Spray Painting setup

Using a spray gun can give you a smooth as silk surface finish. It's perfect for doing faux metal or even just painting a straight color really fast. But, it can be a bit intimidating as a beginner. When I was first starting out, I couldn't find any online sources that addressed all aspects of spraying. So, this tutorial will walk you through: the parts of a gun, mixing paint for the gun, how to properly hold your gun while spraying, trouble shooting, cleaning your gun, and safety. Don't get overwhelmed; there's a lot of information. But, hopefully by the end, spraying will feel a lot less scary.

If you don't want to jump into buying a $100+ gun, a cheap alternative is a gun from the Harbor Freight store. You can get the CENTRAL PNEUMATIC® 20 Fl. Oz. HVLP Gravity Feed Air Spray Gun for $15! If you clean it properly, it'll last a decent amount of time. You can always invest in a nicer more expensive one once you feel comfortable and know you'll use it often. As the saying goes, "you get what you pay for," but that doesn't mean you need to go broke to learn a new skill. This sentiment goes for pretty much anything purchased at HF.

This particular type of gun is called a gravity feed or cup gun. It means the paint cup is above the gun and gravity allows the paint to go into the gun. There are a few different types of guns, but this type is my favorite (I'm honestly not sure why lol. I think starting out it was the easiest one for me to use).

It's important to familiarize yourself with all parts of the gun. The most important are the air cap, fluid tip, fluid needle, fluid knob, air pressure knob, and some guns have a fan knob (I recommend getting a gun with a fan knob).