How To Use A Paint Sprayer

Learn how to use a paint sprayer with this detailed video tutorial! With a paint sprayer, you can complete all of your painting projects quickly and easily!

How To Use A Paint Sprayer

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I’m not sure if I’ve told you this, but I usually end up doing things the hard way!  Like the time I painted our dining area chairs with a paint brush.  6 chairs – 1 coat of primer, 3 coats of paint and 3 coats of polycrilic.  Yep, that adds up to 42 times that I painted all of the chair backs and turned legs.  Ugh!  It took a LONG time!

It would have saved me so much time if I had used a paint sprayer instead.  SO.  MUCH.  TIME.

I even had access to a paint sprayer!  My sister has one, and she loves it!  But, I have to admit, using a paint sprayer was a little scary to me.

But, recently I spray painted a chair using my sister’s spray painter, and I LOVED it!  It took just minutes to completely paint the chair, and the finish from the paint sprayer was fabulous!  No brush strokes!

So, I created a video to show you how to use a paint sprayer, so you can quickly and easily complete your painting projects!  I’ve also written out the steps below the video, so you can follow along if you’d like.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO USE A PAINT SPRAYER

1. Place the item you’re going to paint on a large piece of cardboard, and raise it up with boards so that you can paint the bottom edges easier.
2. Using a 220 grit sandpaper, lightly sand the piece.  You just need to scuff the finish so that the paint will adhere better.
3. Clean off the sanding dust with a tack cloth.
4. Read the instruction manual for your paint sprayer.
5. Tips:  Try to use the paint sprayer outside in weather that’s between 65 and 75 degrees.  That range can go up or down if the humidity is low.  Also, try not to spray paint when it’s windy.
6. To prepare your paint sprayer, the suction tube should be pointed towards the front of the gun if you’re spraying in a downward direction.  It should be pointed towards the back of the sprayer if you’re painting in an upward direction.
7. Screw on the air cap and nut to the nozzle of the spray gun.
8. Stir your paint well.
9. Pour the paint into the spray gun container.  Filling it about half way.
10. Add some (a couple of glugs) of Floetrol paint additive to the paint.  This will help the paint flow through the sprayer better.
11. Screw the container of paint to the lid of the paint sprayer.
12. Test how the paint is flowing on the grass or a piece of cardboard before spraying on your piece.  If the paint is still too thick, you can add some more of the Floetrol.
13. Safety first!  It’s a good idea to use a mask, safety glasses and gloves for protection from the spraying paint.
14. Apply the first coat of paint.  Tip:  Start the spray of paint off of the furniture, and then move in a steady sweeping motion back and forth across your piece of furniture.  Also, try to do light coats of paint.  If you apply the paint too thickly, it can run.  Make sure to get all sides and edges of the furniture piece painted.
15. Beware!  When the first coat is applied, it isn’t going to look great.  But, it will look beautiful after the third coat of paint!
16. Between coats of paint, it’s a good idea to wipe the paint sprayer nozzle with a wet wipe, so that it doesn’t get clogged with drying paint.
17. Apply the second coat of paint.  Because each coat of paint is very thin, it only take a few minutes to dry so you can apply the second coat very quickly after the first.
18. Then apply the third coat.
19. After the third coat is applied, check for any spots you may have missed.  Apply more paint if needed.
20. To clean the paint sprayer – Take the lid off of the container, and empty any leftover paint into a mason jar.  It can be re-used for another project.
21. Take the paint sprayer apart, and rinse the air cap, nut, suction tube and container with water.  Also, wipe off the nozzle of the sprayer with a wet wipe to clean the paint off.
22. Put the paint sprayer back together, and fill the container half way with a solution of vinegar and warm water.
23. Run the vinegar solution through the sprayer for a couple of minutes.
24. Dump out the container (it will have paint in it from the suction tube in it), and fill the container a second time with the vinegar solution.
25. Run the vinegar solution through the paint sprayer a second time for a few minutes.
26. Take the sprayer apart again, and lay out all of the pieces to air dry.

I hope you enjoyed this how to use a paint sprayer tutorial!  It really is fun to use, and makes short work of any painting project!

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