Gravity feed spray guns are primarily used in automotive restoration work.
Gravity-feed spray guns, also known as HVLP spray guns, are primarily used in the automotive collision repair field. They utilize air from an air compressor to draw paint from the upper paint cup into the handle of the gun. The paint is then forced through a nozzle at the front of the gun which is surrounded by directional air holes which atomize the paint and send it to the panel to be painted in the painter's desired spray pattern.
Instructions
1. Plug the air line from the air compressor into the fitting at the base of the paint gun. Before loading the paint cup, check the air pressure of the gun by pulling the trigger. If the pressure is all the way up, turn the knob located just above the webbing of your thumb and forefinger, as you hold the paint gun, 1/4-turn counterclockwise. This will reduce the amount of air pressure being cycled through the gun.
2. Fill the paint cup with paint, then replace the lid to prevent paint spillage while painting. To check the spray pattern of the gun, use a test panel. Hold the spray gun 12 inches from the surface of the panel and pull the trigger, sweeping the spray gun either left to right or right to left. To adjust for a wider pattern, turn the knob located on its side. To adjust the amount of paint in the spray, adjust the knob located just above the air pressure knob. Dial in the correct settings before attempting to paint anything aside from the test panel.
3. Position yourself in front of the panel to be painted. Hold the spray gun approximately 12 inches from the surface. Begin at the far left or right of the area to be painted, pull the trigger and sweep your arm smoothly and slowly back and forth in front of the panel, keeping the spray gun perpendicular to the panel as much as possible. With each pass you make, overlap the last pass by half of the height of the spray pattern to prevent "zebra stripes" in the final product.
