# Finally got my 395 finish pro today.



## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

I am going to set this one up for WB clears only at this point. If I like it a lot for that, I may get one for paint. I finally gave up on NEPS buying one and deciding to sell it for cheap.

Anyone who has one have any pointers before I set it up and power it up?


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## aaron61 (Apr 29, 2007)

Do you really do enough WB to justify that??


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

I am going to try to ditch pre-cat lacquer for WB clears for my new construction stairway railings, mantles, stained built-ins, etc. That is my goal at least...


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## aaron61 (Apr 29, 2007)

DeanV said:


> I am going to try to ditch pre-cat lacquer for WB clears for my new construction stairway railings, mantles, stained built-ins, etc. That is my goal at least...


How many of these to you have on your schedule?


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## bikerboy (Sep 16, 2007)

Here's my tip. Dial the pressure back until you have fingers in the spray using just airless. Then turn on the air. It should atomize them right out. (the pressures listed on the machine and in the manual are pretty close.) Turn up the air before turning up the hydralic.

Clean the tip holder (with the air holes) really well. I soak mine in a bucket of denatured alcohol with lid on until just before I use it. Then blow it out with air.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

I my goal is 6-8 new construction projects this year. Plus I want to get more shop work of this kind. If I am going to spray expensive WB clears, I figure the AAA is the best way to increase materials efficiency without sacrificing speed.


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## VanDamme (Feb 13, 2010)

DeanV said:


> I my goal is 6-8 new construction projects this year. Plus I want to get more shop work of this kind. If I am going to spray expensive WB clears, I figure the AAA is the best way to increase materials efficiency without sacrificing speed.


Dean, I'll be asking you how it's working out in a few months. Looks like I will be getting one myself.


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## mike75 (Dec 19, 2010)

Hi dean im in australia and have owned a 395 finishpro airassist for about a year and bought with intention to spray oil-based enamel on new doors (2.4metres tall).All doors are to be painted on site .Have exhausted many hours with trying different tips from 210 to a 208 and have found the air jets would block up after painting 1 to 2 doors. Graco have checked the machine and dont seem to know seeing they havent sold many in australia .Do you have any tips or experiences you could share . Have stopped using it and have gone back to using my hvlp which annoys me due to all the overspray and mist i get in the room.Could anybody please reply.


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## zx-6 (Aug 18, 2008)

HI Mike im also in Australia
The only advise i can give you is to make sure you get the viscosity right.What has worked in the past for me is to use a viscosity cup and thin the enamel out using enamel reducer not turps to thin the paint so it runs through the cup at 23 seconds,the viscosity is very important.
If your not thinning your paint this could be one of the many reasons why your air jets are getting blocked (thick paint requires more pressure which will create more over spray which may build up on the air jets). Also make sure your gun is spotless after every use.I hope this helps


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## mike75 (Dec 19, 2010)

thanks mate will try that have just about given up and contemplated selling the unit seeing i paid 5 grand for it .I like your setup with the compressor you must be pretty cluey.Once again thanks


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

Congratulations Dean. It's a heck of a machine. I do think that you should broaden the category of it's function from just clear to all wb. It's a easy machine to clean. It really is something. I've had mine since September and done some cool stuff with it.


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## ewingpainting.net (Jun 2, 2008)

Great Dean, I agree with scott. I don't see the benifit of using only wb clears. Unless you don't keep it clean. You could make money with it using most wb coatings.


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

Dean, thought of this thread today as we shot kitchen cabs in the shop. White dove. Beautious.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

Just shot some desk and book case parts (spray stained maple and clear coated with a hi-build wb clear). Seems nice so far. Still no solid colors though, I will probably get a separate machine for that, I just hate mixing the two. The risk of a contaminated first coat going from paint to clear scares me. All it takes is a few flecks. Shoot, once I let a lacquer pump sit in lacquer thinner too long and I spend several jobs fighting chunks gelatinous of lacquer, and that pump never saw solid color even.


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## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

Usually Dean the crap that comes out of your gun, isn't coming from the pump itself but from the hose. I always kept separate hoses/guns for different finishes when using the same pump and if the pump had a manifold filter, it got changed out also.


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

DeanV said:


> Shoot, once I let a lacquer pump sit in lacquer thinner too long and I spend several jobs fighting chunks gelatinous of lacquer, and that pump never saw solid color even.


If you use lacquer, try to keep that pump, and everything for it separate. I cant tell you how many pumps I get for repair because the guy sprayed lacquer, or used Lacquer thinner or Xylene to clean their pump. It cleans it alright, and anything left over in the hose, pump, and suction tube. It basically strips any residual material and really messes things up. If you plan to use Lacquer frequently, you can get a Lacquer kit for your pump. Most packings are a type of plastic stacked with leather, in a lacquer kit, theres no leather.

Dean, im sure you're doing things properly, it sure sounds like it. :thumbsup: I just wanted to post that info in case anyone else didnt know the problems hot solvents can cause.


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## RCP (Apr 18, 2007)

Interesting! Rob has a 440i he only uses for lacquer, does that have a kit for the pump? I'll have to tell him, thanks.


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

RCP said:


> Interesting! Rob has a 440i he only uses for lacquer, does that have a kit for the pump? I'll have to tell him, thanks.


I think you should be good to go with that pump. There arent any leathers in that one. :thumbsup: Some pumps have them, some dont. Just depends on the model.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

For my lacquer pump, it never sees solvent. I just leave it in lacquer until I need it again. All the other ones get flushed with water or thinner and stored in thinner between uses.

Although I have found out the proshot should not be left in paint thinner. It causes the plastic siphon tube to swell and not fit properly.


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## ewingpainting.net (Jun 2, 2008)

I'm surprised the lacquer doesn't kill your packing's. I never leave lacquer thinner in my pumps for that reason.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

I have been told by the sprayer repair guy that it is only the lacquer only pumps that never seem to have any problems. They just keep going, and going, and going. No stuck valves, less repacking, less problems in general.


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## mike75 (Dec 19, 2010)

Anybody out there experiencing the same problem with air cap jets blocking up after a few minutes of use.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

I do not have many hours on mine yet, but have had problems with that. It seems like increasing the pressure helps reduce that effect. To be honest, sometimes it seems like the pressure is so high (around 1800 psi) that I wonder if there is that much advantage to the air when just a little more pressure would atomize completely.

The instruction say to increase pressure without the air on until the side bands on the pattern disappear, then to back it down until they appear again. Then use the air for the final atomization. I just sprayed a clear coating where that meant the fluid was at 1800 psi before hitting it with the air. 2000 psi would have probably atomized the fluid without air.


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## mike75 (Dec 19, 2010)

Overall would you use it for trim or go back to using your airless with fft.I took mine back to the Graco agent and was told the aa gun technology has been used by the furniture industry for the last ten years but they dont use switch tips.I beleive having to swap/clean aircaps every couple minutes should not be acceptable.I do make note when it is clean and working properly the finish is great.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

I still like it. I do not have enough hours on it to have a final opinion. The tips, IMO are not the problem, but the air cap design. Try increasing the pressure a bit though and it should help or maybe cut the material a bit (I do not like thinning materials unless absolutely necessary though). I have only used it for clears so far. I do want to try it with trim paints at some point as well though.


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