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Cat AAA H2O and Tip clogging nitemare

7/17/16       
Shawn Lalande Member

I am in the process of spraying 2000 sq ft of panels and doors for a full house project. I have a CA technologies AAA H2o set up and using a 409F tip
I started with Val spar zenith which worked real well but my supplier only had 1 pail so I switched to ML Campbell Aqualente which I have used before with this setup and had no problems. The minute this batch of Aqualente hit the tip it clogged the tip. I clean the tip and repeat several times; same thing. I reduce the Aqualente it starts to spray this last for several hours clogs again same thing clean tip won't spray, clean again won't spray. At this point the gun and pump get torn apart and cleaned thoroughly no problems there. Clean tips I have 3 and try again sprays for a few minutes tip clogged, 2nd tip same thing, 3rd tip same, I give up, the gun will spray everything but the Aqualente has any one had this type of problem with AAA setup and water borne top coat.

7/18/16       #2: Cat AAA H2O and Tip clogging nitema ...
Shane

sounds like the waterborne is full of solids that are not broken up properly. Mix well and run the whole batch of paint through a fine cone strainer into a fresh clean containe rand be disgusted how much lint hair and solid chunks are in a stock can of paint... We strain everything through fine strainers before topcoating. amazing the junk that's in your paint. Obviously make sure to flush your lines with a couple batches of appropriate clean solvent. Clean your screens. Take off tip seal and clean behind there and give the tip a slight poke with the tip needle...... all better?

7/18/16       #3: Cat AAA H2O and Tip clogging nitema ...
Shawn Lalande Member

Done all that except straining; thought filters took care of that. I have cleaned tips thoroughly probably 30 times behind seals and have gone through an entire package of tip cleaning needles. Whatever is blocking tips is hard and is bending needles.

7/18/16       #4: Cat AAA H2O and Tip clogging nitema ...
Bruce Hand Member

Hello wondering if you removed the screen inside the tip. I always remove the screen when spraying WB.
I purchased a ultrasonic cleaner and use a 5-1 solution of Citrasolv concentrate to clean all my tips and gun parts on my Kremlin Xcite gun
It really cleans up all the parts

7/18/16       #5: Cat AAA H2O and Tip clogging nitema ...
Mark B Member

+1 to the straining. Ive been spraying Agualente for about 5 years now and if you visually just drill the finish with a small mixer you can see the solids. Ive drilled a pail of finish for an hour and its still there. One, or even two, passes through a medium mesh screen and the finish is clear as a bell. If the finish sits for any amount of time in the pail I repeat the process (week or two).

7/18/16       #6: Cat AAA H2O and Tip clogging nitema ...
Mark B Member

Additionally, If you think about it, all those solids that came out of suspension and are now clumped together are suppose to be in your finish. When I strain once or twice there is generally little to nothing in my cone filter when done. Occasional stirring works it all through the mesh and only the coarsest material is left behind (usually very little for me).

7/19/16       #7: Cat AAA H2O and Tip clogging nitema ...
Shawn Lalande Member

Mark why would you go through all that trouble when there are other products that do not have this issue. I have have sprayed gallons of Zenith with very little clogging issues all with no straining and minimal mixing. I am done with ML Campbell. Due to a deadline I am completing this job with a gravity fed gun. I have ordered a pail of Chemcraft to try for my next project as my Zenith supplier is no longer stocking the sheen I like. Also waiting to hear from Sherman-Williams about Sayerlack which other people here have said good things about.
Thanks for your responses guys

7/19/16       #8: Cat AAA H2O and Tip clogging nitema ...
Bruce Hand Member

Hello I totally agree, I prefer SW Kem Aqua plus. The ML Campbell Aqualente did not dry as hard, and the satin had a higher sheen than what I wanted.
The Kem Aqua was 25% cheaper in my area also. Good to try different products
I did not have any issues with tip plugging but did check and clean the tip between coats. Sprayed 50 doors 2 coats per side

7/19/16       #9: Cat AAA H2O and Tip clogging nitema ...
MarkB Member

I don't use aqualente exclusively but have sprayed a lot of it due to local distribution. Even my local sherwin distributor does almost nothing with their commercial fibish line. I sprayed sayerlack AF72 for a good while and agree, the mixing issues are much less. That said I always mix/strain all my finish and don't even expect automotive finishes to require no mixing and straining. I have personally never come across any material other than solvents that don't require mixing after they have been stored for a period.

I do notice as was mentioned the new formulation of agualente is drying slower through I cant say it seems noticably softer.

I have a few gallons of other materials in the shop to test for a possible switch from mlc as well. Unfortunately I'm in a location with virtually no local distribution of many common finishes.

7/19/16       #10: Cat AAA H2O and Tip clogging nitema ...
Pat

Try a 411 tip.

7/19/16       #11: Cat AAA H2O and Tip clogging nitema ...
Shawn Lalande Member

Got the Chem-craft in this morning stirred for a minute or two put tube in pail and started spraying. Sprayed all day and them some (I am behind) no problems not one tip blockage. Very Nice stuff this Chem-Craft Acryllak lays down nice, very smooth to the touch when dry. May have been a batch of messed up Aqualente but I will not take a chance on a repeat so I think I will kept using the Chem-Craft for now


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