Gunkote Gurus - At What Pressure To Spray?

Bunk · May 17, 2004, 12:54

Hello-
I am trying my hand at spraying gunkote for the first time and am looking for some info on what air pressure to spray it at.
I am using dried and regulated air from my shop compressor.
No mention of what pressure to use in the Gunkote application sheet, and I've done a search here and found great comments on everything but pressure.

I will appreciate any input you have.

Thanks,
Bunk

1006587 · May 17, 2004, 13:52

Air brush or big sprayer? I went with the low side of setting in the airbrush instructions. Believe it or not, there are actually instructions for how to use these things. Gunkote is pretty thin so it doesn't need much pressure.

Try a few passes on scraps to test the coverage before you hit the parts. I can't tell you an exact pressure because I don't know what you're spraying with but for my cheap air brush I seem to remember using 15-20 LBS.

**EMDII** · May 17, 2004, 13:59

Jim Meredith at PCS Inc reported an airbrush worked best on my G3TME.

Bunk · May 17, 2004, 14:29

As he smacks his head with his hand-

Damn, I didn't even think to look at the airbrush instructions!
Kinda funny because I always harp on my wife about reading the instructions/recipe/etc...

I am spraying with the Harborfreight airbrush. I will check them when I get home.

dougjones31 · May 17, 2004, 14:48

I use 20 -25 lbs in my airbrush... Paasche.

Jambo · May 17, 2004, 15:39

I sprayed mine on using a Paasche sprayer at around 40-50 PSI and it came out great.

1006587 · May 17, 2004, 16:14

Quote:

Originally posted by Bunk
As he smacks his head with his hand-

Damn, I didn't even think to look at the airbrush instructions!
Kinda funny because I always harp on my wife about reading the instructions/recipe/etc...

I am spraying with the Harborfreight airbrush. I will check them when I get home.

I'm glad you took it the right way. Personally, I don't read instructions until I'm way past the point of recovery. The Gunkote was too expensive to experiment with so I dug out the instruction sheet for the airbrush. I'm glad I did because I would have started out a 60-80 lbs because that is where my compressor is set. I don't think the cheap HF airbrush would have held at that pressure.

**ZenTheMighty** · May 17, 2004, 16:32

I use 25 PSI with my harbor freight brush. It comes out great.

baten · May 17, 2004, 22:52

I am also using between 25 - 30 psi with my Harbor Freight airbrush. It works great using kphos and gunkote.

Bill

**Hebrew Battle Rifle** · May 18, 2004, 02:00

25 psi is a good place to start. Experiment a little and see what the lowest pressure is that produces consistant spray pattern with that airbrush and use that pressure. Gunkote is expensive and overpsray is money wasted.

Bunk · May 18, 2004, 09:04

I could not find any instructions with my HF airbrush last night, which is suspicious because I have a central depository for ALL my instruction booklets.

I did find the booklet for my Badger airbrush that I've had since 6th grade (about 25 years ago) when I built a lot of models. It says use 30 psi. It is an internal mixing brush though.

When I gave it a whirl this weekend with the HF brush, I used 35 psi, and I seemed to be getting a lot of over spray. I don't know where it all went though, because the big cardboard box I was shooting in has very little overspray stuck to it. It just seemed like there was a lot blowing out of it back at me. Of course I had the proper mask and full cover eyewear.

I think 25 psi should be much better. I'll try that this weekend.

Bunk

Bunkerbob · May 18, 2004, 21:57

Hey Bunk,
Keep us posted on your progress, I may have to run off to the hobby store for a new airbrush. I've seen them at Wally world in the model section of the toy dept.....anybody try one of those airbrushes??
TIA

May 17, 2004, 12:54	#1
Bunk Registered FALaholic #: 8047 Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Pleasant Ridge Posts: 64	Gunkote Gurus - At What Pressure To Spray? Hello- I am trying my hand at spraying gunkote for the first time and am looking for some info on what air pressure to spray it at. I am using dried and regulated air from my shop compressor. No mention of what pressure to use in the Gunkote application sheet, and I've done a search here and found great comments on everything but pressure. I will appreciate any input you have. Thanks, Bunk

May 17, 2004, 13:52	#2
1006587 Registered FALaholic #: 2853 Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 1,981	Air brush or big sprayer? I went with the low side of setting in the airbrush instructions. Believe it or not, there are actually instructions for how to use these things. Gunkote is pretty thin so it doesn't need much pressure. Try a few passes on scraps to test the coverage before you hit the parts. I can't tell you an exact pressure because I don't know what you're spraying with but for my cheap air brush I seem to remember using 15-20 LBS. __________________ Any excuse will serve a tyrant. Aesop (~550 BC)

May 17, 2004, 13:59	#3
EMDII Evil Moderator Silver Contributor FALaholic #: 6 Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Kennesaw, GA Posts: 13,971	Jim Meredith at PCS Inc reported an airbrush worked best on my G3TME. __________________ "The Spartans do not enquire how many enemy there are. The SPartans merely enquire WHERE they are." E.M. (Ted) Dannemiller II 1*

May 17, 2004, 14:48	#5
dougjones31 Registered FALaholic #: 6967 Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: South Carolina Posts: 4,282	I use 20 -25 lbs in my airbrush... Paasche. __________________ "This year will go down in history. For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration! Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient, and the world will follow our lead into the future." --Adolf Hitler, 1935

May 18, 2004, 02:00	#10
Hebrew Battle Rifle Horses Ass Bronze Contributor FALaholic #: 5777 Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Arkansas Posts: 6,812	25 psi is a good place to start. Experiment a little and see what the lowest pressure is that produces consistant spray pattern with that airbrush and use that pressure. Gunkote is expensive and overpsray is money wasted. __________________ THANK YOU JESUS

May 17, 2004, 14:29	#4
Bunk Registered FALaholic #: 8047 Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Pleasant Ridge Posts: 64	As he smacks his head with his hand- Damn, I didn't even think to look at the airbrush instructions! Kinda funny because I always harp on my wife about reading the instructions/recipe/etc... I am spraying with the Harborfreight airbrush. I will check them when I get home.

May 17, 2004, 15:39	#6
Jambo Registered FALaholic #: 9707 Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Coldwater, KS Posts: 657	I sprayed mine on using a Paasche sprayer at around 40-50 PSI and it came out great.

May 17, 2004, 16:32	#8
ZenTheMighty Prisoner of the Kaliban Contributor FALaholic #: 7861 Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Socialist Republic of Commiefornia Posts: 117	I use 25 PSI with my harbor freight brush. It comes out great.

May 17, 2004, 22:52	#9
baten Registered FALaholic #: 7568 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Houston Posts: 178	I am also using between 25 - 30 psi with my Harbor Freight airbrush. It works great using kphos and gunkote. Bill

May 18, 2004, 09:04	#11
Bunk Registered FALaholic #: 8047 Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Pleasant Ridge Posts: 64	I could not find any instructions with my HF airbrush last night, which is suspicious because I have a central depository for ALL my instruction booklets. I did find the booklet for my Badger airbrush that I've had since 6th grade (about 25 years ago) when I built a lot of models. It says use 30 psi. It is an internal mixing brush though. When I gave it a whirl this weekend with the HF brush, I used 35 psi, and I seemed to be getting a lot of over spray. I don't know where it all went though, because the big cardboard box I was shooting in has very little overspray stuck to it. It just seemed like there was a lot blowing out of it back at me. Of course I had the proper mask and full cover eyewear. I think 25 psi should be much better. I'll try that this weekend. Bunk

May 18, 2004, 21:57	#12
Bunkerbob Registered FALaholic #: 6685 Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Maine Posts: 108	Hey Bunk, Keep us posted on your progress, I may have to run off to the hobby store for a new airbrush. I've seen them at Wally world in the model section of the toy dept.....anybody try one of those airbrushes?? TIA

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