An HVLP spray gun is one of the very convenient appliances when it comes to its working. HVLP spray gun gives very quick and accurate results regarding coverage of painting on a surface. It even saves you from the hassle of over spraying. As mentioned above there are alot of benefits of using an HVLP spray gun but to get good results in the future also, you need to maintain its overall quality. For this purpose, it is important to clean it properly after completing your painting project. I know this is quite a laborious task but it is mandatory to maintain the quality of your painting tool. Otherwise, its working will be affected.
You may delay cleaning the spray gun just after using it. But it won’t be a good decision as it wouldn’t preserve the quality of it. Leaving the gun uncleaned will clog it because the paint would get dry inside the gun. Other than that you know what will happen in the future? When you use it for your next project, you will not get the smooth painting as it was in the previous project. Besides this, the residual will also be noticed clearly on the wall which will be the worst flaw of your project. And I know you don’t want to ruin your whole project.
So, to maintain the durability and to preserve the quality of your spray gun what you have to do is to clean it properly just after completing your project. Now you must be wondering how you can clean this complex appliance. Well, this is not that difficult or complex task. You can easily clean it by following all the steps and instructions that are given below.
The cleaning process can be challenging if you forget to remember a few things in mind before starting the process.
Be cautious while disassembling the spray gun.
Be careful while keeping the parts safe.
Disassembling The Spray Gun
While disassembling the parts of the spray gun you must be very careful and should do some research about your spray gun because every gun has a different setup. The parts of the spray gun are very delicate to handle. So even a little carelessness can cause huge damage. Don’t bend them because it will also create difficulty while reassembling them.
Keeping The Parts Safe
The spray gun has many smaller and more complicated parts which can be lost if you wouldn’t keep them in any safe place. So always remain conscious while dealing with such complicated parts. Put the smaller parts separate from the larger parts to keep them safe. If any of the parts of the gun would lose then your gun won’t be able to function properly in the future.
Some Essentials For The Cleaning Process
For the process of cleaning your spray gun, you must have all the necessary items beforehand. The list below will help you in gathering all the vitals that would be needed:
Soapy Water
Paint Thinner
Gloves
Goggles
Paper Towels
Toothpicks
Plastic Buckets
Gunwrench
Cleaning Brush
1. Soapy Water
To clean spray gun parts, you would probably need a soap mixed in water otherwise it would be difficult for you to clean the parts properly.
2. Paint Thinner
Obviously for proper cleaning of anything you would need a cleaning solution or paint thinner to properly clean the parts of your tool.
3. Gloves
Gloves are needed to protect your hands from any chemical-based products like paint thinner. Sometimes our skin gets sensitive to chemicals. To protect your skin from any harmful chemicals you should wear gloves during the cleaning process.
4. Goggles
Goggles are meant to protect your eyes from anything that may harm your eyes. So obviously if you are going to protect your hands from paint thinner than your eyes, the most sensitive part of the body should also need extra care.
5. Paper Towels
Paper towels would be needed to wipe off the residual from the smaller parts of the spray gun.
6. Plastic Buckets
To soak the parts of your tool plastic buckets would be helpful. Besides this, for waste disposal purposes it would also be needed.
7. Toothpicks
It helps in cleaning the smaller parts like nozzles and grooves of the gun. So keep some toothpicks in your cleaning kit.
8. Gunwrench
A Gun wrench is used to disassemble the parts. It would help disassemble the fluid nozzle from the spray gun.
9. Cleaning Brush
A cleaning brush is an essential thing to clean the larger parts of the spray gun. It would help in removing the extra paint from different parts of the spray gun.
STEPS INVOLVED IN CLEANING PROCESS
There are five steps involved in the cleaning process of an HVLP Spray gun. By following all these steps you can easily clean your tool and can ensure the maintenance of it.
Cleaning Of Paint Cap
Disassembling the Body of the Spray Gun
Using Cleaning Solution
Wiping
Reassemble of Parts
1. Cleaning Of Paint Cap
The paint cap usually holds the maximum fluid in it. So it is essential to clean it first. To clean the paint cap first you have to fill the cup with a paint thinner or a cleaning solution. Then cover it with the cap and shake it well to lose all the fluid. After that pull the trigger to let the paint thinner spray out of the gun into the plastic bucket. Then by using a paper towel with some paint thinner, clean and rub the remaining residue from the cap and cup.
2. Disassembling The Body Of The Spray Gun
After cleaning the paint cap the next step is to disassemble the other parts of the spray gun. In this step, extra care should be needed as there are a lot of complicated and smaller parts of the spray gun which can be lost or damaged if handled with little carelessness. So while unscrewing the body of the spray gun, be a little cautious. First, unscrew the air cap of the gun then move towards unscrewing the needle. Be careful while unscrewing the needle as it is spring-loaded and will fly off the gun as you unscrew it. So hold it carefully. Then by using a wrench unscrew the inner internal structure of the air cap. Now move towards cleaning the next step which involves cleaning the smaller parts of the spray gun.
3. Using Cleaning Solution
Now to clean the parts of the spray gun you can use paint thinner or any other cleaning solution. If you don’t have access to a cleaning solution then use soapy water for this purpose. Soak the outer air cap, inner air cap, and main gun body into the plastic bucket full of paint thinner. While soaking into the solution the paint residual will be loosened. Let them soak for a longer time like not more than half an hour. It will allow the parts to absorb the moisture and will be cleaned easily. However, take great care of the smaller parts like needles and springs. Avoid soaking them as they get damaged easily during the process.
4. Wiping
Once you have soaked the parts of the spray gun this is the step where you have to wipe off the paint residual from each part. Use a cleaning brush and toothpicks to clean the soaked parts. To clean the fluid tip and air cap pieces use the cleaning brush. Use toothpicks to clean the grooves of the gun. And lastly, clean the fluid needle and spring by using a paper towel with a little cleaning solution. Just wipe them gently to ensure that the paint is removed. Handle all the parts carefully.
5. Reassembling Of Parts
The final and foremost step is to reassemble the parts back. You can use a manual that is being provided with a spray gun while doing this step for assistance otherwise it’s not difficult to reassemble the parts back. Start this step by putting the needle and spring back to their place. Screw the inner and outer cap. Then put the paint cup on it. And you are finally ready to use the spray gun again.
CONCLUSION:
Cleaning the spray gun is very important to maintain its quality, as well as durability. That’s why learning the whole process of cleaning and knowing your spray gun will help you in making your equipment function properly. If you want your spray gun to last for a longer time you need to take good care of it by maintaining it. I hope this guide has helped you in this regard.
![8 Best Spray Paint For Metal Outdoor Furniture 2023 Updated [Reviewed]](https://painterhow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/AdobeStock_356272940-1-1-150x150.webp "8 Best Spray Paint For Metal Outdoor Furniture 2023 Updated [Reviewed]")
![8 Best Paint Rollers For Walls Top Picks [Buying Guide]](https://painterhow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/ptR3A3AmnUfAa9qQpJ6MES-150x150.webp "8 Best Paint Rollers For Walls Top Picks [Buying Guide]")
