1Bassmaster wrote:Anybody using or have used Devilbis Tekna Pro that could share gun settings and technique for spraying pearls and metallics?

iirc, the pro and the copper tekna are the same. i shoot base and clear @26 psi. fluid control 1 1/2 turns in from full- from the tigger being bottomed. some masking paper on the wall to help set the fan properly.

metallics- dont spray heavy coats. sometimes a dust/mist coat for the last coat is a good thing.

Actually it depends on which set up he has on the Pro.
The HVLP set up calls for 24 psi with trigger pulled to be compliant.
The TE20 set up calls for 26 psi with trigger pulled to be compliant.
The TE10 set up calls for 35 psi with trigger pulled to be compliant.

I have the Tekna Copper with the 7E7 HE 1.4 tip set and it calls for 22-30 psi with trigger pulled.
I back fluid knob all the way out and the pull the trigger and hold it. Screw fluid knob in just until it starts to lift the trigger, then let off trigger and turn fluid knob in another 1/2 turn.

For base I shoot at 22-24 psi and for clear I shoot at 30 psi.

Testing pattern on masking paper taped to wall is the best way to ensure proper gun set up.

Thanks for all the excellent tips and info. Can't wait to spray metallics consistently. Practice, practice, practice. Trying to earn some extra money doing small jobs in my garage since my wife's injury to her hand 2 yrs. ago. Painted 3 or 4 in high school in mid '80's. Got out of it until my son wrecked his car and fixed it up and painted it. No insurance claim and saved a lot of money doing it myself. Thanks to all the valuable info on this site showed me that the old compressor that fed my old siphon gun was way too small. Invested in DeWalt 5hp 80 gal. 2 stage compressor and upgraded to DeVlibiss HVLP gun. WWJD

'68 Coronet R/T wrote:Tiger stripes are usually a result of tipping the gun when spraying, usually while reaching toward the center of a horizontal panel like the hood.
They can also be caused by not having the tip cleaned properly and one side partially plugged but you should be spraying a test pattern on masking paper taped to the wall to insure the gun is set up right and has a good pattern before painting.

When the sides of the car come out looking good but the top, hood, or trunk lid has tiger stripes, then you know it is probably caused by tipping the gun.

Are there a list of tips that help you troubleshoot things:

Getting orange peel--increase air pressure
Dry spray--increase fluid control for more fluid

Things like that all in one place? I know this is an art and not a science (like tuning a carburetor).

One thing I have learned is to take lots of notes, particularly if you dont do this often. I have made notes on different materials, the two different guns I have, how much material coverage I get from different products, etc because I cant remember this stuff.

actually it is science, and the list would be very very long. more like a book lol

some tips i can give you,

always keep your paint at 70 plus degrees, if its any colder than that do not spray it.
most tech sheets are made around 70 degrees so following the tech sheet will work best if everything is at that temp.

for a beginner stay away from high solids clears IMO, use a med solids, they are more user friendly. giving advice is tough on a forum due to peoples budget and spray area. i can make paint perform very well in most situations but without being there it gets tough.

things that make paint look like crap are,
cold substrate
cold paint
over reduced because youre trying to make thick cold paint thin,
the three above are pretty important. you could have the best gun in the world (SATA)
and paint look like crap still.

base and clear 1.3 1.4 is the tips you want. full trigger pull for a panel or larger,
warm environment, not warm to you but actual warm temp, your body heat rises when working and it will feel warmer than it is.
take your time, if a tech sheet says two coats that does not mean you have to do it in two coats, youre more than welcome to do it in 4 lighter coats, so again take your time be patient and be ready to foul up and learn to fix it.

But come on what about us that don't have a heated booth. I did and do a lot of painting in the mid 50s to mid 60s temps that is, and they don't look like crap. I've been thinking about putting heat in and just bought a big furnace this summer. but I don't think i'm going to do it, i'm trying to phase out much painting other than my own stuff. ha i'm going to do a bumper cover for the x daughter in law in the next few days so maybe its a dream. your spot on about the hi solids clear.
Jay D.

If a panel has cooled down to say 60 degrees, how long would it take to bring that panel temp to 70? What is the best way to keep paint warm(70 degrees) before and during use?

When spraying base especially metallics, do you hold back from panel more so than with CC? How much and is your speed faster?

badsix wrote::goodpost: But come on what about us that don't have a heated booth. I did and do a lot of painting in the mid 50s to mid 60s temps that is, and they don't look like crap. I've been thinking about putting heat in and just bought a big furnace this summer. but I don't think i'm going to do it, i'm trying to phase out much painting other than my own stuff. ha i'm going to do a bumper cover for the x daughter in law in the next few days so maybe its a dream. your spot on about the hi solids clear.
Jay D.

Jay you are probably one of the better people understanding the variables of painting so no doubt you can make stuff look good. it was just to let people know that cold is a factor, when paint is cold it is thick and hard to spray, people then make the mistake of over reducing to get it thin which will cause die back or runs most likely both,