Practice spraying?

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PostPosted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 8:42 pm
Is there anything that I could use that would mimic the flow and initial spray characteristics of paint? I wouldn't expect anything to stick or lay down like paint but maybe just to practice settings with the guns and watch how it atomizes and impacts a surface. I assume water wouldn't be close but maybe a mix with low suds liquid laundry soap. Light mineral oil? Anything cheap and won't make a real mess.
I searched. Might I get a prize as the first to ask such a silly question? :happy:



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PostPosted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 8:50 pm
If not, whats the cheapest brand of primer/paint I can get by the quart or even pints and I guess I could do our Craftsman riding mower :rotfl:

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PostPosted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 9:17 pm
Go to your local automotive paint store and see if they have any mismatched paint available.
Tell them you are just learning and need something to practice with. They may still charge you but it should be minimal.
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 17, 2019 11:17 am
Yeah, years ago when I was learning my way around my jobber handed me an armful of cans that were mismatched and being rotated out of stock. I ended up with like 2 or 3 gallons of quarts/pints. He just said, "Here take them"..... Even if you have to pay for them it is worth it....ha, ha, you might end up with a tractor with a lot of bling! :lol:
Metal, wood, fiberglass, we work it all... www.furniturephysicians.com We can restore the irreplaceable!



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PostPosted: Mon Mar 18, 2019 11:45 am
My problem is I really don't have enough stuff to spray on to. I guess I could have 10 coats of paint on the back of my garage. I checked with the local SherwinWilliams but this location doesn't even deal in auto paints and nothing else for ~50 miles.
I was hoping I might be able to make a soap mixture and spray it onto my truck, since it is so large, I could practice movements and also put a good long strain onto the compressor just to make sure, plus the truck is always filthy.
I just learned about Flow Cups, think i'll find one and just go for it for the heck of it. :drink:



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PostPosted: Tue Mar 19, 2019 3:36 pm
Could always see if any of the salvage yards around you have anything they will give/sell cheap you. I am just getting into it and have most of my tools just don't have a big enough air compressor ATM in the garage but I have a couple other options so I am just going to grab a hood to practice shooting on for metal when I am done with my motorcycle. (I have extra plastics to practice shooting on before the real deal.)



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PostPosted: Wed Mar 20, 2019 6:49 am
im thinkin you should be able to get a hood pretty cheap at the right boneyard. theyre pretty good for practicing on.



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PostPosted: Fri Mar 22, 2019 2:57 pm
Well I tried the soap mix after we had just enough rain to dirty everything. Pretended I was coating my truck, twice. It was actually a cool method for applying soap I think. I blasted it with the pressure washer 1st, then the heavy soap mix I then sprayed water lightly with my p/washer instead of using the soap dispenser and washed with a mit, no bucket needed:).
I think my compressor passed the test. Its old without any labels except 1.8hp on the motor, I guess between 25-30 gallons. Starts @150, I set regulator to 50 and sprayed a few minutes before it kicked on @125. After running a can of mix through my HF purple gun(yes buying different guns soon) it was still ~126. I opened the air screw on the gun all the way and held it for several more minutes and although it didn't fall anymore it was hard to tell if it was rising or not. What does that tell you?
I get some high flow fittings delivered next week and should have my 3/4 copper/pex air lines in the garage done soon to retest the compressor..

Im not spending a dime i dont need to so Ive got a file cabinet picked out and the back door of the garage I'll spray some thinned Rustoleum on soon.

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