# Trials and Tribulations of my AAA sprayers.



## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

For those of you that have seen my threads on AAA in the past, you will know it has been a bit of a struggle to get them working how I want. I originally bought a Graco 395 Finish Pro with the intention of having it be a dedicated WB clear coat machine. I had a lot of trouble with fluid building up on the air cap. So much that it would drip off onto cabinet doors after only a few passes at times. 

I also bought a use CA Tech AAA (14:1). I could never get rid of tails from the finish in that one. I bought new tips, a new gun, etc to no avail.

Well, I am glad to report that I think I have some of this figured out finally.

First, the finish pro. I will admit it may be some dialing in on my part with too much fluid pressure (but the Graco does not maintain low fluid pressure as well as the other style AAA in my opinion). I now found that using a thicker paint dramatically reduced the amount of fluid build up on the air cap (the reversible tip g40 gun). The Finish Pro is now my shop based solid color pump.

For the CA Tech AAA, I finally bought a new air hose line. Who would have thought, but there was dried finish in the air hose of the unit. Now that I have a new air hose, it is working much better with WB clears. No tails at all. Before, air still came through, so I did not know there was an obstruction, but once the new hose was on I could tell there was more air flow right away. This will be my shop (and possibly field) waterborne clear pump.

I still have a lot of experimenting to do before I would consider myself proficient with these two, but I now am comfortable using them. Before, it was a few grand of worthless tools sitting in my shop, so I am happy that progess has finally been made.


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## Schmidt & Co. (Nov 6, 2008)

Thanks for the update Dean. I remember you posting about your issues with the Graco and glad you got it figured out.


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

Once you get it all worked out give us all a cheat sheet. This will save us all the aggravation you have endured.


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## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

Yea I am with Sean, I will be stepping up AAA soon and have to get both a shop set up and one for the field. Would be great if there were a resource we could refer to with fluid and air pressure suggestions for specific coatings available.


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

DeanV,

I'd been using the 395 AAA w/G40 gun to spray SW Shercryl. It took a while to dial it in but it seems too be working fine on the exterior metal siding I've been painting. The tip does have a tendency to build up with paint (bad design, the air ports seem too small and inaccessible). I also would like more air but can't seem to squeeze it out of the mounted compressor.


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## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

I've thought about picking up one of these Graco AAA rigs, and still might. I've been following the threads to see what those who have them have been experiencing, and noticed a lot of the same issues.

Makes me question a few things:

1. Is the air compressor unit big/industrial enough to handle the different viscosities of the materials without over-thinning them?

2. Is it a design flaw in the tips a/o gun? Graco has had issues with material build-up on many of their tips, particularly in their airless fine finish X tips.

3. Which in turn brings this up: Is it possibly the evolution of paint formulation that is compounding the problem? Maybe a combination of all of the above?


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## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

Didn't NEPS have a Titan rig modified to AAA? Depending on the gun setup he's using, I wonder if he has some of the same issues. Maybe he'll check in on this.


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## NEPS.US (Feb 6, 2008)

Wolfgang said:


> Didn't NEPS have a Titan rig modified to AAA? Depending on the gun setup he's using, I wonder if he has some of the same issues. Maybe he'll check in on this.


It is a AAA machine that I modified to also be used as a airless. Titan Multi Finish


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## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

Are you having the same issues that they're talking about?


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## TERRY365PAINTER (Jul 26, 2009)

Dean thanks , been looking at getting a AAA maybe the 390 Graco or the merkur 15:1 Graco 
I really looking for something to spray advance or waterbornes maybe clear coats as well . Worried I got a big cabinet job coming up . Advance semi gloss . Scared about testing a new rig out on somebody's new cabinets . Any suggestions I should maybe just stick with the old Titan 440 ml


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

As it stand now, I would prefer the merkur style AAA for clears. Again, I still need to work with these more but that is the direction I am heading now. 

Also, I have always kept solid color and clear pump separate. I am tempted to put a thicker solid primer in both styles to see if my thoughts on the ca tech/merkur/kremlin styles using lower fluid pressure than the finish pro/Titan aaa is correct. My gut feeling on the finish pro is that the air does not accomplish as much as with the other style. But, without putting the same finish through both at the same time, I am only guessing.

For dialing in, I try to set the fluid pressure just shy of atomizing (faint tails still present) then use the air for the rest of the atomization.

Advance should spray really well through either one though. Advance scares me a bit through an airless. Compared to our usual finishes, it definitely is more prone to run. It seems like we get build up the edge between styles and panels on 6 panel doors on the horizontal line when we sprayed advance through an airless. Definitely need to hustle with that finish.


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

Jack aka Mr. Fixit sent me this awhile ago in response to this thread or at least I think it was this thread and wanted me to post this good info. If you like it thank me if you hate it send Jack some good old hate mail.:jester: 

It gives you a reference point for tip size, psi and materials for some AAA machines. 
Thanks for the info Jack. :thumbsup:


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## Schmidt & Co. (Nov 6, 2008)

Copied and pasted! :thumbsup:


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