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air pressure and line thickness

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  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: Mesa, Arizona
air pressure and line thickness
Posted by R Bolton on Saturday, November 8, 2008 10:01 PM

Hi,

Does air pressure determine line thickness?  I have a Badger 150 and paint between 15-20 psi.  I have yet to get a pencil thin linewith the small tip.

 

R. Bolton

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: Sydney, Australia
Posted by Phil_H on Saturday, November 8, 2008 10:25 PM

Line thickness is more a combination of things rather than a single factor. These are, in no particular order, distance to subject, lower air pressure, thinner paint.

Generally, the closer you get to the surface, the narrower the spray pattern.

However, to spray at such a short distance (I'm talking 1/4" to 1/2"), you generally need to lower your air pressure to reduce "spidering" (or in the case of a line, "centipeding").

In lowering your air pressure, you need to thin your paint more so that it still flows smoothly through the brush and atomises correctly at lower pressure. Particularly with siphon feed brushes, if your paint is too thick, reduced air pressure means it won't "pick up" the paint. The thicker the paint is, the higher the air pressure required to atomise it into a fine pattern.

So really, you have to find a balance with the three factors above.

Edited to fix a number of typos

  • Member since
    December 2003
  • From: Indiana
Posted by hkshooter on Sunday, November 9, 2008 8:21 AM

What Phil said.

Example, for enamels I use around a 60% thinner mix and about 8psi pressure, spraying about 1/2" from the surface.

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