Choosing the correct tip for your airless sprayer can seem a bit confusing without knowing a few basic things about them.
What the numbers on the tip mean
Choose the orifice sizes based on the material to be sprayed
| Material | Orifice Size | Group | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Varnishes (before low VOC) | .009 | – | .011 | thin materials |
| Lacquers (clear coats) | .009 | – | .011 | |
| Shellac (clear) | .009 | – | .013 | |
| Stains – transparent | .011 | – | .013 | |
| Water sealers (thin and clear) | .011 | – | .013 | |
| Tung Oil (pure thinned) | .011 | – | .013 | |
| Lacquers (water borne) | .012 | – | .014 | medium |
| Acrylics (clear) | .012 | – | .014 | |
| Acrylics (latex) | .013 | – | .015 | |
| Varnishes (low VOC) | .013 | – | .015 | |
| Polyurethanes | .013 | – | .015 | |
| Stains – solid | .013 | – | .015 | |
| Enamels – oil-based | .013 | – | .015 | |
| Latex paint – interior | .013 | – | .017 | |
| Latex paint – exterior | .015 | – | .019 | |
| Primers – latex | .015 | – | .017 | |
| Primers – oil based | .017 | – | .019 | |
| Heavy Latex | .021 | – | .025 | thicker |
| Elastomerics (smooth) | .021 | – | .025 | |
| Elastomerics | .025 | – | .039 | thick materials |
| Fire Retardants | .025 | – | .039 | |
| Alumastic | .025 | – | .039 | |
| Block Fillers | .025 | – | .039 | |
Choosing the correct tip size is essential for getting a quality finish, efficiency and optimum paint usage.
This is a handy guide to help you choose your tip size based on the material to be sprayed. The basic rule is to use tips with smaller orifice sizes for paints with lower viscosity and vice-versa.
This is only a guide – the actual size(s) needed will vary depending on actual material being sprayed. Also ensure your machine is able to spray the material and can handle the tip size.
Pick a tip that your Airless Sprayer can supply material to
Be sure the tip you want is not too big for your pump to be able to spray. Check your machine’s specifications to be sure. If the tip is too big the paint won’t atomise and you will get a very poor finish.
Which type should you pick?
For thinner materials and where you need a perfect finish we recommend Graco’s new FFLP (fine finish low pressure) tips. These tips allow you to spray at lower pressures giving a finer finish.
Leave a Reply