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I just spent several hundred dollars on a paint gun set from Eastwood and some two part automotive paint. I have never used a gun like this, and would like a little practice setting it up and using it, preferably with something other than expensive paint. Can I use old latex house paint just to get the hang of the gun and it settings? I am only painting the frame extensions, winch pumpers and all the small parts that go with the winch. The paint gun didn't come with very in depth instructions

Hi ZG,

You sure can. The key is to properly thin the paint and filter it real good before putting it into the paint cup. There are a ton of videos on YouTube about spraying Latex with an HVLP gun, but there's no trick to it. Just thin it to a consistency somewhere between whole milk and light cream, dump it thru a medium mesh filter, and shoot away. Make sure to clean your gun real well when you're done. Some folks recommend thinning with alcohol (windshield washer fluid) and some do it with water....your choice.

regards,
bob

You could just get a pint f cheap one part enamel and practice with it. It will be more in fitting with the 2k and will allow you to practice adjusting the gun to reduce bloom and orange peel.

You ask an extremely broad question. There is at the very least thousands of possible answers. If you feel the instructions that come with your gun are vague, just wait until you start asking questions concerning the paint you choose. I'm a firm believer that all the vague instruction is intentional; if the job turns out less than the best, they don't want you to be able to toss blame their way. I have paint guys now that are much more informed than I am on the current stuff; and they have constant questions. I can add this, using anything other than what you intend to spray on your project in a practice session will not likely be worth much. Every different type of primer, paint, etc., that you run through the gun will behave differently. If you are looking to become more familiar before actually jumping on the project, that is smart thinking, however personally I'm not sure actually accomplishing what you seek is possible. Too many products, designed to do specific jobs, etc., are out there on the paint market. Virtually impossible to become familiar with all in any sort of general way. If you are using military industrial enamel paint like Gilesspie, thin it with xylene, (spelling may be off), anyway that is a slow evaporating reducer that will allow you to keep the paint wet a sufficient amount of time to get over your project before flash takes place.

All this may sound a bit far out; you'll likely understand my rambling better after you attempt using your new gun a bit. I haven't painted any big project trucks since 2010; so I'd be a little rusty at tackling a high end paint job now. Many products have hit the market since 2010, many of those are geared to the production market that today's body shops live by. I say this because you need to be very careful when going to purchase paint and associated products, just to be sure you are not buying products that may not be at all intended for what you are attempting to accomplish. We have not found the younger paint rep's to be very helpful in recommending the right stuff. We are using PPG products currently; and have found only 1 rep that has been able to shed a lot of light. He is a 40 year veteran with PPG. Actually has knowledge beyond reading a sales brochure.

Thanks. Im going to mix up some paint and spray some boards and old sheet metal I have laying around and just get a hang of it. On second thought, I have some old enamels in the garage. I might thin and shoot them

ZGjethro,
I f you can get some large cardboard or an old fender, these are good items to use to practice the settings of your
gun. Make sure you have the proper pressure at the gun. close you gun settings down open up the flow and and spraysome card board open up the pattern,
width of spray some. Then spray some card board. It will be trial and error. Thats how you learned when you were young. I know paint is expensive but you have to practice and practice some more. This is how you learn what your equipment can do. Charles is right every type of paint is going to spray different has different properties. Old paint single stage may be ok to use, but hardeners go bad. The instructions are vague because there are so many possibilities and set ups.
Remember, use one paint line and use the recommended reducers and cleanup chemicals. Talk to the paint guy at your supply house. Just get out there and practice.
Rich

ZGjethro wrote:Thanks. Im going to mix up some paint and spray some boards and old sheet metal I have laying around and just get a hang of it. On second thought, I have some old enamels in the garage. I might thin and shoot them

John:

Yep, knowledge is power and practice makes perfect.
Watch the YouTube videos for information and guidance on HVLP guns. Talk to locals who have experience
with automotive paints and spray guns. As Charles has pointed out, there are so many variables when
shooting automotive paints. Temperature, humidity, wind if you shoot outdoors, thinners, gun spray patterns,
hardeners, keeping "a wet edge" and even the motion of your hand doing spray passes on your project.
Agreeing with Charles... practice with the gun, paint and thinners you will actually be using on your project.

Keep in mind that you're only painting a winch, not a Ferrari. If you screw it up a bit, it's not the end of the world.
As recommended to you before, epoxy primers would work well in your Colorado environment.

And, as a caution to all, two stage paints with hardeners containing isosyonates (sp?) are VERY damaging to
your nervous system and do PERMANTENT damage. Always use a high quality mask/respirator.
Jerry

In relation to using epoxy primer; you may not know this fact. Can't say this definitely applies to all blends of epoxy, however it is a fact concerning a number of different ones we have used. Epoxy primer is designed so it can be top coated without the need for scuff sanding IF top coat is applied within a 7-day window. This window could become shorter in HOT temps, grow longer in cold temps. If you have ever applied epoxy primer, let it cure for a couple of days, then attempted to sand it prior to applying either high-build primer or a top coat of paint only to realize the epoxy becomes softer and stickier as you sand; this is why, it is in the product design. If you go past the 7-day window, then all bets are off, you'll have to scuff sand before applying any other product over it. If you were not aware of these facts, this knowledge will save you lots of aggravation throughout your process. Paint products in general have precious little info available from manufacturer's concerning application. This trick is also by design, they don't want you to be able to come back on them if something doesn't go right; with them providing no info, then it's all your fault.

My certified paint guys are more up to date on the newer products than I am to be honest; if you have more specific questions, I'll see if I could talk one of them into offering some more detailed expertise.

Thanks Charles. The only time I used the epoxy primer I brushed it on my recently fixed gas tank, and sprayed it the correct color OD TR9 (?) can spray paint the next day. I have a bit of the same Eastwood epoxy primer left, and I think I will use it on the bumpers and associated brackets. This project might be delayed until summer unless I can screen off a part of my garage into a temp spray booth