using a spray gun

[dalebrignall]

i have got a cheap spray gun that came with an air tool set. i have a compresser.my mother has asked me to paint the roof of our metal barn.i thaught i could spray paint it.can someone tell me what all the controls do on the gun.can i use ordanary metal paint,how much do you thin it down by.the pannals on the barn were pr painted 20 years ago.i have painted red oxide with a brush over the rust spots.what do i use to thin the paint down with,i know theres no celly now,so what can i use instead dont want to go mad on cost,thanks dale.

[chickenjohn]

Hi Dale,
thats a common misconception- celly IS still available- for cars before 1972 (like ours) and for industrial uses. Contact your local paint factors who should be able to supply celly by the litre and thinners in industrial colours - usually a standard set of colours.

[Matt]

Are there 2 controls or three on the gun?

About 50/50 should be okay. Not sure what the best paint for the job would be tbh

[chickenjohn]

One control sets the size of the spray fan, you want to experiment and get a nice oval fan in the vertical that is about 3-4" long.

Here is a guide http://www.xs11.com/faq/paintfaq.shtml# ... int%20Gun0

[twincamman]

My guess is that the roof of the barn was probably done in an enamel of some sort, so celly will probably react with it.
I'd advise using an enamel (which will go over virtually anything) such as Rustoleum, which you can thin with white spirit.
Try here:-
www.rustoleumdirect.co.uk

[bmcecosse]

You certainly don't want to use v expensive celly on a barn roof! And really - the spray gun will be too slow and too much wind blow overspray for all this to be worthwhile. I suggest a decent outdoor gloss paint and a large roller with a long handle will be the way to go. If it's corrugated steel - then a large hand brush will be the way.
Industrial spray guns for this kind of work are 'airless' - and can throw a much larger amount of paint on the job than your compressor and relatively small gun can handle.

[chickenjohn]

Yes, I agree, for a large tin roof, celly is probably not the way to go. If its going rusty, I would definitely wire brush the rust off before painting.