# Finially bought an airless - any advice?



## ROOMINADAY (Mar 20, 2009)

I finally after putting it off forever...bought a Titan 440. I am mostly residential repaint so i am absolutely terrified to spray in an occupied home. I am doing some new homes/ basement remodels where I can pull this out. I know its small, but if I can get comfortable with it, I believe I can grow my business to get more spray work and add to a fleet. I have seen an increase in requests for a company that sprays.

After watching my employee prep and paint 14 doors today one coat each side, 2nd coat tomorrow and we have another 14+ downstairs plus loose trim, I finally snapped. There are more effective things we can be doing than painting doors and trim all day. Even in residential, I can take them home with me and spray..... maybe leave them their bathroom door:whistling2:

I am so over booked I have been letting clients go, my hope is sprayer can help me catch up, and then make me some easier money. Terrified to hire another person until I can sit down and plan better...but that is another post. 

I am terrified about over spray and leaving a poor finish, so any advice is appreciated. What tips should I carry/ use, do you use it in residential, how much masking is too much etc...

PS. I was so close on a GRACO, but the the whole Graco Recall thread....ha ha - I bought a Titan through my local BM store because I can get it serviced an hour from here and he gives me good leads.


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## jack pauhl (Nov 10, 2008)

Awesome! The 440 is a good pump. I have one too, love it. What you should know is shooting promar 200 or superpaint throws a ton of overspray... the lingering kind that stays in the air. Those two are the worst I've seen. There are paints that don't do that. 

These sorts of things should be taken into account when going in a customers home for a repaint. Deveo DevFlex QD for example can be shot and hardly tell you were in there with an airless. Ive shot a room packed with doors in 15 minutes of continuous spraying and not left any lingering overspray in the air. I should start keeping a list of paints that are safer to shoot, more controlled.


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## Rcon (Nov 19, 2009)

Generaly speaking, the heavier the paint, the less overspray you're going to get. Sounds like you don't have much time behind a gun but it's pretty easy once you get the hang of it. A good tip set for interiors only would be a 210, 212, 312 and 415 all fine finish. You won't need anything bigger unless you also intend on using it for ceiling repaints in which case a 517 comes in handy. Just make sure you get used to doing lots of masking and always carry extra plastic! 

I think the trickiest part when starting out with a sprayer is frames - watch those corners, the paint builds up quick! 

Titan 440i is a good sprayer - i'm sure you're going to have lots of fun with it :thumbsup:


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## aaron61 (Apr 29, 2007)

The sweet sound of a pump in the morning,sounds like dollar bills!!!!!


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

Yep, Rcon said it best. You wont need all those tips to start out. You can buy more as your needs change. A good swivel is something he forgot to mention. Usually the ones on the guns crap out, or don't work very well from the beginning.


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## LA Painter (Jul 28, 2009)

I do (occupied) residential repaints too.

Just cover everything well, and overspray won’t be an issue. It may seem like a lot of extra time, but for 2 & 3 coat jobs, it’s worth it - and overall much faster. 

As far as finish goes... just back roll and back brush everything, and don’t worry about your spray technique. Your finish product comes from your brush & roller - like normal. Think of spraying as is just a faster way to get the paint onto the surface. 

Have fun :thumbsup:


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## dvp (Jun 21, 2010)

i always take an empty 5 with me when spraying inside an occupied house, to blow out a clogged tip or in case the gun gets stuck wide open.


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## TDTD (Jun 10, 2010)

I've got a 440 Impact and it has been a great machine for the amount of spraying that we require. I've got 212, 312, 314, 517 and 519 tips which seem to cover my needs adequately.

The biggest thing for me to get over when I first started spraying was the amount of masking / covering that I had to do compared to just rolling out a few walls dragging my 4 x 12 drop around the room as I went. Once I realized how fast I could get two coats on $$$, I soon forgot about the amount of time and material I used up masking.

Tip size, pressure, paint viscosity, distance you hold the gun from the wall and the angle you shoot at all have an influence on the amount of cast off / overspray you'll produce.

Minimize clogs and tails by always straining your paint and making sure you remove and clean both your pump filter and gun filter after each use.

Make sure you wear a proper respirator and eye protection and don't use any more pressure than you require to atomize the product. Be very aware of the injection hazard. Lock your trigger every time you put the gun down.

Happy spraying!


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## hoz (Sep 27, 2010)

I used to own the 440. Made lots of money with that little unit. But I never sprayed an occupied interior. Call me gutless, but over 30+ years in the business I've seen some blaster disasters without tempting fate due to furniture, carpet and the HO's priceless pet. 

I always figured by the time we covered and masked, not to mention clean up afterward, we could have the room painted with brush and roll.


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## LOSTinDETAILS (Jun 17, 2009)

Here is a sweet little gem that you can use. Increase your tip orifice size, drop the pressure and put the gun a little closer to the wall and you will have hardly any over spray. Don't worry about your spray pattern. You just want to put paint on the walls so you can go behind with a roller.


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

LOSTinDETAILS said:


> Here is a sweet little gem that you can use. Increase your tip orifice size, drop the pressure and put the gun a little closer to the wall and you will have hardly any over spray. Don't worry about your spray pattern. You just want to put paint on the walls so you can go behind with a roller.


Why not use a power roller then? Seems like that would speed things up...maybe not leave the best finish, but for production work.....anybody use them?


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## LOSTinDETAILS (Jun 17, 2009)

NCPaint1 said:


> Why not use a power roller then? Seems like that would speed things up...maybe not leave the best finish, but for production work.....anybody use them?


You answered youre own question. LOL

You can spray out a room in a matter of minutes. No power roller can keep up IMO.


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## [email protected] (Mar 1, 2008)

This could soon be your best friend. Hand masker http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/...S4K7_nid=GSBXZK2SZ9gs94R0HRQVZXglV7TNKC82R8bl
I use every thing from 6" paper to the 8' plastic with it. Though most time it is just up to 4'. I all is set up the pump on top of some 1/4" ply or heavy plastic like a truck bed linner. Love freebees of the highway. It has save a lot of clean up over the years. Money to the bank. I have been real happy with tips out of Painter Supply Direct. Haven't used Titan tips in a LONG time. Graco tips I hate. To many leaks at the wrong time. 
David


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

LOSTinDETAILS said:


> You can spray out a room in a matter of minutes. No power roller can keep up IMO.


Yeah, but your time masking and covering would be significantly less :thumbsup: I've never seen anyone use one, nor have I ever used one. I was just curious as why.


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

hoz said:


> I used to own the 440. Made lots of money with that little unit. But I never sprayed an occupied interior. Call me gutless, but over 30+ years in the business I've seen some blaster disasters without tempting fate due to furniture, carpet and the HO's priceless pet.
> 
> I always figured by the time we covered and masked, not to mention clean up afterward, we could have the room painted with brush and roll.


:thumbsup:


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## LOSTinDETAILS (Jun 17, 2009)

My sprayer does not come out for A room, it comes out for multiple rooms with a lot of sq.ft when conditions are favorable. Also, it does not take very much time to mask off a room in most cases.


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## mr.fixit (Aug 16, 2009)

I spend all day every day repairing all kinds of spray equipment but I have a question. If you are going to spray walls to save time then why would you roll them afterward. would it not be faster just to roll it. Like I tell a lot of my customers I am definitely not an application guy LOL


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## hoz (Sep 27, 2010)

mr.fixit said:


> I spend all day every day repairing all kinds of spray equipment but I have a question. If you are going to spray walls to save time then why would you roll them afterward. would it not be faster just to roll it. Like I tell a lot of my customers I am definitely not an application guy LOL


The only time we backrolled interiors was on big commercial jobs. We would sponge mop the DW down to try and settle the fuzz from sanding, then after spraying backroll to finish the job.


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## TDTD (Jun 10, 2010)

mr.fixit said:


> I spend all day every day repairing all kinds of spray equipment but I have a question. If you are going to spray walls to save time then why would you roll them afterward. would it not be faster just to roll it. Like I tell a lot of my customers I am definitely not an application guy LOL


In the context most here are refering to the big time saver using a sprayer / roller combination is how quickly you can get the paint onto the walls versus using just a roller. You spend more time back and forth to the bucket loading your roller than you actually do putting the paint on the wall. When spraying, the roller's job is to even out the paint and "push" it onto the surface being painted. The roller also provides a stipple which is aesthetically important, (better hide).

Spraying without rolling is easily done where covering a rough texture, like a spraytex ceiling or stucco finish. Or, NC where the walls are in really good shape but only a true craftsman can do this well.


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## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

Great tips in this thread. Just cover and mask everything in the room you are in that you don't want paint on. 

LOSTinDETAILS gave a really good tip about lower pressure and larger tips. You will have a very small amount of overspray.


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## LOSTinDETAILS (Jun 17, 2009)

TDTD said:


> In the context most here are refering to the big time saver using a sprayer / roller combination is how quickly you can get the paint onto the walls versus using just a roller.


Bingo!:thumbsup:


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## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

mr.fixit said:


> I spend all day every day repairing all kinds of spray equipment but I have a question. If you are going to spray walls to save time then why would you roll them afterward. would it not be faster just to roll it. Like I tell a lot of my customers I am definitely not an application guy LOL


 This is the get ur done way of painting. Granted this is commercial work, but the same applies to residential.


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## LOSTinDETAILS (Jun 17, 2009)

mr.fixit said:


> If you are going to spray walls to save time then why would you roll them afterward.


For touch ups


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

straight_lines said:


> This is the get ur done way of painting. Granted this is commercial work, but the same applies to residential.
> 
> YouTube - Spray & back roll part 1


not really convinced. lol is that overspray on the wood door there in the opening frames?


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## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

Doubtful its wood, looks like a steel door. They have the hardware taped and masked, so I assume the door will be getting painted. That is a four part video. 

One thing I did notice was that the nap isn't loaded with paint, you can still see pink even after he gets to the end of the room.


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## ROOMINADAY (Mar 20, 2009)

Thanks for all the advise, keep it coming! I really have no intention on using this in an occupied residential dwelling at the moment. I have 3 new projects on the go, so primer, ceilings, spray loose trim, doors etc. Will save me days upon days that I desperately need to keep up with work flow! Next year exteriors etc...


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## CK_68847 (Apr 17, 2010)

hoz said:


> I used to own the 440. Made lots of money with that little unit. But I never sprayed an occupied interior. Call me gutless, but over 30+ years in the business I've seen some blaster disasters without tempting fate due to furniture, carpet and the HO's priceless pet.
> 
> I always figured by the time we covered and masked, not to mention clean up afterward, we could have the room painted with brush and roll.


I am with you on that. I have rarely sprayed in occupied homes. The only thing I tend to spray are textured ceilings in occupied homes. Just run the masking film down the wall and use drops and knock the ceilings out quick. If you are spraying walls and have to cover the floor, trim, and whatever else a lot of times it isn't worth it providing you know how to work a brush. If you dont have very good brush skills I could see going the other way.


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## IHATE_HOMEDEPOT (May 27, 2008)

Did that Titan come with a hammer?


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## nEighter (Nov 14, 2008)

Clean it after every use!!


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## Majic (Oct 23, 2010)

hoz said:


> I used to own the 440. Made lots of money with that little unit. But I never sprayed an occupied interior. Call me gutless, but over 30+ years in the business I've seen some blaster disasters without tempting fate due to furniture, carpet and the HO's priceless pet.
> 
> I always figured by the time we covered and masked, not to mention clean up afterward, we could have the room painted with brush and roll.


I totally agree!


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## InsideandOut (Jan 3, 2011)

*Ever try an 18" roller?*

Read through the entire thread on this post - really interesting and helpful. I too am looking at getting a sprayer - lots of advise and opinions to sort through. I am spraying an interior - NC - not occupied, for the first time - primer only so far. At the same time I discovered 18" rollers! - very fast - not as many trips to the tray to reload. Still trying different roller cartridge brands for no lint and coverage. So far I have been able to get great first coat coverage with BM Aura. If you are reluctant to spray in occupied houses try an 18" roller. I am finding that using this roller is giving me a workout as it is a lot heavier than the standard roller when loaded.



ROOMI.NADAY said:


> I finally after putting it off forever...bought a Titan 440. I am mostly residential repaint so i am absolutely terrified to spray in an occupied home. I am doing some new homes/ basement remodels where I can pull this out. I know its small, but if I can get comfortable with it, I believe I can grow my business to get more spray work and add to a fleet. I have seen an increase in requests for a company that sprays.
> 
> After watching my employee prep and paint 14 doors today one coat each side, 2nd coat tomorrow and we have another 14+ downstairs plus loose trim, I finally snapped. There are more effective things we can be doing than painting doors and trim all day. Even in residential, I can take them home with me and spray..... maybe leave them their bathroom door:whistling2:
> 
> ...


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## Paradigmzz (May 5, 2010)

InsideandOut said:


> Read through the entire thread on this post - really interesting and helpful. I too am looking at getting a sprayer - lots of advise and opinions to sort through. I am spraying an interior - NC - not occupied, for the first time - primer only so far. At the same time I discovered 18" rollers! - very fast - not as many trips to the tray to reload. Still trying different roller cartridge brands for no lint and coverage. So far I have been able to get great first coat coverage with BM Aura. If you are reluctant to spray in occupied houses try an 18" roller. I am finding that using this roller is giving me a workout as it is a lot heavier than the standard roller when loaded.



Inside and Out- search "18" roller". Have fun. 

Spraying in occupied houses is like anything else. You have to know what you are doing. As long as you know how to prep correctly, its no big deal. If you dont know what a 3m handmasker is, I wouldnt even attempt it. 

oddball advice:

Turn off the air flow thru the house. Thats always a no-brainer that invariably gets overlooked.

If you are spraying single rooms (bedrooms, bath) remove entry doors and drop plastic across doorway to keep it sealed tight. Mask yourself in. Keep the odor localized. 

Use good low tack tape. I recommend Intertape PG 29

Seal your tape lines.

Check everything AGAIN before you spray, blowing under a loose masked area on finished surfaces sucks.


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## ROOMINADAY (Mar 20, 2009)

Since this is alive again..Also bought a Proshot for a great price- love it.

Titan Tip- I am having trouble with a small blob of paint building on my tip and spattering onto ceilings. The tip is a 517 and it is new. I was told to thin my primer/ paint. I tried thinning my paint, increasing/ decreasing pressure - no luck. It happens when I pull the trigger, when I release it you can see an eyedropper bead that has gathered beside the tip. 

Is it possible it is worn even though it's new?

Have I not set it up correctly?

Was cutting my paint bad advice?

I used Ecospec primer and Eco Spec Flat

I am back-rolling but i wanted to try a shoot my ceilings for practice in my new office without a back-roll and the spatter made this impossible.


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

How old is the gun? Maybe try a different tip guard...I know many guys who cut the plastic off so that there's no build up....not something that I recommend.


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## ROOMINADAY (Mar 20, 2009)

The whole rig is brand new out of the box.


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

ROOMINADAY said:


> The whole rig is brand new out of the box.


Weird...I wonder if the guard is tight enough. It should be hand tight, dont need a wrench.


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## Steve Richards (Dec 31, 2010)

After I fogged an antique china cabinet. (I had it covered, but paint settled under/on it anyhow), I quit spraying occupied.

After using an 18" for years...one day I decided to try a 9" again.
I think I still have some of the frames...
The 18" just isn't "faster enough" to justify the extra work (to me anyhow).

Old, slow, hack, bastard...that's me.


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## Steve Richards (Dec 31, 2010)

Steve Richards said:


> I quit spraying occupied.


*with the exception of the infamous (and rare-nowadays) popcorn ceiling.


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

ROOMINADAY said:


> Since this is alive again..Also bought a Proshot for a great price- love it.
> 
> Titan Tip- I am having trouble with a small blob of paint building on my tip and spattering onto ceilings. The tip is a 517 and it is new. I was told to thin my primer/ paint. I tried thinning my paint, increasing/ decreasing pressure - no luck. It happens when I pull the trigger, when I release it you can see an eyedropper bead that has gathered beside the tip.
> 
> ...


Room

For that tip blob, keep a small bucket of water and a toothbrush handy when spraying. When you put the gun down for more than a minute or two, dunk it in the water. Give it a good shake when you take it out. 

I've been running 440's for years, and now a 540 as our primary rock rig. Also, the proshot, well everyone knows how much I love my proshot.


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## Paint and Hammer (Feb 26, 2008)

vermontpainter said:


> Room
> 
> For that tip blob, keep a small bucket of water and a toothbrush handy when spraying. When you put the gun down for more than a minute or two, dunk it in the water. Give it a good shake when you take it out.
> 
> I've been running 440's for years, and now a 540 as our primary rock rig. Also, the proshot, well everyone knows how much I love my proshot.



What situations are you mostly using a Proshot?


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## Rob (Aug 9, 2009)

I know you were asking that other guy, but I love mine too. I do a lot of NC, often the exterior doors are done last. I will plan several in a day and send my helper ahead to mask, I pull up dismount, unholster my proshot and fire away.
I also use it for accent walls, touch up and small job.


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## Paint and Hammer (Feb 26, 2008)

Rob said:


> I know you were asking that other guy, but I love mine too. I do a lot of NC, often the exterior doors are done last. I will plan several in a day and send my helper ahead to mask, I pull up dismount, unholster my proshot and fire away.
> I also use it for accent walls, touch up and small job.


Thanks Rob, I was throwing it out there. I can see where it works for you...like your John Wayne approach! 

Weighing if it would benefit me for what I do or if its a 'grass is greener' idea. Wish I knew someone who had one to see it work. Youtube only goes so far.


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## Paradigmzz (May 5, 2010)

For what its worth, I like mine too.


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

Paint and Hammer said:


> What situations are you mostly using a Proshot?


When I first got it, I wanted to see the full range of its capability, meaning I wanted to see how nice it could go. So I did alot of cabinet grade stuff with it. Not super formal, but still nice. 

Now, we use it mostly as a convenience tool. It works in alot of situations from spraying dumb stuff like window grills or latice, right up to still priming small quantities of cabinet grade stuff, because its so convenient and fun to be cord/hoseless. The appeal of the power and portability will never get old for me.


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

Rob said:


> I know you were asking that other guy, but I love mine too.


Does anyone know a Rob from RCP?

:jester:


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

Paint and Hammer said:


> Wish I knew someone who had one to see it work. Youtube only goes so far.


Ask a SW rep to demo one, They also have them in PPG around here.


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## Paint and Hammer (Feb 26, 2008)

vermontpainter said:


> When I first got it, I wanted to see the full range of its capability, meaning I wanted to see how nice it could go. So I did alot of cabinet grade stuff with it. Not super formal, but still nice.
> 
> Now, we use it mostly as a convenience tool. It works in alot of situations from spraying dumb stuff like window grills or latice, right up to still priming small quantities of cabinet grade stuff, because its so convenient and fun to be cord/hoseless. The appeal of the power and portability will never get old for me.


Thanks.

I can definitely see the connivence factor. Especially for what you describe....window rails can be painfully time consuming depending on the age and condition. I'm ok with cord if it isn't Makita. Used to have a cordless, Ridgid, DeWalt, Makita....etc. Needed a battery 'system' alone. Everything is Makita Lithium Ion now, great product! Anyway - that's neither here nor there. 

Good suggestion Sean, I'm sure the ICI store where I bought my other Graco has them....didn't think to call them about it.


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## alpinecrick (May 11, 2007)

NCPaint1 said:


> Yeah, but your time masking and covering would be significantly less :thumbsup: I've never seen anyone use one, nor have I ever used one. I was just curious as why.


 
Coorect--a guy has to weigh the more extensive masking time & cost of masking materials for spraying vs throwing a drop over stuff when rolling. On small jobs, masking, airless set-up, clean-up, and tear down may take more time than just breaking out the roller......



Casey


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