Anyone that paints are you using the $50.00 + per gal gun wash thinner to clean your gun after spraying or the box store Acetone.
I never tried the cheaper but if it's just waste why not?

Sorry if I should have posted this elsewhere.

I am not a professional painter by any stretch but I have only used acetone from day one. I disassemble the gun and clean it by hand. I realize that the pros that have a much tighter schedule than I do need to do it a different way. But acetone has always worked for me as an occasional sprayer.

Any lacquer thinner sold by an automotive paint supplier is better then the crap lacquer thinner at home depot.
Acetone, while maybe better then lacquer, just evaporates to fast for my liking, not considering the higher cost per gallon.

I would think with an ultrasonic cleaner there would be several less expensive cleaning solutions that would do a way better job than just cleaning solutions?

I have occasionally used lacquer thinner, too. I only use a few ounces to clean the gun, so the cost is negligible and the acetone seems to do a little better job. I use so little, that I only keep a quart of it. The lacquer thinner, I buy 5 gallons at a time because I use it for so many other things including thinning the base in moderate weather. But either one will work just fine to clean the gun IMHO.

I picked up some Acetone from Menards to give a try.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

Just take it apart when you clean it. I take mine all the way apart and clean everything really well. I'm just an occasional painter of my own stuff, so if I didn't clean it good it would be growed shut the next time I needed it.

I always clean the gun very well, just looking for alternatives to using expensive automotive paint thinner to just dump.

Thanks all.

I buy 5gln cans of thinner from my PPG dealer. Not the type for thinning paints, but General Purpose.
The per gln price is a little more then the crap at HomeDepot & works better. Besides no sales tax.

Has anyone cleaned a paint spray gun with an ultrasonic cleaner? Does it work or a waste of time (and money)?

I have for touch up guns using laq. thinner. Dislodges small hidden particles.
Great for hardened particles.
Money? Not an issue with , own a unit already.

Thank you

Mike

i am a PPG certified painter. i probably spray automotive paint 5 times a week.
i use GRAVITY guns, cup above the spray gun. i also use disposable cup liners.
old style suction guns, cup below the gun. clean differently.

the shop had a spray gun cleaner. we use cheap wash thinner from the paint store in it.
we also have cheap thinner in a squeeze bottle for rinsing guns.

after painting i remove the cup.
i then use the bottle and spray about 1/2 oz of thinner in the cup adaptor. take a acid brush and stir the thinner a bit. then pull the trigger and let the thinner run out into the waste drum. i remove the air cap and then squeeze about 1/2 oz of thinner into the fluid tip to back flush the gun. i then put air cap and gun in gun cleaner. run for about 1 min. remove gun and blow dry outside and then thru the gun from the top and back thru the fluid tip. i then blow the air cap off and then use the squeeze bottle to force thinner thru every port in the cap., then blow dry. i then remove the needle and air cap, rinse them with thinner, blow dry. them rinse fluid openings in the gun with squeeze bottle. then blow dry. assemble gun and put away for next use. i use maybe 2 oz of thinner cleaning my gun.
after about 2 years doing this i replace the gun while it still sprays just fine.

i have 1 Sata 5000 digital WSP guns for water base coat. 1 Devilbiss Tekna gun for sealer and 1 Devilbiss Tekna for clear coat.


ultrasonic cleaners might work whit dirty DRY guns. i would just recommend stopping by harbour freight and buying their gun cleaning kit. it has wood tooth picks in it. use then to clean up dirt build up in the openings. this will be easier, faster and probably work better.

You can buy the gun wash much cheaper in a 5 gal pail for under $100.

some of the other guys in the shop rinse their gun down with the cheap wash thinner. then spray the inside fluid passages with Kleen Strip naked gun cleaner.

https://www.amazon.com/Klean-Strip-Naked-Cleaner-Aerosol-ENGC11131/dp/B0082LK2KW

I clean with the good automotive lacquer thinner and soak thoroughly and then use the spray gun wash inside the orifices of the spray gun.
Nothing worse than a clogged gun.
I'll spend a few dollars anyway to avoid costly repaints. Paint is too expensive.

I always spray paint/lacquer thinner through it then disassemble and clean it with thinner.

Any stubborn stuff I use acetone/brake clean and a brush.

I never thought about it but I always buy my thinner from the paint shop I get my paint from. Never crossed my mind it was better than from a home improvement store but make sense.

I am always open to new ideas though.

Okay, I will tip my buddy about using a better lacquer thinner instead of the lacquer thinner he got from the local hardware. The paint job will be next after installing the new tires from 4Wheelonline this weekend.