Tip cleaning?

Milt wrote on Jul 22, 2006:Go to #14

We use an metal ammo box with home made dip basket formed from 1/8 hardware cloth. Has never turned over and very easy to get into. About 1/4 full of lacquer thinner.

I too use an ammo box with a couple inches of mineral spirits for my tips to swim in. On occasion it has tipped over with no leaks, thanks to the gasket around the cover. Works good for me.

We have Coffee cans we use...one with Thinner for Oil Based tips and then one with just tap water for out Latex (water based) tips....works great. Thats all we do, just plop them in there after the day is done and it keeps them in good shape. Plus, the plastic lids are great.

Didn't see it mentioned, but I use a clean plastic mayo jar, with a little laquer thinner. Keep all my tips and housings in it. Did iw when painting houses, and do it now. Nope, doesent eat plastic "o" rings, doesn't leak (always have it in my truck box ) and when I need one, just pull it out, put it on, and spray.

For those of you using water-borne latex paints I have found that ZEP big orange does an awesome job of cleaning tips. I just mix it 50/50 and leave tips and holder sit in it overnight and in morning take an old tooth brush and scrub it quickly and the paint comes right off.

Big Orange is amazing stuff, we love it for cleaning seal coat off of our machines too. However I would not mix it with water, it is designed to emulsify and break down with water, that's why it can be rinsed off of your equipment with water. When you add water you eliminate its ability to work as a good solvent. I would use it full strength.

Hhhmmm I will keep that in mind. I use it full strength for everything but cleaning my tips and I can not really tell you why I started mixing it with water for that. Just one of those things you do and don't know why it I quess

Ask your Zep rep to try Big Orange GEL that stuff is even better. We use it to clean up the gunk that builds up around the suction tube on our Gracos.

I use a 1 gallon paint can and a 1 quart paint can inside. I punch holes in the quart can and use it as a dipping can, then fill it half way with brush and roller cleaner from home depot. Like Robert, the tip can is always near by and they go right in the can. The Brush and roller cleaner will work on paint tips and not damage the plastic tops. It also works on sealer brushes.

you save old tips?? there only made to spray so many gallons of paint!

They aren't "old" tips. They're the tips we use on a daily basis. We keep abut 3-4 tips in there at a time to keep them from drying out. If they do dry out, the brush and roller cleaner (wich I believe is made by a company called Kleen) will soften them up without damaging the plastic tops. Just give it a day or two to work, and all is like new again......

painterbob wrote on Dec 23, 2006:Go to #29

there only made to spray so many gallons of paint!

er...how many gallons is that?

BornToStripe wrote on Dec 24, 2006:Go to #31

painterbob wrote on Dec 23, 2006:Go to #29

there only made to spray so many gallons of paint!

er...how many gallons is that?

As many as I can.....LOL!

I cut up old stainless thermos,approx 4 inch wide, attached 4 inch end to striper just outside bucket onto frame. Buy small round plastic container that fits into cut up thermos, put some laquer thinner in and several tips. Cut slit in top so pressure can escape or top will pop off. latex becomes very soft and alkyd can easily be reversed and cleared. most of the time doesn't need reversing Biggest advantage is, you always have tips with you, I don't like to go back to trailer although it is now easier with a Lazy Liner.

We use a quart can, 1/4 of it filled with lacquer thiner we put a wire tie on the tip thats how we get them out.