To get a fan spray, turn the control screw
clockwise.
To increase the flow of paint, turn the fluid
control screw clockwise.
To maintain the same coverage over a wider area,
increase the flow of paint as you increase the
width of the spray.
The use and handling of a spray gun are learned
best by practice. The following paragraphs describe
how to use a spray gun properly and include tips to help
you use the gun more efficiently:
Before starting to paint with a spray gun, check
the adjustments and the operation of the gun by
spraying paint on a surface similar to the one that
you intend to paint.
To do good work, use a minimum amount of
Figure 1-19.--Holding the spray gun perpendicular to the
surface.
pressure, holding the gun away from the work
normally from 6 to 10 inches. However, there are
no set rules for spray gun pressure or for the
distance of the spray gun from the surface to be
painted. The pressure and the distance vary
considerably with the type of nozzle, the paint
used, and the surface to be painted.
For the paint to spray properly, always keep the
gun perpendicular to and at the same distance
from the surface being painted. Start the stroke
before squeezing the trigger, and release the
trigger before completing the stroke. If you do
not hold the gun perpendicular or if you hold it
too far away from the surface being painted, part
Figure 1-20.--Proper spray gun stroke.
of the paint spray will evaporate and will strike
the surface in a nearly dry state. This condition is
called dusting. If you fail to start the stroke
before squeezing the trigger or if you fail to
release the trigger before ending the stroke, the
paint will build up at the end of the stroke and
will run or sag. If you arch the stroke, you will
not be able to deposit the paint in a uniform coat.
See figures 1-19 and 1-20.
When spraying corners (both inside and
outside), stop 1 or 2 inches short of the corners.
Paint both sides of the corner the same. Then turn
the spray gun on its side and, starting at the top,
Figure 1-21.--Right and wrong ways of spray painting
corners.
spray downward, coating both sides of the corner
at the same time. See figure 1-21.
around the filling hole cover and the spoiler, both
When spraying a large area where small parts
outside and inside the spoiler. Then paint the
and pieces protrude, first coat the protruding
entire mine. This procedures eliminates a lot of
items lightly and then coat the entire surface. For
example, when painting a mine, first paint
touching-up later.
1-20
