gun assembly questions

[gchalifoux]

Howdy all,
So I own a new Paasche VL...
While cleaning I noticed a couple of things.

1. after removing the needle, and squirting some cleaning fluid/water mixture down the needle shaft I noticed some bubbles coming out of the from inbetween the aircap and aircap body.

Did I read somewhere on the forum to use "bees wax" to seal the threads on these caps?

2. is there a specific adjustment to the needle adjustment sleeve? or is this adjusted as needed? and what is the impact of "righty tighty" and "lefty loosey". Does it move the needle forward further out the tip of the gun, and back into the body of the gun?

Seems like I have too much paint flowing....maybe I need to crank the needle adjustment down to lesson the amount of paint coming out? seems like I am getting excessive puddling. Course it could be me not moving the brush while spraying to, as I continue to work on my daggers!

thanks for any tips on these items...much appreciated!

gc

[KDSilverBrush]

Originally Posted by gchalifoux

Howdy all,
So I own a new Paasche VL...
While cleaning I noticed a couple of things.

1. after removing the needle, and squirting some cleaning fluid/water mixture down the needle shaft I noticed some bubbles coming out of the from inbetween the aircap and aircap body.

Did I read somewhere on the forum to use "bees wax" to seal the threads on these caps?

2. is there a specific adjustment to the needle adjustment sleeve? or is this adjusted as needed? and what is the impact of "righty tighty" and "lefty loosey". Does it move the needle forward further out the tip of the gun, and back into the body of the gun?

Seems like I have too much paint flowing....maybe I need to crank the needle adjustment down to lesson the amount of paint coming out? seems like I am getting excessive puddling. Course it could be me not moving the brush while spraying to, as I continue to work on my daggers!

thanks for any tips on these items...much appreciated!

gc

Yes gc, you can use bees wax. When you replace your needle into your ab, give it a little turn to make sure it is seated in the tip correctly, don't push it, you don't want to mis shape your tip, if your needle chucking screw is to loose, it could be the problem too. You could also just be thinning your paint to much too.

[gchalifoux]

Thanks KD!,

If you could help me a little more with the "needle chuck" which as I understand it, locks or tightens the needle in place vrs. the needle adjustment sleeve which extends or retracts the needle tip...

If I turn the adjustment sleeve all the way down, does that extend the needle as far out as possible into the needle cone? and then the reverse is true as well...ie, when loosening the needle sleeve, it backs the needle tip into the ab allowing more paint to flow?

So I need to find that happy medium somewhere depending on type of paint, psi, and amount paint is thinned?

Seems like last night I experienced all the little "gotcha's" like tip dry, unexpected splatter, getting paint when I push for air only....so I had to pull it all apart and clean it up good. Ah.....getting to know the ab quite personally now....

thanks again for you input!
much appreciated!

gc

[Bahamut]

I own a VLS and use it daily. The needle adjusting sleve just has to be turned in past the threads on the "rocker assembly". The only thing that the needle adjusting sleeve adjusts is the amount of tension on the trigger. The further you screw it in the more spring pressure you have on the trigger. The only way to adjust the actual needle is to push it in lightly until you feel it get snug, give it a lil spin to make sure it seats completly, and tighten the locknut. I undertstand where you are comming from though with the excessive paint. You might want to put a #1 needle in it if you aren't already using it (it usually ships with a #3 installed). As for when you seat your needle, when you spin it, it shoud spin smoothly in the tip. If it feels loose then tight then loose then tight when you spin it, your tip is probably mushroomed out from the needle being jammed in too tight. If that's the case the needle won't seat properly any way you do it and you will usually always have a bit of paint comming out when the trigger pressed. The thing about Paasche brushes that makes me love em is a new tip costs 5 bucks insted of 35.

[gchalifoux]

AH!, so the amount of paint running through the nozzel if defined by the size of the needle being used. Um...the higher the number the smaller the needle??...(why do we do that!! seems odd) anyway. Thanks very much.

So as long as the needle seats properly, then just lock down the needle chuck I shouldn't have any issues.

Mushrooming of the nozzle is from forcing the needle in to far correct...cause the chuck tightens around the end without pushing it further forward.

I think I'm getting this...now I need to ask about lubing when, how often, what to lube, what not to lube etc etc. But I'll do that in another post after I search first.
thanks again!

gc

[Bahamut]

No the lower the number the smaller the needle. Smaller needle will give you more control over amount of paint being sprayed. Needle and tip are used together. If you are using a #1 needle you need to use a #1 tip.

As for chucking the needle, yes you are correct the lock nut just secures the needle. It doesn't push it in or out.

As for lubing It depends on what kind of paint ur using. I don't lube mine. The needle is pretty much the only part that gets any wear, and the packing washer is soft enuf that it doesn't hurt the needle. The only place I have problems is at the trigger insertion point (the slot on the top of the brush). It seems that I have a nasty habbit of pushing sideways on the trigger sometimes. This can cause the brass to wear a small groove in it. It doesn't bother me when I'm working in big areas, but when I want hairline detail it has a habit of getting caught in the groove and forcing me to pull back harder... then it lets go and I get a SPLAT of paint. OHHHH that pisses me off Anyway that's my 2 cents.

[gchalifoux]

hmmm, needles and tips need to match up. Interesting. Boy I am getting schooled for sure! So I am assuming folks own a collection of tips and needle sizes depending on what they are working on.

Guess I'll need a magnifying glass to see these markings on the needles and tips...assuming they are marked somehow.

thanks Baha!

[Bahamut]

Well I don't know about others, but I just use the #3 and #1 needles and tips for my brush. I'm gonna say most ppl just use one size. Usually they are marked in mm. Like #5 is 1.07mm, #3 is .73mm, and #1 is .55mm for the VL series. Most ppl are using the Iwata airbrushes and they have a considerably smaller tip and nozzle. The Iwata HP-CH uses a .3mm or a .2mm nozzle.

I'm going to be investing in a Paasche VSR90 soon. It's a gravity feed with smaller tips and needles thatn the VL.