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Spraying KBS Coatings starts with the right setup: thin with KBS #1 Thinner only, open the fan to an 8 to 10 inch pattern, then hold the gun 6 to 8 inches from the surface at 90 degrees and overlap each stroke by 50 percent. Keep moisture out of the air line and clean the gun immediately after every use.
What You Need Before You Spray:
Spraying KBS Coatings takes four things: an HVLP spray gun, clean dry air, KBS #1 Thinner for reducing and cleanup, and a paint strainer. The KBS HVLP Spray Gun runs at 20 to 45 PSI with a 600cc cup and over 65 percent transfer efficiency, and ships with either a 1.4mm tip for basecoats and clears or a 1.8mm tip for primers and heavier coatings.
For small parts, touch-up work, and clear coats, the KBS HVLP Mini Spray Gun with its 1.0mm tip gives you finer control. It is a popular choice for spraying DiamondFinish Clear and KBS MAXX Clear.
Always strain your paint when pouring it into the cup. A strainer costs a few cents and a clogged tip costs you an afternoon.
Thinning KBS Paints for Spraying:
Reduce KBS paints with KBS #1 Thinner only. It is a slow evaporating, low VOC solvent made for RustSeal, DiamondFinish Clear, KBS MAXX, BlackTop, KBS Top Coater, Motor Coater, and the rest of the KBS line. Regular solvents may contain moisture that adversely affects how the coating performs.
How much to add depends on the product, so check that product's directions page before you mix. RustSeal usually sprays without thinning, and 5 to 10 percent is plenty when it does need help. DiamondFinish Clear takes 10 to 15 percent for spraying and can go as high as 30 percent. KBS MAXX and MAXX Clear come pre-thinned and are ready to spray as mixed.
Never reduce a KBS coating with lacquer thinner. It flashes off too fast, and any residue left in the gun will attack adhesion the next time you spray. After thinning and stirring, strain the paint through a 100 micron filter before it goes in the cup.
Keeping Moisture Out of Your Air Supply:
Moisture in the air line will ruin a KBS paint job, and a wall-mounted trap at the compressor does not stop it. Air cools as it travels, so condensation forms in the hose downstream of every filter you own and arrives at the gun as water. The fix is to filter at the gun itself, which is the last point before the paint.
The Dry Air Spray Gun Filter attaches directly to the air inlet of your spray gun. It absorbs up to one fluid ounce of moisture along with oil aerosols and contaminants down to 0.01 microns, and it does it at a true 30 CFM with almost no pressure drop. This disposable filter is the direct answer to fisheye.
Setting Up Your Spray Gun:
Set up an HVLP gun in five steps: attach the cup with strained, properly thinned paint, close both control knobs, set the regulator to the pressure your gun manufacturer specifies, back both knobs out to the first thread, then open the fan on a test panel until you get an 8 to 10 inch pattern with even wetness. Work through them in order and the gun is ready before you touch the part.
Step 1: Fill the Cup
Attach the cup to the gun and pour in your mixed paint through a strainer. Mix the KBS #1 Thinner with your chosen KBS paint first, at the ratio that product's directions call for.
Step 2: Close Both Knobs
Most guns have two control knobs. The upper one is the fan control and the lower one is the fluid control. Turn both fully closed to start from a known position.
Step 3: Set the Regulator
Connect the air and set the regulator to the pressure your gun manufacturer states. The KBS HVLP Spray Gun works at 20 to 45 PSI and uses 6 CFM at 43 PSI, so check that your compressor keeps up at that flow rate.
Step 4: Back Both Knobs Out to the First Thread
Open the fan control and the fluid control until the first thread just shows on each. Both are fully adjustable from there, but starting at the same place every time makes the next step repeatable.
Step 5: Dial It In on a Test Panel
Spray a piece of cardboard and open the fan knob counter clockwise until the pattern reaches 8 to 10 inches. Watch the wetness while you do it. Uneven, spotty, or dry looking coverage means you need more fluid, so open the fluid knob in full turns to get close and then fine tune. Go too far and the paint sprays too thick, which shows up as runs and sags.
Spray Gun Technique:
Good spray technique comes down to five things you control at once: gun distance, gun angle, overlap, gun speed, and trigger control. Hold the gun 6 to 8 inches out at 90 degrees to the surface, overlap each stroke by 50 percent, keep your speed constant, and fully depress the trigger on every pass. Perfecting the art takes years, but these five get you a good finish now.
Gun Distance
Hold a fast drying paint 6 to 8 inches from the surface, tip to surface. Most KBS paints are fast drying, so this is your working number. Slow drying products such as enamels want 8 to 10 inches. The hard part is holding that distance while you move side to side, which means sliding the whole arm rather than pivoting at the elbow, even though pivoting feels more natural.
Gun Angle
Keep the gun at 90 degrees to the surface through the entire stroke. That means the gun points straight at the panel without angling to either side. Your wrist wants to stay stiff, so bend it at the beginning and end of each stroke to hold the right angle. It feels awkward for the first few passes and then it becomes automatic.
Overlap
Overlap every stroke by 50 percent. If each pass lays down a 10 inch band, the next pass covers about 5 inches of it. Lining the top of the second stroke up with the bottom of the first is the common mistake, and it leaves hard edges and spotty coverage. Half-and-half coverage evens out the film and hides the edges.
Gun Speed
Gun speed is how fast you stroke back and forth, and there is no set number. Whatever feels comfortable works as long as it stays constant. Match the fluid knob to it: a slower, more even stroke wants less fluid, and a faster stroke wants more.
Trigger Control
Aim for a fully depressed trigger on every stroke, because that is what gives you a uniform amount of paint per pass. The trigger works in two stages. Squeezing partway starts the air, and pulling further engages the fluid up to whatever the fluid knob allows. Feathering means getting the air moving and bringing in the fluid just before the stroke reaches the edge of your work. If a full trigger pull puts down too much paint, turn the fluid knob down rather than short-pulling the trigger.
Cleaning Your Spray Gun:
Clean the gun with KBS #1 Thinner immediately after every use, before the paint has any chance to harden. Nothing clogs moving parts like cured paint, and a gun that was put away dirty shows up in the next finish. Never use lacquer thinner, since the residue it leaves behind will prevent good adhesion the next time you spray.
Disconnect and Drain
Disconnect the air hose first. That is a safety step and it also keeps you from spraying paint into your own face. Take the cup off and let whatever is in the pick-up tube drain back into it, then dispose of the leftover paint properly.
Never pour used paint back into the can. RustSeal is a moisture cured urethane, so paint that has been exposed to air has already started curing. Returning it to the can starts the same reaction in what is left.
Flush the Gun
Wipe the cup out with KBS #1 Thinner and a clean rag. Fill it halfway with thinner, reconnect the air hose, and spray it through to flush the fluid passages. Then unscrew the air cap, the piece that threads over the tip, and soak it in clean solvent until the material loosens and flows out.
If you have to force a hole clean, use something soft like a tooth pick. Anything hard, like a metal pick, can enlarge the holes and wreck the spray pattern.
Lubricate Four Points
Finish by lubricating with a non-silicone, non-petroleum spray gun lube. Three points take the lube: the air valve packing, the fluid needle packing, and the trigger bearing screw. The fourth point, the fluid needle spring, gets petroleum jelly instead and sits inside the gun behind the fluid adjustment knob. Follow your gun manufacturer's instructions to disassemble and reassemble for access.
Spray Settings Reference:
Frequently Asked Questions — Spraying KBS Coatings
Use a 1.4mm tip for basecoats, clear coats, single stage paints, and light to medium viscosity coatings. Switch to a 1.8mm tip for build primers, sealers, and medium to high viscosity coatings. The KBS HVLP Mini Spray Gun runs a 1.0mm tip and is the usual pick for DiamondFinish Clear and KBS MAXX Clear on smaller parts.
It depends on the product. RustSeal usually sprays without thinning, and 5 to 10 percent KBS #1 Thinner is enough when it does need reducing. DiamondFinish Clear takes 10 to 15 percent for spraying and can be thinned up to 30 percent. KBS MAXX and MAXX Clear are pre-thinned and ready to spray as mixed. Check the directions page for the product you are spraying before you mix.
Never thin a KBS coating with lacquer thinner. It evaporates too quickly and will affect the finish. For cleaning the gun, use KBS #1 Thinner. Lacquer thinner residue stays behind in the fluid passages and prevents good adhesion the next time you spray.
You are not getting enough fluid. Open the fluid knob in full turn increments while spraying a test panel until the coverage looks evenly wet, then fine tune from there. If the paint starts to run or sag instead, you have gone too far and the film is too thick. Zero overlap between strokes causes the same spotty look, so check that you are overlapping each pass by 50 percent.
Filter at the gun, not just at the compressor. Even with moisture traps and filters on the system, condensation forms in the hose downstream and reaches the gun as water. The Dry Air Spray Gun Filter attaches directly to the air inlet of the gun and absorbs up to one fluid ounce of moisture along with oil aerosols and contaminants down to 0.01 microns, at a true 30 CFM with almost no pressure drop.
Use an air supplied respirator, or a NIOSH/MSHA approved organic vapor particulate respirator, any time you spray a KBS coating. Safety glasses and protective gloves are required as well, and you should always work in a well ventilated area. Follow every caution and warning notice printed on the product label.
No. Dispose of whatever is left in the cup instead. RustSeal is a moisture cured urethane, so paint that has been exposed to air has already begun curing, and returning it to the can starts that reaction in the rest of your material. The same rule applies to every moisture cured KBS coating.
Clean it immediately with KBS #1 Thinner. Disconnect the air hose, drain and wipe out the cup, then fill the cup halfway with thinner, reconnect the air, and spray it through to flush the fluid passages. Soak the air cap in clean solvent, and use a tooth pick rather than metal if you need to clear a hole. Finish by lubricating the air valve packing, fluid needle packing, and trigger bearing screw with a non-silicone, non-petroleum gun lube, and the fluid needle spring with petroleum jelly.
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