Advice from pro painter please.

[Flapdisk]

Last year when I finished spraying in my workshop before it got too cold I took my full sized gun and touch up gun apart, gave them a really good clean, Vaselined all the threads and the needles wrapped them in old towels and put them away in a cupboard.

When I went to use one for the first time this year today, I found a green mold growing inside the cup on the Iwatta and when I took them both to bits the brass bits were all green and 'orrible and basically they both needed rescuing!

What did I do wrong? should they be stored in bits? Also what is the correct method to clean the orifice in the gun that the fan control comes out of? is there a hole to check is clear into the paint channel? I have a set of those spiral brushes and I dip them in thinners and twist them in all the holes and then rinse in thinners, is that enough?

 

[BrokenBiker]

not sure what caused the green stuff, my father used to have iwatta and devilbiss guns and some of them were laid up for months on end, some with paint still in them. a quick brushing with some thinners and they were good to go again

 

[the snooper]

you wrapped them in old towels which will hold moisture and create a perfect environment for mold to grow

 

[Flapdisk]

The plan was that the towels would absorb the moisture and protect the guns

 

[the snooper]

instead the towel holds the moisture then it condenses on the gun when the temp drops then the temp goes up and mold starts and the cycle repeats, ive never left a gun apart or covered any part in vaseline to store it and they have always been fine

 

[Flapdisk]

Thanks Snoop, I only put the Vaseline on it because they supplied it with the gun? I presumed it was for that

 

[the snooper]

I only put the vasaline on it because they supplied it with the gun? I presumed it was for that

ahh chances are it was to lubricate the gland nut that the needle passes through and any other moving part requiring lubrication

 

[Flapdisk]

That's what I guessed and why I put it on the rear part of the needle, only other thing I could think of was the threads.
Any pointers on the cleaning question Snoop?

 

[the snooper]

wash and polish the parts using a metal polish that will remove the green from the brass use a tooth brush or similar, one of those boring jobs you never want to do you could also try a little citric acid on the brass parts

 

[BrokenBiker]

a good scrub with a stiff nylon brush and a polish up.

 

[Flapdisk]

Thanks guys but I'm looking for an answer the the specific question in post one about the hole the fan control goes in.

 

[anjum]

If you mean the threaded hole that the fan control knob goes into then a brush and thinners should suffice, wind the knob in and out a few times.
If you mean the holes the fan control air comes out of, I would not poke any metal wire in there, as it may affect the hole diameter. The mould should clean out with a nylon bristle and thinners or you could use some Milton sterilising fluid first to kill any mould spores.
If the holes are brass and tarnished then try cleaning them and if that still leaves problems in spray pattern etc. then get a replacement air cap.

 

[the snooper]

just clean the gun best you can and test the fan control only controls air and you will be able to see if its working ok by looking at the fan using some thinners

 

[Flapdisk]

Thanks Guys, that's the info I was looking for Snoop mate. Fan control only controls air, so no paint should be in that part?

Hi Anjum, on the Iwatta the fan control doesn't appear to be removable, but on my touch up gun it is, and if I look down the hole in the gun when it's removed, it's too dark to see if it's clean or not and I was just wondering if it's a place that is normally cleaned during gun cleaning? I guess if it's only air, there is no need.

 

[anjum]

I've got the Anest Iwata W300 (the smaller gun) and the fan control (like all the others) is removable by undoing the nut under the knob. I don't clean it normally but occasionally I strip it down completely.

I generally work on the principle that it has to be assembled so (unless for some reason distortion or glue is used, in which case resort to a bigger hammer!!) then it will come apart I've dissembled lot's of equipment successfully and the bits are all somewhere.....

Although it's just air it's still critical to the performance of the gun and if blocked will affect the fan pattern. The best way is to test it with thinners as suggested above, maybe with a touch of paint in it onto a clean white or light bit of paper.

 

[anjum]

You can find the instruction manual on the anest website http://www.anest-iwata.co.uk/catalogo.asp?Area=1&cat=2 which generally give an exploded diagram and part numbers.

 

[the snooper]

Thanks Guys, that's the info I was looking for Snoop mate. Fan control only controls air, so no paint should be in that part?

Hi Anjum, on the Iwatta the fan control doesn't appear to be removable, but on my touch up gun it is, and if I look down the hole in the gun when it's removed, it's too dark to see if it's clean or not and I was just wondering if it's a place that is normally cleaned during gun cleaning? I guess if it's only air, there is no need.

no, no paint in that part its just jets of air directed at the paint as it leaves the fluid tip

 

[Flapdisk]

Thanks Guys, nice one. I will check out the manual Anjum thanks