10
SPRAY TECHNIQUE
The closer the spray gun is held to the work, the thicker
the paint is deposited and the faster the gun must be
moved to prevent sags and runs. Holding the gun too
far from the work will cause excessive fog, overspray,
and a thin and grainy coat.
Good Spray Gun Technique is at the core of any spray
paint operation. Operator skill and efficiency is as
important as good equipment and good paint. Good
spray technique is a skill that can be quickly learned by
following these simple instructions.
If you are not familiar with spraying techniques, we
recommend that you study this section of your manual
and practice the proper technique on pieces of card-
board or a suitable surface.
RIGHT
WRONG
WRONG
Equal spray distance
Equal amount of paint
RIGHT
Equal amount of paint
Equal spray distance
Hold gun straight
up and down
TILTED GUN ANGLE
causes uneven paint coating
Shorter spray distance
Excessive paint spray
Insufficient paint spray
Longer spray distance
TILTED GUN
WRONG
CORRECT DISTANCE
CORRECT GUN ANGLE
Hold the spray gun 12 - 15 inches away from the work surface and keep it perpendicular (straight) to the surface. Move
the spray gun parallel to the work and at a right angle to the surface.
WRONG
Move the gun at a steady rate in order to apply a good
coverage. The wet coat should be just under the
thickness at which a run or sag will occur. Slow gun
movement or gun held too close will result in an overly
wet or thick wet or thick coat coverage that is likely to
run or sag.
Do not wave the spray gun. This waving is called
arching. Instead, hold the spray gun at a 12 to 15 inch
distance perpendicular from the work.
RIGHT
correct
distance
correct
distance
Keep even distance to surface.
