10
HOW TO SELECT TIP SIZE AND PROPER FILTER
(BASIC INFORMATION)
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The two most important things to remember about tips.....
1) Low pressure means longer life, for tips and the pump. Less overspray too!
2) Worn tips waste paint and overwork the pump, causing premature pump wear. The maximum tip for a pump
is the largest tip that will deliver a proper pressure for spraying without overworking or overloading. When a
tip is used for some period of time, it can wear beyond the maximum size recommended for the pump, which
will cause low pressure and poor spray pattern.
• Stains and thick latex products often cause the most rapid wear of the tip, while clear lacquers and var-
nishes cause the least wear. Thus tip life can vary from as little as 50 gallons to as much as 200 or more,
depending on the product being sprayed and the pressure used.
• Filter screen mesh for the gun or pump are picked not because of the type of paint being used, but to protect
a given size of tip. Pick the tip for the type of paint and job being done and then choose the filter to protect
that tip.
Fan Size (measured at 1 foot)
Coating
2"
4"
6"
8"
10"
12"
Lacquer, varnish, furniture stain
1-09 R
2-09 R
3-09 R
4-11 R
5-11 R
6-11 R
(viscosity of 15 to 35 seconds, similar to vegetable oil)
Industrial enamels, stain, colored lacquer
1-09 R
2-11 R
3-11 R
4-13 R
5-13 R
6-15 Y
(viscosity of 25 to 50 seconds, similar to dish washing liquid)
Shop primer, solid stain, oil base, latex
1-11 R
2-13 Y
3-13 R
4-15 Y
5-15 Y
6-17 W
(viscosity of 40 to 100 seconds, similar to 10-30 motor oil)
Flat oil base, latex
1-13 Y
2-15 W
3-15 Y
4-17 W 5-17 W 6-19 W
(viscosity of 60 to 150 seconds, similar to 50 weight oil)
Thick latex, prepared blockfiller
1-15 W 2-17 W 3-17 W 4-19 W 5-19 W
6-21 *
(viscosity of 150 to 200 seconds, similar to gear oil)
Most block fillers
1-17 W 2-19 W 3-19 W
4-21 *
5-21 *
6-23 *
(viscosity of over 200 seconds, are not measurable with the Lemmer cup)
explanation of tip and filter sizing: eg:4-15 Y
4 = half of fan width (8" @ 1 foot)
15 = orifice size in thousands of an inch (.015)
Y = Yellow 100 mesh filter.
(R = Red 180 mesh)
(Y = Yellow 100 mesh)
(W = White 50 mesh)
(* = *not recommended)
Tip volume at various pressures.
—Gallons per minute—
Results are based on water,
heavier viscosities will produce
less volume. This is especially
noticeable with large tips and
very heavy coatings.
TIP
500 1000 1500 2000
SIZE PSI
PSI PSI
PSI
.009 .039 .055 .067 .078
.011
.06
.08
.10
.12
.013
.09
.12
.15
.18
.015
.12
.16
.20
.23
.017
.16
.23
.27
.32
.019
.20
.27
.33
.39
.021
.24
.33
.41
.47
.023
.28
.40
.49
.57
.025
.33
.47
.58
.68
.027
.37
.52
.64
.76
.029
.47
.65
.79
.98
.031
.53
.75
.91
1.1
.035
.69
.9
1.0
1.2
.043
1.1
1.5
1.8
2.1
.053
1.5
2.2
2.9
3.4
.057
1.8
2.5
3.1
3.5
.063
2.2
3.1
3.9
4.4
.067
2.5
3.5
4.3
5.0
.073
2.9
4.1
5.1
5.9
.079
3.6
5.1
6.3
7.3
.085
3.9
5.5
6.7
7.8
.089
4.3
6.0
7.4
8.5
.099
5.3
7.5
9.2
10.6
Pump maximum tip size
Absolute
To allow
Pump
maximum
for tip wear
L-1400
.015
.013
L-1500
.017
.015
DC-3000
.021
.019
DC-4000
.025
.023 (2X.015)
L-1 VN
.025
.023 (2X.015)
Approximate wear values comparing tungsten tips and
paint type. (Paint is in gallons)
New tip size
.015 .017 .019 .027
worn to worn to worn to worn to
Tip worn to
.017 .019 .021 .029
Lacquer
400 - -
-
Latex 75 150 250
-
Block filler - - 75
250
Road marking paint
2 20 50
200
Tip chart example: La-
tex stain is being
sprayed onto a fence.
The paint is fairly thick
(like a very heavy mo-
tor oil) and the L-1500
is the spray machine.
The maximum tip is a
.015 for an L-1500.
Draw a line along the
.015 tips as shown
below. Everything
above the line is
sprayable with the L-
1500. Now just choose
the fan width. For
fences a 6” width will
give a lot of control, so
the intersecting best
choice would be a 3-
15 tip with a yellow gun
filter.
Measure the paint’s viscosity as follows: (note, paints that
are intended to be rolled should be thinned for air or airless
spraying. A general rule of thumb is 5 to 15% for latex and
oils, 30% or more for fine finishes. (consult your paint
supplier for best results).
a) Submerge the Lemmer Viscosity cup in the paint.
b) Lift the cup out of the paint and begin timing.
c) Stop timing when the steady paint stream is first broken.
d) The time recorded is the paint’s viscosity.
Notes:
ok for L-1500
k
k
