup. Stir thoroughly to combine. With no gloss additive or catalyst, this mixture is good until it evaporates all the solvent. Strain before it goes in gun.

Depending on air temp and solvent speed, probably 10-20 minutes between coats. Check for it almost dry to the touch on some masking paper or tape.

Unless you have a water problem or humid day, a throw away filter on the gun is fine for that small of a project.

I hardly ever use a gauge. I ramp up until the paint atomizes well, and you get a nice 8-10" cigar pattern on some paper. Probably 35-40psi at the inlet

Clean thoroughly with lacq thinner. An old toothbrush can be helpful, but I always take the air cap and fluid nozzle off and soak those separately.

What this member said

Most auto paint stores should have a regulator that screws to gun with a guage, harbor freight probably has them also. You get a pressure drop at the gun running thru the hose.

Can you find a data sheet for your paint? These two will be listed on there as re-coat time and "pot life".

I second the HF regulator at the gun, I usually knock my air down near the compressor to get it close, then regulate it again right at the gun. Don't forget another cheapie gun-filter right at the gun.

Do yourself a favor and get a small gun cleaning kit at Harbor F.
cost a few dollars .
take the gun compleately apart to clean and relube with paint gun oil to prevent dried up paint and spray problems unless you are useing a throw away gun .
expensive guns will still trap small amounts of paint in the gun that will not come out by just spraying laqur thiner through.
I used to do that and My paint supply guy told me to take the gun apart and see if all paint was gone when i had finnished cleaning it that way.
Guess what not!
worse yet you may get a white paint job and ruin it with blue paint left in the gun from last job,I had it happen.
Take the gun apart compleatly if you want the gun to work for a long time.

I have the expensive guns and cleaning is an unavoidable chore...But lately I've bought the HF cheapy guns{as in 10 bucks with a coupon} and I'm impressed with the spray pattern coming out of them...Use them, clean them, or toss them...Heck I swear I use more lacquer cleaner on the good guns than what the cheapee gun costs !!!

all good info, thanks guys.

i will get a cleaning kit. this isn't something i'll be doing all the time, so it makes sense to clean the gun well and have it around.

screamin, that's bizarre about guns being that cheap, and good enough to use. part of doing business with china i guess, is some stuff comes out for nearly nothing!

i should be doing it today or tomorrow, i'll let you know how it goes.

ok, didn't get to it. next weekend, maybe. hopefully.

next question:

is it ok to let the gun sit around for that 10 20 minutes between coats? will the paint dry in the nozzle or anything?

you will be fine.