# AAA sprayer dial down



## idstumped (Oct 22, 2011)

Hey guys

First time poster, but been lurking here for years and found some great answers without ever posting but this time no luck. This question is pretty specific.

I owned a finishpro 395 that I enjoyed working with as an airless and an AA but after a year and not too much experience with the AA side the machine got stolen. The insurance bought me a new unit that I have still in the box.

Every so often I get a kitchen job where I build all the cabinetry and then spray everything with my binks mach1 hvlp. My compressor is now shot so the HVLP is out of order. The top coat is a WB poly usually.
After reading many posts it seems the AAA should beable to produce the same finish as my hvlp, true?

When I was using the finishpro as a AAA I found it put on the finsh too fast and was hard for me to get every angle inside a cabinet with a nice even coat everywhere. It worked great for passage doors because they are large but when it came down to cabinetry it felt out of control. I know that sounds odd and probably is because I read everyone likes the speed over the HVLP but I find it too fast.

How do you reduce the amount of finish coming out of the gun on the AAA? Tip size I'm guessing? maybe my tip was too big when I had my old machine?
I do not mind taking time to put a nice even coat on and that's what the HVLP let me control easily. Can I get that control from a AAA? If time was not an issue, what makes the best finish?

Before I open the box I'd like to know the finish comparison and control between the HVLP gun and the AAA because I can still sell the AAA easily as is. It seems everyone likes the speed of the AAA over the HVLP gun but my limited experience with the AAA was that it was too fast and I was losing control of my coat.

Thanks


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

I agree with you, the control of an airless is no comparison to the control of a conventional set up. However, you can experiment with tips(fine finish)and air adjustments on an AAA and you'll find you'll be smokin the competition before you know it!

My Graco 395 AAA has already paid for itself.


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## idstumped (Oct 22, 2011)

CApainter said:


> I agree with you, the control of an airless is no comparison to the control of a conventional set up. However, you can experiment with tips(fine finish)and air adjustments on an AAA and you'll find you'll be smokin the competition before you know it!
> 
> My Graco 395 AAA has already paid for itself.


So i am supposing that I was correct with the flow adjustment with the tips?
What would be the flow limitation with the tips? Could I restrict it enough to actually paint as slow as a normal spead HVLP?


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

I don't believe the airless will ever give an operator the trigger control of a conventional gun. Especially when dealing with angles and tight areas. I still think the AAA definately has a place in the tool box.

From my experience so far, the AAA will not allow good atomization below 600 psi compared to a conventional pressure pot at 20-50 psi.


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## robladd (Nov 22, 2010)

You should check out the Graco G-15 gun.
The 011 tip can be dialed down to 600 psi with 9.5 oz a minute output.


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

We run the g40 and g15 on our 395aaa and do alot of wb poly. You can dial down to a sweet spot with the fluid and air pressures, as well as tip selection. If it is possible, spray cabinets without the back panels on.


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

I'll be looking for the G15. Thanks


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

CApainter said:


> I'll be looking for the G15. Thanks


Its pretty sweet


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## idstumped (Oct 22, 2011)

vermontpainter said:


> We run the g40 and g15 on our 395aaa and do alot of wb poly. You can dial down to a sweet spot with the fluid and air pressures, as well as tip selection. If it is possible, spray cabinets without the back panels on.


I'm guessing the g15 can spray slower than the g40. Once I get the right tip I should beable to poly kitchen cabinet doors with limited stress?

How far down on tip size could I go with the g40?

I wish I would have experimented with this when I had my other machine but I really only painted trim and passage doors on saw horses with it. It seemed like I had to move very fast when spraying but do not remember the tip size I was using.


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## Rcon (Nov 19, 2009)

idstumped said:


> I'm guessing the g15 can spray slower than the g40. Once I get the right tip I should beable to poly kitchen cabinet doors with limited stress?
> 
> How far down on tip size could I go with the g40?
> 
> I wish I would have experimented with this when I had my other machine but I really only painted trim and passage doors on saw horses with it. It seemed like I had to move very fast when spraying but do not remember the tip size I was using.


G15 is the best gun for this type of work. I have one as well and had a lot of difficulties with the switch tips on the G40 spitting and not giving me proper flow out. 

I have only sprayed poly with it once for a front door, cabinets would be a different story as far as desired film build, so i'd spray it like I would with any other type of lacquer/cv - thin to about 20 seconds #4 ford, use AAM or AAF 311 with fluid pressure around 550 - 600 PSI and air at about 5-8 PSI. Should give you a nice finish.


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## Rcon (Nov 19, 2009)

vermontpainter said:


> Its pretty sweet


Liking it are ya? Looking forward to your review!


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

Do you guys find the 305 finish pro maintains even fluid pressure at such low pressures? It seems to me at those low settings, it takes a few cycles of the pimp after each trigger pull for the pump to keep the pressure even. It tends to start high right off the trigger pull.


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

Dean

In those ranges, I rather like the kremlin 10.14. The piston stroke is remarkable.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

I still need to get my CAT working. Bought a new gun last winter but that did not fix the fingering. I have not tried it since last winter. Add to the to do list.


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

DeanV said:


> I still need to get my CAT working. Bought a new gun last winter but that did not fix the fingering. I have not tried it since last winter. Add to the to do list.


Yup, make her happy.


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## idstumped (Oct 22, 2011)

Rcon said:


> G15 is the best gun for this type of work. I have one as well and had a lot of difficulties with the switch tips on the G40 spitting and not giving me proper flow out.
> 
> I have only sprayed poly with it once for a front door, cabinets would be a different story as far as desired film build, so i'd spray it like I would with any other type of lacquer/cv - thin to about 20 seconds #4 ford, use AAM or AAF 311 with fluid pressure around 550 - 600 PSI and air at about 5-8 PSI. Should give you a nice finish.


 
Thanks for that info. I schecked out the two guns on the graco site and also the AAM tips that I did not know existed. On my old machine I was always using the FF tips(green) and yes there was spitting.
I thought the G40 and G15 were basically the same exept the G40 had a higher PSI rating. Do you think if I get the flat tip conversion kit for the G40 it will perform as well as the G15.
I was wondering about the thinning also. I thought it would help.
It seems like the AAM/AAF tips can get quite small. I am going to do a test with my Binks Mach one to see what the flow rate is at when I feel comfortable and in "controll" of the film thickness.
Do you think that this machine is capable in producing as fine a finish as a HVLP turbine setup?


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