Epoxy spraying problem?

T

TAguy16

I sprayed some SPI epoxy last night and it didn't go as well as it usually does. I mixed up a very small amount to spray a small area and wasn't able to use it after the induction was done so I covered it up well to keep the air out and it set for about two hours before I got back to the shop to spray it. I re-stirred it and when I sprayed it it didn't come out of the gun very well so I had trouble laying it down well. It seemed like it was too thick or had started to set up - I'm trying to figure out which. The shop temp was in the 75-80 degree range. Now that it is dry it has an orange peel texture as well as a glossy sheen to it. What if anything went wrong? Should I strip this and respray it or is it safe to just knock the orange peel down with some 500 grit and spray my paint over it?

Thanks for any insight into this.
 
You mixed 1:1? How was your gun set up, what size tip? Did you have any type of screen or strainer in the cup?

Ive sprayed up to 3 days later on well covered epoxy. It does thicken a slight amount after 3 days, but a 1/4 turn more fluid is all it needs for me.

At 2 hours it seems like something else must be going on.
 
Yes, I carefully mixed it 1:1 and sprayed it with a 1.4 tip like I always do, and I even took the screen out of the gun. It's not a new can of epoxy - does epoxy get thicker over time if more air and less primer is in the can? The funny thing is I just used the same epoxy a little over a week ago and it sprayed a lot better.
 
TAguy16 said:
Yes, I carefully mixed it 1:1 and sprayed it with a 1.4 tip like I always do, and I even took the screen out of the gun. It's not a new can of epoxy - does epoxy get thicker over time if more air and less primer is in the can? The funny thing is I just used the same epoxy a little over a week ago and it sprayed a lot better.
Click to expand...

Epoxy did not thicken up in a week and did not thicken up over the few hours it was in the cup.
The only thing that happened was either the peep hole in cup top was plugged or gun had a partial blockage inside.
 
I'm pretty sure I figured out the problem. Something is wrong with my gun because it didn't spray right again when I tried praying epoxy primer that I added a little reducer to to thin it. I don't know if it's a clogged fluid tip or air cap, or both. I cleaned everything on the gun with gun cleaner (instead of laquer thinner like I usually do after spraying) so I'll try it again Monday.
 
Did you take it apart to clean it? Sometimes just running thinner thru it doesn't get everything out.
 
I soaked the parts in spray gun cleaner and then rinsed them several times with lacquer thinner. It seemed to get a lot of debris out of the gun.
 
I had a problem with my cheap 2k primer gun. Took it apart and thought I had it fixed, same thing today, so into the garbage it went.

Hopefully you have better luck.
 
If I'm spraying a lot of paint or epoxy primer I take it apart to clean it otherwise I usually just take the cup and air cap off, clean them, and then run laquer thinner thru the gun and fluid tip until it runs clean (I have some special brushes I use on them too). Evidently something built up in it that I wasn't aware of because it usually suffices with my usual cleaning.

I have a separate gun I have set up for high build primer, and that's the one I'm more obsessed with thoughly cleaning every time I use it since that type of primer can plug up and ruin a gun in no time flat.
 
Ideas:
If using epoxy use urethane reducer to clean gun no need to take the gun apart.
Also, make sure the air hole in the center of the top is clear and some I drill out with 1/8 bit.
 
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