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I'll be using a airless paint sprayer to paint a few rooms this weekend. Last time I used it it took a couple of hours cleaning. I just used soap and water. All the little parts of the gun took the longest cleaning with an old toothbrush and dentist pick. I'll be using water based paint. Any solvent recommendations I can just dip all the small parts in?
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I reject your reality and substitute my own. -
If you're talking about one of the REAL airless sprayers (not the Wagner brand junkie things) then, in my personal experience I've had really good luck doing the following:
1) ASAP after done painting, take the sprayer/system outside (if you're not there already) and flush it out by running/spraying a couple gallons of water through the whole thing. (And I run the "Pump Armor" antifreeze stuff into the unit as well, since it is sometimes months between uses.)
2) Immediately after flushing, get those small parts (esp nozzle/tip) into water (if you can, a pail or coffee/paint can of warm/hot water w a couple of drops of dish-soap -- the hotter the water is, the better (in a pinch, I've dropped the nozzle in a cup of coffee from a thermos -- the coffee itself seems to work as a solvent w latex paints).
3) Let them soak while you hose down or wipe down the rest of the unit and/or have a beer (don't drink the cup of coffee with the spray nozzle in it!), double check the job is done right and you didn't miss anywhere, or just shoot the breeze -- BEFORE packing up the main spraying gear, etc.
4) THEN get the toothbrush/toothpick out & give the small parts the once over (should take very little effort).
My total cleanup/packup time tends to be around 1/2 hour (and that's with some "chat" time) -- with minimal "futzing" with the small parts.
I've also used the "cuppa hot water/coffee" (for just the nozzle) when an unanticipated break/delay in the painting occurs (i.e. like switching rooms/buildings and finding that all of the masking wasn't done right, etc). -
I haven't sprayed latex paint yet, but lotsa waterbased polyurethane. It's a PITA, but if the gun will sit for more than 5 minutes I'll dump the cup into a sealable container and run water through the gun until clear. I will remove the nozzle and needle and clean those parts. At the end of spraying it's hot water through the gun, and all the parts come apart and get cleaned, some needing parts from my firearms cleaning kit, like the reaming brushes. Aquarium supplies also have a good selection of brushes.
Most WB finishes will break down in lacquer thinner, or acetone, so crusted parts get that treatment that just water and brushes didn't get. NOTE: Some "O" rings and gaskets may swell in solvent.Comment
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I bought one those Wagner things. I love it so far, but I know it isn't the contractor grade either. I use the paintmax crew plus. I also have been spraying latex paint, and it goes on way better than rolling it on. I'm hooked on spraying it now. It sucks to mask off for an hour, then finish spraying in ten minutes.
Anyway, I clean it just like Wlee, and it takes about a half hour.Comment
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