Industry Advancement: Sprayers and 3M Products

Sprayers, pumps, and hoses, oh my!! There can be a lot to learn in any job, and that is no different when it comes to painting. The idea of painting often gets misunderstood and envisioned simply as someone pouring paint and zig-zagging a roller on the wall. In reality, a good painter understands property differences between paint products, how to repair multiple substrates, solutions to remedy paint failures, and the safe use of tools and equipment.

Becoming a high-quality and skilled painter can take years, if not longer.  One way that No Drip Painting helps to advance that timeline is through the arrangement of industry advancement opportunities. Sherwin Williams, and affiliated distributors, are eager to present and share their knowledge (and products) with as many companies as possible and we were thrilled to work with them in hosting a day of industry advancement.

In February 2019, No Drip Painting arranged instructional sessions in the areas of paint sprayers and 3M products.  The day was coordinated with two presentations.  Up first, and scheduled for about 4.5 hours, was sprayer training with a Graco rep out of Cleveland.  The second portion of the day, was hosted by a 3M rep out of Cincinnati.  One of the best parts of this whole experience-Sherwin Williams handled all of the day’s logistics!  This is just one more reason that your paint rep is such a valuable resource!

We are excited to share with you some of the day’s learning so it can help advance others in their painting expertise as well.

Graco Sprayer Instruction

1. Instruction was designed with use on a Graco Finish Pro II 395 PC Air Assist Airless.
2. The machine may be used with up to 100 linear feet of extension cord and plugged in to any standard 11o outlet.
3. When connecting 50 feet hose sections it is imperative that both male connectors are pressure rated at 3300psi.  Sprayer hoses should be purchased through a distributor, such as Sherwin Williams.  Airless hose connections cannot just be picked up at a local hardware store due to the fear of incorrect pressure ratings.  Incorrect ratings can cause the hose to snap and become a danger on the job site.
4. Whenever working with a sprayer gun, never work with your fingers inside the tip guard. Always tighten and loosen from the outside of the guard.  This method reduces risk for injection wounds.
5. If you fear you have been injected with paint (or any other substance) while operating a sprayer, seek medical attention immediately.
6. There are 4 main elements in your sprayer gun: tip, gasket, seat and guard.
7. The gasket and seat form together and are placed in the under side of the guard, the tip then slides through.
8. If you place your tip vertical, you will create a horizontal fan pattern. Vice versa is also true, if you place your tip in a horizontal fashion, you will spray a vertical pattern.
9. Throat seal liquid should be used at the start of each day of spraying.  Place drops on the piston and never supplement other oils (WD40, etc..)
10. Tighter is not always better! Hand tighten all components of your machine, do not wrench pieces tight.
11. 3 filters must be monitored and cleaned thoroughly: Intake strainer filter, Manifold filter (in machine), Gun filter. Filters should be cleaned after every use.

Utilizing these tips in conjunction with practice on some old sheets of wood and peg board, you, too, can improve your sprayer safety, use, and knowledge.

3M Product Overview

1. Discussion was based on a hand-held masker, as well as various tape options available.
2. Not all tape is made equal! It is important to know what substrate your tape will be applied to, how long it needs to adhere, and the paint result you are seeking to obtain.
3. Tapes are available in low, medium and high adhesion.
4. Not all tapes are suitable for warm weather, and not all are suited for cold weather.  Talk with your paint rep about synthetic vs. natural adhesives if you are going to be working in noticeably cold or hot conditions.
5. Vinyl based tape is available! This is a great, flexible tape that can be applied on uneven, or even circular, surfaces and maintain safety from paint bleed.

Never forget that prep work is the most important! Nothing is worse than spending time prepping and then your gets ruined by paint bleed or tape that damages the surface underneath.

Both of these presentations were great reminders, and new lessons, for all of us that attended and we highly encourage you to take with area reps and distributors to see how they can help offer instruction to painters in your area.