I live in a house full of teachers. There are three licensed teachers – in fact, I’m the only adult who isn’t one in my house. Today is the last day of August, and we are in full back-to-school mode. This year is even stranger and more stressful than usual since CoVid will be keeping everyone in our community home and distance learning for at least the first month of school.

While not ideal, distance learning has proven an invaluable resource. Did you know that correspondence courses predate the American Revolution?! Caleb Phillips advertised a course in the Boston Gazette in 1728. The instruction was done completely via mail, making it the first known distance learning course. Amazing!

Never has distance learning been more important than 2020. We have just reached a tipping point where enough people have access to fast internet that many of us can watch instructional videos and video chat with colleagues, teachers, and classmates. As the world changed and we had to keep our distance, we could still maintain the human need to teach and learn!

Today is National Distance Learning Day. Believe it or not, this holiday also predates the current pandemic. In celebration, I want to share a few YouTube channels that have helped me learn about this fascinating industry. 

Paint Life TV, hosted by The Idaho Painter, is excellent for learning about techniques and is full of helpful hints and tricks to make your job easier. There’s a video that teaches you how to tie back bushes that are close to your project, how to best mask carpet, preparing stucco for airless spraying and even cleaning up the inevitable spill that will happen when you use paint on an everyday basis.

Pittsburgh Spray Equipment Co posts bi-monthly videos on spray guns, airless paint sprayers, paint booths, sandblast equipment, powder coating, and all things coating related. They even have a free distance learning course you can sign up for!

While choosing between the HVLP and LVLP might look a little complicated, understanding the following differences will be quite helpful.

1. Minimal Operating Pressure

The most obvious difference between these two tools is the minimum pressure required to operate them. This should be pretty clear from their names.

2. Fan Width

While both spray guns will deliver decent fan pattern ranges, the LVLP types are a bit smaller. For most users, this is not a deal-breaker, but it is worth noting that it can increase the time it takes to paint a particular surface.

3. Transfer Efficiency

When it comes to transfer efficiency, the LVLP has an edge. Most models will deliver up to 80% transfer efficiency, which means that there will be less paint flying all over. Therefore, there will be less likelihood of getting paint in the wrong places, and this will also be a more environment-friendly spray gun.

4. Ease and Convenience of Use

HVLP spray guns have been around much longer, and so they have been tried and tested enough which means they are more likely to give you an easier time. Better yet, there are more helpful resources on their use, and so in case you are having any difficulties, it will be easier to get help and support.

5. Best For

HVLP

Starting with the HVLP spray guns, these will be perfect for inexperienced users and hobbyist’s projects given their relatively slower spraying.

Also, these tend to waste a little more material and will not be very ideal for professional users that require something more efficient as they can raise the overall project cost significantly.

With HVLP, you will also need relatively larger air compressors which can limit where you use them as it will make them less portable. And this means that it will work better around the home than at different job sites.

LVLP

LVLP spray guns will come with a steeper learning curve given that they are not very common. Hence they will not be very ideal for beginners and hobbyists that do not have enough experience using these tools.

Instead, these spray guns will be more appropriate for professionals given that they can use almost any air compressor, including the small units which allow users to have more portable tools.

These spray guns will also allow for relatively faster spraying which means professionals get to finish the job faster. And because they also provide better transfer efficiency, they will be more cost-saving than the HVLP.

Conclusion

Both the HVLP and LVLP spray guns are top-notch quality and will be very useful for different applications. When picking between them it will depend on the specific tasks the user will look to accomplish.

For regular DIYers and beginners looking for something easier to use and does not take a lot of effort to master, HVLP will be a good buy.

But, if you are a professional that prefers something that paints faster and offers more paint transfer efficiency, the LVLP spray guns will be more appropriate.

A few days ago we talked about HVLP – that’s high-volume, low-pressure systems. There are also LVLPs: LOW-volume, low-pressure systems. While these spray guns might look the same and are used for pretty much the same applications, they are still two distinct tools. To make sure you pick the right one for your jobs, you need to know their differences. Here we explain these differences and also provide overviews of both to help widen your understanding of the two popular spray guns.

The LVLP or low volume low-pressure spray guns are guns that have been built to require less pressure to function. These spray guns will deliver superb material transfer efficiency and hence minimize waste.

LVLP guns spray faster than the HVLP, which is what makes them more popular with experienced DIYers and professional users. But, what many of its users seem to love most is that it delivers a superior finish quality.

These spray guns only require around 10 PSI on the nozzle, which means that they can work with almost any air compressor type.

And as far as material compatibility is concerned, these spray guns will work best with thinned paints. The LVLP spray guns are also usable with waterborne paints which further increases their versatility and convenience.

However, these spray guns do not seem to have the high enough volume required to spray high viscosity materials or metallic paints. Also, they will typically have a smaller spray pattern which is usually between 8 and 10 inches, which can affect the time you will need to paint a particular surface and the quality of the finishing coat you get.

Pros:

Works with lower PSI

Affordable

Faster spraying

Usable with waterborne paints

Cons:

Does not work very well with high-viscosity materials

Smaller fan pattern range

Check back tomorrow when we’ll do a LVLP vs. HVLP smackdown!

If I was painting something, I’d use the Wagner Airless Paint Crew.

The Wagner Paint Crew is a piston pump sprayer with the performance of a contractor sprayer, but designed for the homeowner. The paint crew uses standard reversible spray tips and comes complete with hose, tip, and metal spray gun. Whether you are staining your deck, painting your fence, or priming your garage, the Paint Crew provides simple, trouble-free operation and cleanup.

The Paint Crew is capable of spraying a variety of paints, primers, and stains. It’s an electric piston pump sprayer with a two-gallon hopper, high-pressure spray hose, and a metal spray gun. The Wagner Paint Crew System weighs just 25 pounds and has a convenient carrying handle, so it goes where you go. Centrally located controls simplify operation from startup to cleanup, and a 25-foot high-pressure hose makes it easy for you to tackle multi-story projects.

Here at KM Coating, we have hoses, tips and accessories that are fully compatible with the Wagner Airless Paint Crew. Our products are produced to the same high-quality standards as those big companies, but because of our low overhead we can offer them at lower prices!

Check out our full range of replacement hoses, tips, and accessories. Even the best parts eventually wear out with standard use. When they do, be sure to visit KMCoating.com to pick out the best replacement parts.

It stands for High Volume, Low Pressure. HVLPs are one of the two main kinds of paint sprayers. The HVLP sprayer takes the place of a brush. It’s useful for fine finishes and situations where a contractor wants more precision, such as handrails, doors, cabinetwork, and window jambs. In contrast, an Airless paint sprayer takes the job of a paint roller: big, flat projects such as walls, oil tanks, garbage bins, and siding.

In an HVLP, air pumped from an air compressor or turbine atomizes paint. Unlike airless spray guns, HVLP guns have a second control knob that regulates airflow, giving the user more control over the fan size. There is less overspray, making HVLPs a good choice when working with expensive paint. HVLPs are more for fine production, not high production. 

An airless sprayer can get as high as 1,700 psi at the nozzle, compared to just 10 psi from HVLP units. With an airless, the paint sprays out of an orifice smaller than that found on an HVLP nozzle. The high pressure and tight squeeze shear the paint into particles. A good deal of the paint is also scattered off-target in the process.

An HVLP finish simply looks better. Atomized particles from an HVLP unit are smaller and more uniform than particles propelled from an airless sprayer. With latex wall paint on drywall, the difference won’t matter. But when working with varnishes, stains or enamels, the finer, smoother finish is noticeable. Otherwise, painters may contend with the dreaded “orange peel,” a surface with a mottled, textured look instead of a satiny finish.

Just like a roller and a brush, there are jobs for both kinds of sprayers. Make sure to give your customers the best product possible with your supplies from KM Coating!

I’m not much of a gearhead, but I have heard of a Y-Block engine. After I saw Y-Blocks advertised on our website, I was a bit confused, so I looked it up. I’ll quote Wikipedia: The Y-block engine is a family of overhead valve V8 automobile engines produced by Ford Motor Company. The engine is well known and named for its deep skirting, which causes the engine block to resemble a Y. It was introduced in 1954.

I’m guessing that’s not what we’re referring to when we talk about Y-blocks on our website. Here’s what I learned:

The Y-blocks we’re talking about have two uses. The first, simply, is to act like a garden hose splitter. A user can operate one pump, then use the Y-block to split the hose and have two people spraying independently from one pump. It’s a great way to maximize resources. Plus a paint job always goes faster with a partner by your side!

The second is a little more technical. Many fluids that we pump through our hoses contain particles or solids that should be mixed constantly to maintain its ideal qualities, like thickness and adhesiveness. By utilizing the Y-block, we can create a recirculation loop back to the pump. That way we continuously move the fluid within the system to help prevent the settling out of the particles or solids found in these fluids.

All of our Y-blocks can be used with hot spray systems for airless spray or air-assisted airless uses. Maximum Working Pressure is 7,250 PSI. I love simple things like the Y-Block that can make life so much better! 

I wanted to learn more about reversible tips we sell. I grew up playing sports, so I’m a big fan of reversibles. Shorts, shirts, pinnies. I had a Nautica jacket that was reversible and you’re darn right that I still wear my reversible shorts. Come to think of it, how come all clothing isn’t reversible?

Anyway, because I’m such a reversible enthusiast I figured I’d like reversible tips, then, too. Boy do I ever! They save time and money, help prevent waste and make the painting process easier and better for the environment. Talk about a win-win!

Industrial reversible paint spray tips eliminate downtime by easily clearing a blockage away by spraying through the tip while it is in the reverse position. Even in the best-case scenario with perfect maintenance and using the proper paint filters, clogs will occur at tips from time to time.

All coatings contain solids that are abrasive — some more than others. Using a worn tip can cost you hundreds of dollars in wasted paint and labor; because when a spray tip wears the size of the tip orifice increases and the fan width decreases. This forces more passes to cover the surface, more labor, increased overspray, and a substantial waste of paint.

Each time that happens, it is costly to shut down the system. Reversible tips can be simply changed in seconds without having to remove the tip guard or adjusting any of your finishing equipment.

Always turn down the pressure as low as it can go, while still spraying a good spray pattern. This not only saves paint by reducing overspray, but it also reduces tip wear and prolongs your pump and high pressure paint spray hose, saving you money. And by using reversible tips, you can prolong the life of your spray tips!

They pump peanut butter into your jar, and the oil in your car. They glue the soles of your shoes, the glass in your windows and pump the ink onto your mail. They spray the finish on your vehicle, coatings on your pills, the paint on your house and texture on your walls. They’ve been a part of your daily life for more than 90 years.

Graco, one of KM Coating’s manufacturers, makes and markets premium equipment to move, measure, control, dispense and spray a wide variety of fluid and powder materials. They employ approximately 3,500 people worldwide and serve thousands of customers in over 100 countries. In 2018, net sales surpassed $1.6 billion.

Genuine Graco hoses are factory-tested and meet the highest safety standards. While providing the ability to support multiple guns, additional hose lengths allow you to keep your sprayer in one place — saving you valuable time to finish large jobs faster.

Graco has been built on a strong foundation of values that continue to define and guide everything they do for their customers and stakeholders today. The result is Innovation, Quality, and A+ Service.

“We’re dedicated to delivering the highest quality products and services, so we make an intentional choice to excel at quality every day, and in everything we do,” said a Graco spokesperson. “Simply put, it’s who we are. In fact, all Graco employees are personally responsible for the quality of their work. Because most quality problems emerge from poor processes, our employee teams are continuously improving and creating more effective methods. At the same time, we carefully monitor standards, establish suitable metrics and build quality into every product we manufacture.”

When you choose Graco, you’re investing in high-quality products built to last for years of reliable service. They partner with their customers to better understand how their products are being deployed in the field, then use that experience to improve performance and durability.

We are proud to be a distributor of Graco products. Contact us at KM Coating for all your Graco supplies!

I have always been fascinated by flight. The thrill of liftoff. The intricacy of a cockpit. Even the name ‘airport’ sounds so wonderfully futuristic, doesn’t it? My parents would take me to EWR when I was a kid to watch planes take off. I’d point at helicopters before I could even form sentences and scream “opeter! opeter!”. With today being National Aviation Day, I wanted to look at how our products contribute to this important and fascinating industry.

You may be wondering at this point why airplanes are painted in the first place. After all, large metal planes could be quite attractive even without a paint job. But airplanes are painted when they’re brand new because the paint protects against salts, oxidation, and spills of jet fuel that can do the metal harm.

Thin layers are a must when painting a plane because not only do they use less paint but this also makes the plane lighter in the end as all paint layers add weight to an airplane. Most paint is chrome-free and easy to wash. 

There are two main types of paint used on airplanes, enamel and epoxy. Here are the main differences:

Epoxy is a polyurethane paint that adheres well to airplane surfaces. It doesn’t dry as hard as enamel, so it doesn’t chip or become brittle over time. Epoxy has a high resistance to chemicals and doesn’t fade, oxidize, or break down easily.

Enamel offers two main advantages over epoxy: it is a lower-cost option and it is not as dangerous as epoxy because it doesn’t give off certain gases when being sprayed. The two paints can also be used together. For instance, often an enamel paint is used for the plane’s design and color. Then the epoxy, or polyurethane, is applied for extra strength and shine. It is the perfect combination for both hardiness and beauty.

Fast Facts

We are proud to be a supplier of the best equipment to help keep our planes flying!

I’ve been talking about tips lately without getting specific. Today, that’s going to change! 

We at KM Coating carry flat airless spray tips, reversible paint sprayer tips, and air-assisted airless spray tips. All of them come in either standard or fine finish versions. Our R&D department has been able to ensure the optimum design and construction of our tungsten carbide high-pressure spray nozzles. Only the finest quality materials are used, which provides maximum erosion resistance for high-pressure spraying, allowing us to outlast other products on the market.

First, I’d like to talk about how awesome Tungsten is. I have always had a soft spot for tungsten myself. I love that its atomic symbol is W [for wolfram, don’t cha know!] and my wedding ring is made from tungsten. Tungsten carbide is an alloy (compound) made from the rare metal tungsten and an equal number of carbon atoms.

Tungsten carbide is one of the hardest materials in existence and substantially harder than titanium, registering a 9 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness (compared to titanium’s score of 6).

W is remarkable for its robustness, especially the fact that it has the highest melting point of all the elements discovered, melting at 3,422 °C (6,192 °F; 3,695 K). It also has the highest boiling point, at 5,930 °C (10,710 °F; 6,200 K). Its density is 19.25 times that of water, comparable with that of uranium and gold, and much higher (about 1.7 times) than that of lead.

Tungsten’s many alloys have numerous applications, including incandescent light bulb filaments, X-ray tubes (as both the filament and target), electrodes in gas tungsten arc welding, superalloys, and radiation shielding. It really is fantastic stuff. We wouldn’t do it any other way!