Is it not the most amazing sensation when you finish a painting project and the end result is exactly what you meant it to be?
However, before you spend too much time praising your work, you ought to clean the HVLP spray gun that you used.
If you want the spray gun to continue to be effective over the long run, it is imperative that you clean it sooner than ever after the completion of your project.
If you do not properly maintain the upkeep of your spray gun, you run the risk of having to spend a significant amount of money repairing it or possibly having to replace it entirely.
Considerations Before You Begin Cleaning
The method of cleaning and maintaining an HVLP spray isn’t particularly difficult; however, it is important to keep the following considerations in mind for optimal results.
Careful Disassembling
In order to make sure that each component receives a thorough cleaning, it will be necessary for you to disassemble your spray gun. However, you are responsible for ensuring that this is carried out in the appropriate manner.
When you buy a spray gun from a different manufacturer, you can probably expect it to have a different method of assembly and disassembly.
When you make the purchase of your HVLP spray gun, you will be given a user handbook that will offer you information regarding the many procedures that are engaged in the process.
If you do not feel as though these guidelines are straightforward enough, you may want to utilize other resources such as Google or YouTube if you are looking for further clarification.
If you don’t know what you’re doing before you try to take apart your spray pistol, the process will be considerably more difficult than ever.
The construction of each spray cannon, as was previously noted, can, of course, vary slightly from one another. In addition to this, it is essential to make certain that the components are handled with extreme caution.
The majority will include fragile components that are more prone to bending if the material is not handled properly.
In the event that any of these components become bent, you will have a very tough time attempting to get the gun back to its previous state again.
Store The Parts Safely
When disassembling a spray pistol, many people have the habit of putting the individual components straight into a container of soapy water.
This is not going to be an issue as long as you are accountable for all individual parts, including the smaller components, and you can ensure that they are not going to become lost or destroyed when they are submerged in the water.
In other words, this is not going to be a problem. In a perfect world, the larger pieces would be kept distinct from the smaller parts, as this would help to avoid any possibility of loss or damage.
Keeping tabs on the spray gun’s larger components is, without a doubt, a simpler chore than when dealing with the spray gun’s more intricate and smaller components, which pose a significantly greater degree of difficulty.
In the unfortunate event that any of the gun’s pieces are lost or broken, you will have a tough time trying to keep the gun where it was, and you won’t be able to use it for anything else in the future because it won’t be suited for that use.
Tools Required For The Cleaning HVLP Spray Gun
When it comes to making the HLVP spray gun clean, you may choose from a wide variety of approaches. They have been broken down into their component parts and discussed in depth below so that you can select the most appropriate way of cleaning for your specific needs.
Acetone
When it comes to cleaning your spray gun, acetone is a fantastic choice as a solvent. In addition to being able to clean the various components that you should take apart, it is also effective at dissolving paint and grease.
It is a very useful solvent in terms of minimizing expenses, and it is sold in a wide variety of retail establishments. If you only use a very small amount of the solvent, it is a safe option available to you.
To clean the components that have been disassembled, you can let them soak in some acetone for a while, then get rid of them and wipe them clean.
Lacquer Thinner
It’s also possible to use lacquer thinner to clean your spray gun effectively. On the other hand, it is not quite as risk-free as acetone.
It is important to exercise extreme caution when working with lacquer thinner due to its great flammability. Before you can give your spray gun a thorough cleaning, you will require to disassemble it first.
After it has been disassembled, put all of the smaller components in a container, and then put the solvent on it. After soaking for half an hour, remove any residue from the components by wiping them down with a clean, dry towel.
Cleaning Kit
Purchasing a cleaning kit for your spray gun, such as the one offered by Master Airbrush Band, is a good idea if you use your spray gun somewhat frequently.
These kits are fantastic and can be utilized on pretty much any kind of spray gun out there. When it comes to cleaning paint guns with HLVP, siphon and gravity feed, and pressure, we have discovered that they are useful.
The set includes 15 brushes of varying sizes, which are meant to clean a specific sized crack or crevice. Acetone has proven to be the most effective solvent for use with these kits, despite the fact that lacquer provides satisfactory results.
Now that we’ve gone over all the many ways to clean, let’s talk about the most essential aspect, which is the process of cleaning the HLVP spray gun.
How To Clean An HVLP Spray Gun – Complete Process
Step 1
To begin, you will require to empty the paint into a new container and clean out the old one. It is expected that the most fluid will be contained in this component.
First, you should fill this section with a cleaning solution or paint thinner, after which you should fasten the top and shake the container. This will result in the paint inside becoming looser.
After you have given it a good shake, you can then pull the trigger on the paint gun and watch as it pours the contents of the cartridge into a cup or a bucket.
After that, any residue can be removed by rubbing it with a cloth that has been saturated in the same cleaning solution or thinner previously.
Make sure that you clean the spray gun’s body thoroughly, removing any pieces of paint that may be sticking to it. In order to prevent the solvent from causing damage to your skin, you are required to do this procedure while wearing nitrile gloves.
Step 2
After the cleaning of a paint cap is done, you should move on to the following step, which is to disassemble the body of the spray gun, so that you can continue with the process.
Due to the fact that this level involves dealing with some complicated components, you will need to use caution. To get started, unscrew the cap that covers the air vent.
After that, you will be able to unscrew the needle. Because the majority of spray gun needles are often spring-loaded, you will need to ensure that you are holding them in a precise manner in order to prevent them from flying off.
The usage of the wrench is going to be necessary after this. You can remove the screw that secures the innermost piece of an air cap by utilizing this tool.
Since the spray gun has been taken apart at this point, you are free to move on to the following stage, which entails cleaning the spray gun’s component parts.
Step 3
There are a variety of products that people use to clean the spray gun’s tiny components. It’s possible that some people will opt to use paint thinner, while others would go with a cleaning solution.
You may get the job done with just some soap and water if you don’t have these materials, and you simply would rather do it that way.
In order to prevent the risk of losing or damaging any of the tiny components, you need to make absolutely certain that none of them are missing.
First, pour the solution into a container large enough to sink all the essential pieces of the paint gun, and give them some time to soak. The paint shards will start to come apart as soon as they come into contact with the water.
When you let the components soak for a sufficient amount of time, the paint will be easier to remove from the parts of the spray gun that are difficult to clean because the components will have absorbed moisture, which will keep the paint particles from clinging to the surface of the paint gun.
This can be accomplished by letting the components soak for a sufficient amount of time.
If at all possible, you should steer clear of immersing the needle and the water spring as the other, more substantial components.
Because of their relatively small size, these components have a larger potential for damage or for being misplaced, as was mentioned several times earlier in this section.
Put these components away in a secure location so that they can be cleaned in the process.
Step 4
If the spray gun is badly soiled, you can leave the bigger components of the spray gun to soak for at least half an hour, but only if the gun is in good working order.
You may then take the parts of the solution and use a damp cloth to wipe them clean. You can use a toothpick or a bristle cleaning brush to remove any remaining residue from the spray gun if necessary.
Scrubbing these areas thoroughly will motivate you to put in even more effort. After that, you can use toothpicks to remove any remaining paint from the spray gun’s delicate bits.
The use of these tools will help ensure that the spray gun looks new and there are no unwanted particles of the remaining paint. The spring and the needle can be cleaned at this stage as well.
Even if there are no parts remaining in the bucket, we don’t recommend soaking these immediately in water. As an alternative, you’ll want to apply your cleaning solution/product to a rag or a towel before using it.
Ensure that you removed all paints from both components by thoroughly wiping them down. By following this procedure, you can be certain that components are handled correctly and safely.
Step 5
The procedure has reached its conclusion, and the next stage entails reassembling the firearm from its component parts.
This shouldn’t be too challenging for you, but if you find that you need assistance in doing so, you may consult the user manual that was included with your spray gun or look for information online that will detail the stages that are engaged in the process.
In order to get started on putting the spray gun back together, the first thing you will need to do is put the needle and the spring back where they belong.
After completing those steps, you will be able to attach the inner air cap again, and then the outer air cap after that.
Last but not least, you will need to fasten the paint cup to the body of the gun and check if the paint cap that goes with this component is correctly reattached.
The procedure can now be considered finished, and the paint gun is all set to be used once more. Before you try to use the spray gun again in the future, check to see that it has been properly constructed to ensure that it will work properly.
In case any components were reassembled improperly, the functionality of the tool would most likely suffer as a result, and you will become aware of these issues.
Final Verdict
As can be seen, the cleaning process of the HVLP spray gun is not a difficult task, but it is one that does require you to do the cleaning process in the correct order.
The effectiveness of your apparatus is going to be negatively impacted if you do not clean it after each time it has been utilized.
It is highly advisable that you become acquainted with the process in advance as this will provide you with high confidence when it is about putting each of the phases into action.
If you follow the steps outlined above, you will soon have a spray that has the same flawless appearance as when it was first purchased.
