Paint ratio to thiners

even after having 'hobby' spray painted for 5 years now, I keep a piece of 3/16 scrap sheet metal in the barn. This metal generally gets bits and pieces torched or cut off from time to time to make stuff with.. but inthe mean time it is also my low-tech paint viscosity tester. I always blow some paint on it to see if my air regulator is in the range I want it, and to make sure my water traps are working, and to get the air adjustment onthe gun right, then see if i have the paint at the viscosity I like to spray at. As was sugested.. this may be a trial and error thing.. and there is nothing wrong with that. Try painting a few different things. old 55g barrels are goot paint targets, as you get to paint rounded edges meeting horizontal plans.. and get an idea of coverage when your gun leaves the perpendicular angle of the surface you are painting.. like when you hit the rounded corner of the barrel you are standing in front of. This test apinting will also give you an idea of dry time, and consistency/ thickness you can paint at to avoid runs and slumps. Alot of this is learning the paint characteristics of your gun too.. make sure you clean it well.. otherwise it will turn into junk.. fast..

Soundguy

It depends on the paint. Some paints are not intended to be thinned at all for spraying, some require a certain percentage with a very specific thinner (reducer) and some are thinned with variable amounts up to some maximum depending on user preference and experience. The type of thinner and the correct amount to be used should be stated on the can label. If it is stated as something like "may be thinned up to 10%", then you may have to experiment to find out what works for you. Since you haven't sprayed before, my first unsolicited recommendation is to not start out on your tractor. Get yourself an old car hood from a junkyard and practice, practice, practice until you can apply the paint to a vertical surface and get an acceptable result. Don't even think about doing your tractor until you can do that.

If you would indicate the exact paint that you plan to use, perhaps someone who has used that particular paint can provide better, more specific guidance on thinning and general usage.

Rod