1Bassmaster wrote:Anybody using or have used Devilbis Tekna Pro that could share gun settings and technique for spraying pearls and metallics?
Hey guy
I read the thread and your posts and what others are trying to tell you and it boils down to this, It sounds like Your doing everything right in the learning curve you have a good compressor and a good gun and even got the Hi flow fittings but your at the point now where you need to learn how to make the Paint gun work for you.
I didn't bother to learn how to adjust my gun until AFTER I bought the Hi flow fittings!
Before I got the Hi flow fittings I would set the gun up for wide open running like Kevin Tetz explained in his Paintucaution videos fan wide open fluid flow at 2 1/2 turns and adjust air pressure to what ever paint mfg said and let er rip! Doing it like that you adjust your spray technique to the gun the gun is running you!
I would adjust my air pressure up or down a little maybe tweak fluid flow in or out a tad but that was it I didn't really understand how to adjust the gun Properly and it was ok because my results were ok I was doing it and I was happy when it came out good and it did TILL I bought those HI FLOW FITTINGS! That changed EVERYTHING! suddenly and without warning I couldn't paint anything right! even though I was using the same air pressures at the gun as before I put the hi flow fittings on yet none of my Paint gun's worked the same as before none of them them!
All I changed was the Air fittings I was still using the same air pressure and I couldn't do anything right! I was finally getting the airflow the Gun required to perform BUT I would go from Dry spray to runs, to stripes & mottling depending on which gun I tried or what material I tried. I couldn't even lay out Primer right! I was about to throw my guns out and buy Hi dollar units convinced my stuff was over priced Hobby junk and they are But they do do the Job in the hands of a Painter! a real painter can paint with anything! Remember that its True. Me? I was forced to Learn how to adjust my guns properly and learn how to spray the right way going back to the smaller Air flow fittings was not an option as I wanted better paint jobs which is why I bought the Hi flow fittings in the first place.
Well after reading a whole bunch about how to properly adjust a gun and watching Painting videos up the wazoo I was forced to go Put paint in the things and go play with them Painting Masking paper on the walls of my booth adjusting them the way the all the Pros around hear say to do and then when I got it right I would mess it up and start over.
I don't know where I heard it but I tried it and it worked for me first before Trying paint in My gun I tried water in it first and learned how to adjust the gun to spray water on dry Paper watching my pattern a guy I heard this from said to use a Chalk board but Cardboard works well I found after you master water then try real paint the paint in the gun its different but the idea is the same learn how to adjust the gun for a repeatable semi dry semi wet Cigar shape with out runs SEEING the fine drops in your spray pattern you want a full pattern again not dry but not wet and no runs out of a quick full pull and quick snap release of the trigger Just as fast as you can make a full pull on Trigger release it That's your pattern. I tune to a 1 second blast one thousand one release some say that's too long but I am still forcing myself to slow down too also after you make your blast and it looks right WAIT a few minutes watching it some times when you think you got it right it will run on ya after sitting there for a few been there done that did a real quick tune turned around started painting only to turn around later and see the pattern had ran and you can imagine what the car looked like shortly there after.
It took a while and I wasted some paint and a whole lot of Masking paper and Tape but I can adjust my Paint gun now to a fault. I still cant claim and don't claim to be a good Painter not as good as I would like to be but I'm not! I'm a mechanic first! but still I can spray some paint.
My Problem is knowing how much air pressure to start with and for that I turn to the Paint Tech sheets EVERY TIME I PAINT! which also tells me what size Fluid tip to use after that I don't raise or lower the Pressure too much. BEWARE SOME Paint gun manufactures can and do have different suggested required Air Pressures for different brands of paint!
YUP! You have the Paint Brand telling you what air pressure to use and so do Paint gun mfg. Devillbiss comes to mind, I keep a printed deal in my Tool box folder about it from Devillbiss and check it when spraying something new always follow the Paint Brands Tech sheets recommendation though it will keep you out of trouble.
The other guys who have more experience say to raise or lower air pressure a few pounds for Orange peel but I still don't get that one? Cant get my head wrapped around why?
I just adjust the fluid flow and leave my Fan wide open as Long as I adjust the gun to a Nice Pattern on the wall I'm good to go the rest is Technique I think.
Metal flake and Pearls
Dude man that's the Hard stuff Your technique has to be spot on you cant get lazy or tired! You cant let up one tiny bit on your concentration either! You have too HOLD that gun STRAIT! AND keep that gun tip 6-8 inches from the panel which ever distance you chose while setting the gun up YOU HAVE TO HOLD THAT every pass from one side of the panel to the other you cant paint 12 inches at a distance of 6 inches then paint 20 inches at 8 inches from the panel and then adjust back to 6 inches you have to hold your Gun distance PERFECTLY the same every pass! all the while your watching that Wet edge line AND keeping your Overlap Robot computer repeatable every pass every time!!!
Its Not easy it takes LOTS of practice! its a Technique! You have to learn, You have to train yourself You need to be PATIENT RELAX SLOW DOWN & GET COMFORTABLE!
Don't even try to get around a whole car in 10-20 min take your time there's NO RUSH!
a lot of guys go too fast! I'm Guilty Make sure you have Excellent Lighting Too! so you can see your Wet edge. Get a Good light weight flexible air hose of the right size! and be comfortable! This is supposed to be the FUN part of a paint job.
Walk through your whole Paint job with the gun DRY all suited up air hose attached goggles and face mask on see where the hose hangs up find the spots where you have to adjust your gun hold practice that roof & hood! PRACTICE that OVERLAP! PRACTICE keeping that gun distance perfect every pass PRACTICE. Its all easier said than done!
For Pearls & flakes I lay out first coat side to side second coat Top to bottom then another side to side usually and then when I think I'm done I still cheat and FOG the panel a little in the end it is what it is.
If you think your having problems with Flakes and Pearls don't even bother trying Candy's till you get a good Technique going.
Good luck I hope it helps you or some one else.
Dennis B.
A&P Mechanic, FCC General radio Telephone Operator
Line Maintenance A&P Mechanic and MOC Tech specialist.