Do-it-yourself spray gun repair

In detail: do-it-yourself spray gun repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

For uniform spraying of various paints and varnishes (paintwork materials), primers, liquid putties, protective compounds and impregnations, painting devices called spray guns are used. This equipment may differ from each other not only in the device, but also in the principle of operation, which affects the quality of the applied coating.

Most often, both in the household and in the professional sphere, electric and pneumatic spray guns with different positions of the tanks are used. Also, these devices can have a pressure gauge built into the handle or connected to it.

The electric spray gun consists of a plastic or aluminum housing that houses the following items (see picture below).

  1. Electromagnet. Works in impulse mode, pulling the bar.
  2. Oscillating bar... It is attracted by a magnet and pushes the piston forward.
  3. Ink supply regulator... Limits the mobility of the oscillating bar.
  4. Nozzle. Sprays paintwork materials or other compounds.
  5. Cylinder... It is the pump body in which the piston moves.
  6. Valve... Opens and closes the paint supply.
  7. Suction tube... Designed for suction of paintwork materials. A filter can be installed at the end of the tube.
  8. Piston spring... After the piston moves forward, it returns it (together with the bar) to its original position.
  9. Piston... Sucks in and pushes paintwork from the spray gun.

Also on the device there is a power button, a fitting for connecting a tank.

Spray gun working according to the following principle... After pressing the start button, current is supplied to the electromagnet (1) in short pulses. At the same time, the electromagnet then attracts the bar (2), then releases it. The range of movement of the bar, and therefore the piston, is regulated by the screw (3). The bar, pressing on the piston rod (9), sets it in motion. The reciprocating movements of the piston suck in the paintwork material from the tank and push the composition towards the valve (6). When the piston moves forward, the valve opens and passes the paint to the nozzle (4), through which it is sprayed. With the reverse movement of the piston, which is provided by the expanding spring (8), the valve closes, and the paintwork material is sucked from the tank through the tube (7). Further, the process is repeated.

Video (click to play).

Important! Electric spray guns also include models with an external compressor. In this case, the device of the spray gun is slightly different, and the principle of operation of a spray gun is similar to the operation of a pneumatic spray gun.

The tool is powered by compressed air from a compressor. Below is a sectional diagram showing the construction of the device.

The pneumatic spray gun has the following elements in its design (see diagram above).

  1. Spray head together with a nozzle (nozzle). The spray gun nozzle and air cap are removable. They can have different outlet diameters, which are selected in accordance with the viscosity of the composition to be sprayed.
  2. Tank for paint... It is made of either plastic or metal, and can be installed both at the top of the tool and at the bottom.
  3. Spray gun body... Serves as the basis in which all the elements of the device are installed.
  4. Locking screw. Regulates the intensity of the ink supply by limiting or increasing the movement of the locking needle. Some spray gun models have an air regulator.
  5. Lever... Designed for comfortable holding of the tool in hand.
  6. Pad. Serves as a seal in the mechanism that moves the needle.
  7. Trigger trigger... Drives the shut-off needle.
  8. Locking needle... Opens or closes the nozzle opening.

The work of the pneumatic spray gun is as follows. With a slight pull on the trigger, the air valve opens and air begins to flow through a separate channel into the air cap. With further pressure on the lever, the needle moves back, opening the nozzle, through which paint begins to flow. The paint, mixing with the air flow in the air cap, is crushed into small particles, forming an aerosol torch.

For convenient work with a paint sprayer, use a special wall holder.

Also widely used by painters stand for spray gun, which you can easily do with your own hands.

Spray gun device with top tank, as well as the principle of its operation, was discussed above. The only thing that needs to be clarified is the way the paintwork material is fed into the tool body. Since the paint container is located at the top of the appliance, it flows naturally to the shut-off needle due to the force of gravity.

Spray gun device with bottom tank differs only in the location of the latter. The intake of paint from it occurs due to the vacuum created by the air flow inside the device. In the future, the operation of the spray gun does not differ from the operation of the device with the upper arrangement of the container.

In addition, not so long ago on the market of equipment for applying paintwork materials appeared vacuum tanks... They are successfully used instead of standard spray cans. The vacuum tank is a hard glass-flask with a hole at the bottom, into which a soft glass with a lid is inserted. There is a scale on the flask, by which it is convenient to determine the amount of paint.

The advantage of vacuum tanks is that they allow the spray gun to operate in any position. Regardless of how the device is turned, upward or downward, the colorant still enters the gun due to the vacuum formed in the soft glass. In this case, the glass is deformed, and the paint is squeezed out of it completely.

If you look at the body of a modern paint sprayer, you can see 2 or 3 adjusting screws. The first regulator can be located either on the top or on the side of the housing, such as for SATA spray guns (see illustration below). He is responsible for the shape and size of the aerosol torch.

The second screw allows you to adjust the range of movement of the needle, which depends on the amount of paintwork supplied to the nozzle. Some spray gun models also have a third regulator. It can be used to regulate the air supply to the tool.

Setting up the spray gun means setting the correct material-air balance. By adjusting the optimal ratio, you can achieve the ideal shape of the aerosol spray, which will promote uniform spray of the composition onto the surface to be treated.

Important! The parameter of the inlet pressure is indicated by the manufacturer in those. the documentation for the device and is standardized.

The adjustment of the inlet pressure, ideally, should be done using a regulator with a built-in pressure gauge that is connected to the handle of the instrument. This is explained by the fact that the pressure loss in the line can reach 1 bar and higher. The longer the duct and the more bends it has, the greater the pressure loss. Also, this parameter is influenced by the installed filters and moisture separators.

Adjusting a spray gun with an upper tank with an installed regulator and a pressure gauge is not difficult:

  • first, unscrew as much as possible the adjusting screw (1) (see figure below), which is responsible for the air supply;
  • further, the torch shape and size regulator is unscrewed (2);
  • after unscrewing the screws, pull the trigger (3), after which the air supply will start;
  • at the last stage, set the value on the pressure gauge (4) corresponding to the recommended one by turning the pressure regulator.

Some “advanced” spray gun models have a built-in electronic pressure gauge.

It is even easier to adjust the spray gun with the built-in electronic pressure gauge (see figure below).

  1. Open the torch regulator as far as possible.
  2. Pull the trigger.
  3. Referring to the readings of the pressure gauge, turn the air regulator until the pressure level at the inlet to the device reaches the recommended values.

In the case when there is a pressure gauge without a regulator on the handle of the spray gun, then the spray gun can be correctly adjusted as follows (see the figure below).

  1. Unscrew the air regulator to the maximum.
    Image - DIY spray gun repair
  2. Unscrew the torch regulator as much as possible.
  3. Next, pull the trigger to supply air to the gun.
  4. Adjust the pressure using a reducer or filter group installed at the compressor outlet, referring to the readings of the pressure gauge.

If the spray gun is not equipped with a pressure gauge, then a rough, approximate adjustment of the device can be made. using a compressor reducer, taking into account the pressure loss in the line.

You can set up a spray gun for painting, if it does not have a measuring device, using the following method (see the figure below).

  1. Open gun air supply.
  2. Open the torch width adjuster.
    Image - DIY spray gun repair
  3. Pull the trigger to open the air supply.
  4. Using a reducer located at the compressor outlet, set the pressure taking into account its losses in the line. That is, the pressure on the pressure gauge should be 0.6 bar higher than the recommended pressure, provided that a 10 m hose with an inner diameter of 9 mm is connected to the device. For a more accurate calculation, take into account the presence of filters installed between the spray gun and the compressor.

Sometimes situations arise when there are no instructions for the device, or it is impossible to determine its manufacturer in order to find out what pressure is needed for the spray gun. Knowing the inlet pressure required for such an unknown tool can only be experienced.

  1. First of all, you should pick up Paintwork materials of standard viscosity and pour it into the tank.
  2. Next, you need to unscrew all the regulators on the instrument and use the adjustment screw on the pressure gauge to “experiment” with the pressure. It is required to achieve such a value at which a uniform torch print will appear on the painted surface. In this case, the instrument should be kept at a distance of 15 cm from the surface prepared for the test.
  3. When the desired result is achieved, record the value of the inlet pressure. This will be the working pressure for this device.

Important! You should be aware that most of the cheap, unknown origin of spray guns, for normal operation, require an increased air consumption, more than 200 liters per minute. Accordingly, not every compressor will be able to provide such a tool with the required amount of compressed air, which will affect the result of painting.

It is no secret that the efficiency of coating with a paint sprayer largely depends on the state of the torch. The larger its size, and the higher the density of the aerosol, the more evenly the coating is applied to the surface with a small number of passes. But in some cases it is necessary to set a small torch size, for example, if you want to coat small parts or paint in hard-to-reach places.

Torch size is easy to adjust: by turning the screw towards the “+” sign, the spray width increases, and, conversely, when the regulator moves towards the “-” sign, the spray zone decreases.

For standard repairs, various coatings and body painting, it is recommended to open the material regulator fully. Usually this 3-4 turns of the adjusting screw... In this case, the nozzle should come off completely after pressing the trigger.

An important role in setting up a spray gun is played by the diameter of the nozzle. It is matched to the density of the composition to be used for spraying. Below is a table to help you quickly determine which nozzle diameter is required for different coatings.

Despite its simple design, the spray gun is still susceptible to breakage. Frequent spray gun malfunctions can be counted on the fingers.

This happens in the following situations.

  1. The air pressure in the system is extremely low. The compressor must be adjusted to correct the problem.
  2. Ink flow is interrupted due to clogged needle and nozzle. It is necessary to disassemble the spray gun and clean the listed items.
  3. Needle or nozzle is damaged. Replacement parts required.

Several malfunctions can cause the spray gun to spit.

  1. Air cap not tightened properly. It is required to screw the part well.
  2. The viscosity of the paint does not match the air pressure. It is necessary to achieve an acceptable pressure-viscosity ratio.
  3. The paint is too thick. It is necessary to prepare the paint of a lesser density.
  4. Dye reservoir breather clogged. It is necessary to remove the plug and clean the hole in it.
  5. The pressure in the receiver has dropped below normal. It is required in the compressor settings to set the lower pressure threshold corresponding to the performance of the spray gun.

If the torch of sprayed paint moves away from the gun, then the reasons for this may be the following.

  1. Clogged air cap side holes. It is required to remove the head and clean it.
  2. Damage to the side holes of the air cap. The damaged part must be replaced.

In this case, the problem may be caused by the following malfunctions.

  1. Clogged nozzle. Repairing the spray gun in this case consists in removing the nozzle and cleaning its hole.
  2. Damage to the nozzle. Part replacement required.
  3. Clogging of the air cap, namely, its center hole. Remove the air cap, rinse and clean it.
  4. Damage to the center hole of the air cap. This part requires replacement.

Construction and painting tools are gradually being improved. The usual brush and roller displaces the spray gun, which allows you to evenly paint large areas in a short time. The device is easy to use, but, like any technique, it sometimes fails and stops performing its functions. What if the spray gun is not spraying paint as needed? Why, instead of a uniform ejection of paint from the nozzle, "spits" fly out or just air blows?

To deal with these issues, you need to decide on the types of devices. There are two types of spray guns.

Powered by compressed air. Air injection into the paint gun is done manually using a piston pump.

  • with the upper location of the tank, when the colorant enters the nozzle under the action of gravity and its supply is regulated by changing the air pressure;
  • with a bottom tank, when the container is attached from below, the solution is pumped into the nozzle using compressed air.

Also called electric. Sprays the colorant using the pump built into it.

Image - DIY spray gun repair

Both of these varieties are very different from each other, and with outwardly identical malfunctions, repairing a hand-held spray gun will be very different from repairing an electric spray gun.

Regardless of the principle of operation of the painting mechanism, before proceeding with diagnostics and troubleshooting, the following tools and spare parts must be prepared:

  • a set of wrenches of various sizes;
  • pliers;
  • screwdriver;
  • repair kit and other sets of spare parts.

A spare parts store for repair and construction equipment will be able to offer several options for repair kits for troubleshooting problems with spray guns. This could be:

  1. A standard repair kit consisting of several bolts and rubber seals (it is better to stock up on such repair kits in advance because the seals quickly deteriorate under the influence of dyes).
  2. Specialized repair kit. The kit includes spare parts for spray guns necessary to fix a specific problem or replace a failed part.

With your own hands, using a set of tools at hand, you can eliminate most of the problems with spray guns by simply cleaning the nozzle or installing replacement parts instead of those that have become unusable.

The following malfunctions may occur with hand spray guns: