[ponch37300]

I understand some of the basics about what the numbers mean. But then there are things like fine finish tips. What is a fine finish tip and where do you use them? So where do you use what tips?

Like spraying a wall or ceiling inside a room?

A door?

Floor base trim and door and window casing?

Exterior brick walls?

Exterior wood on a house?

A fence?

Etc.?

Just want to get an idea of where what tips are used?

When do you want to use a 511 over a 513 or a 515 or a 517? They're all a 10" wide spray pattern but what makes you pick one over the other? I understand the last two numbers are orifice size and the bigger the number the more paint it will spray. But not sure when or why you would choose one over the other?

Another thing is how do you clean your tips and store them?

 

[SeniorSitizen]

The information in this link seems reasonable for a DIY'er and has a tip cleaning procedure the author uses. Also, sometimes the container the paint comes in has equipment cleaning instructions and usually works fairly well.


http://www.greenwoodindianapolispainterpainting.com/what-spray-tip-size-to-use/

 

[Jmayspaint]

A lot of it has to do with personal taste, but there are some basic guidelines. I'll try to mention a few.

Let's start with a 515. This is the stock tip that comes with most smaller airless sprayers. It's best suited for spraying large areas like interior or exterior walls and can be used for medium sized things like doors.

There is a correlation between orifice size and the speed you wish to spray at. Smaller orifice sizes (.15 in this case) allow for slower spraying. For me, and probably most professionals a 515 is a little too small for spraying walls because I want to go faster than the amount of material flow will allow. I would choose at least a 517 or a 621 for something like Sheetrock, or masonry walls. Of course you have to have a machine big enough to support such tips. With many smaller sprayers a 515 is the maximum size they will support. Being able to go slower though, allows for more control and that's probably why the 515 is so standard. It will put out enough paint in a wide enough fan to do the job and allow for enough control that a novice could conceivably get the hang of without too much trouble.


A size that I find to be handy for spraying smaller surfaces like interior or exterior trim, porch spindles, guttering and things like that is a 211. The 4 inch fan and smaller office size give you a great deal of control with less waste than bigger tips for surfaces like that.

Fine finish tips have been a big addition to the capabilities of airless spraying. Fine finish tips have two orifices instead of one which allows for better material atomization at lower pressures. This can greatly reduce overspray as well producing a better finish that standard tips. A 311FF is my go to tip for spraying cabinets.


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[wptski]

One important thing not mention above or in the link provided is all tips with odd numbers like 315, 213, 511, etc. are standard tips. If you want a fine finish you'd need even sizes like 308, 310, 510, etc. as they atomize twice and are a bit more expensive because of this.

 

[Jmayspaint]

One important thing not mention above or in the link provided is all tips with odd numbers like 315, 213, 511, etc. are standard tips. If you want a fine finish you'd need even sizes like 308, 310, 510, etc. as they atomize twice and are a bit more expensive because of this.

Your right, I should have said a 310FF was my go to for cabinets.

You don't have to rely on the numbers though. The Graco fine finish tips are a different size than the regular ones, and require a different tip guard (RacX) than the one that comes standard (Rac5).

Titan fine finish tips are a different color, purple rather than red, but they don't require a special tip guard.


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[wptski]

Your right, I should have said a 310FF was my go to for cabinets.

You don't have to rely on the numbers though. The Graco fine finish tips are a different size than the regular ones, and require a different tip guard (RacX) than the one that comes standard (Rac5).

Titan fine finish tips are a different color, purple rather than red, but they don't require a special tip guard.


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That doesn't matter for me. I use a Graco Truecoat Pro II and have three guards where the OEM tips have been removed. Once that has been done they accept regular or FF tips after a little nib has been filed off.

 

[Jmayspaint]

That doesn't matter for me. I use a Graco Truecoat Pro II and have three guards where the OEM tips have been removed. Once that has been done they accept regular or FF tips after a little nib has been filed off.

I'm familiar with modifying the tip guard on the Truecoats in order to accept RacX tips.

Do you mean that you can modify Rac5 (regular) Graco tips to fit also?


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[wptski]

I'm familiar with modifying the tip guard on the Truecoats in order to accept RacX tips.

Do you mean that you can modify Rac5 (regular) Graco tips to fit also?


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Nope, don't have a anything that uses the RAC5 tip guard. What's the difference in the two systems tips?

Is the RAC5 system an older system than the RACX? What's the reason not to use a RACX tip guard, etc. and be able to use FF tips also or is the investment in RAC5 too big?

 

[Jmayspaint]

Nope, don't have a anything that uses the RAC5 tip guard. What's the difference in the two systems tips?



Is the RAC5 system an older system than the RACX? What's the reason not to use a RACX tip guard, etc. and be able to use FF tips also or is the investment in RAC5 too big?

Rac 5 is just the standard Graco tip and guard system that comes with smaller spray units. These;

The Graco fine finish tips are in the RacX like which has a larger barrel diameter and requires a special tip guard. The Truecoats, unlike most other small to mid sized Graco sprayers, come standard with a RacX instead of a Rac5.

Modifying the Truecoat guards allows them to accept the RacX or fine finish tips, but not the Rac5's as far as I know.

I don't know why they make two differently sized and incompatible tip systems. More stuff to buy I guess. The RacX, and fine finish tips are a bit more expensive.

This is a RacX tip

And a fine finish tip that fits the same guard (including the Truecoat guard)

Generally the tip guards for the Rac5 tips are red or orange, and the RacX ones are blue (with the exception of the Truecoat guards). Either will fit on a regular Graco spray gun, but the tips are not interchangeable.

I hope that's not too confusing, seems unnecessarily complicated to me. Would be nice if Graco would streamline these parts so they all work together.


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[wptski]

I hope that's not too confusing, seems unnecessarily complicated to me. Would be nice if Graco would streamline these parts so they all work together.

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Nope! I got a bunch of different size RACX tips in regular and FF. The only thing that I stumbled upon myself was the fact that all FF tips have even numbered orifice sizes.

 

[ponch37300]

Might be a silly question but what are the little rubber piece and the little metal piece that come with the tips for?

 

[wptski]

Might be a silly question but what are the little rubber piece and the little metal piece that come with the tips for?

That's the seal they include with every tip, it goes into the tip guard behind the tip. I understand they are a PITA to install.

 

[Jmayspaint]

That's the seal they include with every tip, it goes into the tip guard behind the tip. I understand they are a PITA to install.

Yes, they provide a new seat and seal with every tip but actually the tips wear out far faster than the seals. I probably change the seal once for about every 10 tips that I wear out. It is a bit tricky to do, and not necessary every time a new tip is used. I probably could find dozens of extra seals in my tool boxes.


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[wptski]

Yes, they provide a new seat and seal with every tip but actually the tips wear out far faster than the seals. I probably change the seal once for about every 10 tips that I wear out. It is a bit tricky to do, and not necessary every time a new tip is used. I probably could find dozens of extra seals in my tool boxes.


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I you have frequent plug ups and rotate the tip to clear while under pressure that would be hard the seat causing leaks. Since my only one is a hand held, releasing the pressure is right there at hand. I've only had plug ups with one brand of paint so far but I don't have that many gallons under my belt yet.

 

[ToolSeeker]

The only thing I would add is make sure how big a tip your sprayer can handle before you invest in tips.

And yes the FF tips have made life easier as they are great for trim, and almost does away with overspray.