Shelly M Posted July 11, 2017 Report Share Posted July 11, 2017 I'm just beginning to use a spray gun for applying glazes. Mine came with a 1.4mm tip. Any advice on what a good tip size(s) would be? I'm thinning my glaze to about the consistency of pancake syrup. The 1.4mm worked fairly well but it took forever to get all the layers I wanted. Would a different size work faster and not give me problems with runs/drips? Are the sprayer tips standardized so that I don't have to search for one that is made by the same manufacturer as my HVLP gun? thanks all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clay lover Posted July 12, 2017 Report Share Posted July 12, 2017 don't have size advice, but my sprayers would clog with that thickness! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted July 12, 2017 Report Share Posted July 12, 2017 Paint sprayers are standardized not so sure about HVLP tips I think you will need your brand of tip- larger ones work best for glazes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyK Posted July 12, 2017 Report Share Posted July 12, 2017 Since you are just getting started with spraying, you might spend a little time getting familiar with the various controls for liquid volume control, air volume control and input pressure. While I haven't tried spraying glazes yet, I have worked with lacquers as well as latex and acrylic paints for painting cabinets and other woodwork. You may find it necessary to increase your input pressure to handle the thickness of the glaze you are spraying. Another option is to thin the glaze to a consistency that makes it easier to spray, but may require more coats to get the ultimate effect you are striving for. It may sound silly, but you might consider mixing up some pancake batter (using water instead of milk to keep costs down) to practice with. Buy the pancake mix at a dollar store. Another option would be to get some latex paint that has the consistency you are working with. Here you would ask the paint clerk to open various types of paint to check their consistency, then check to see if they have any mismatched cans that you can buy for less money. If you go the paint route, get a gallon rather than a quart, it's a lot cheaper in the long run and will give you plenty of material to practice with. JohnnyK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 12, 2017 Report Share Posted July 12, 2017 My HPLV also has a 1.4 tip, not from experience but from the searches I've done it seems that 1.8 is optimum for glazes. I've been using my Critter spray gun, which works great, and by visual inspection I can see the its spray nozzle on the Critter has a bigger opening than the 1.4 HPLV tip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLowes Posted July 13, 2017 Report Share Posted July 13, 2017 I use the Harbor Freight model that regularly goes on sale for as little as $9.99. It has a 2.0 mm tip and works very well. My gun has 4 adjustments and playing with them a bit made the results improve. My preferred pressure is 40 psi. Higher or lower doesn't work as well,so there's another variable. I find a little thinner than pancake batter works well for me. John Lowes Wynhill Pottery llc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly M Posted July 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2017 Thanks for the advice everyone! BTW . . . my post did say that my glazes for spraying are the consistency of pancake SYRUP, not pancake batter tho that might be an interesting experiment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta12 Posted July 16, 2017 Report Share Posted July 16, 2017 I find I need to keep my glazes a little on the thin side for spraying. Yes, pancake batter and with the clear glaze a tad bit thinner. I have the hvlp gun from Harbor Freight. And as Johnny K mentioned, you might want to make adjustments depending on the thickness of your glaze and what you are trying to accomplish with the spraying. I always sieve my glazes before putting them into the hopper. A simple small kitchen sieve works great, just to get any chunks out that might clog the tip. I was unaware there were different size tips.....I just use whatever came with the sprayer. And.....use a respirator!! Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.