# Cleaning spray gun



## macmaw (Mar 5, 2007)

Hi all
I have a couple of new spray guns that I bought for some projects I have coming up, one of which is my leather seats. 
I guess it would be best to clean out the spray guns intitially with thinners to get rid of any manufacturing oils etc (I am using water based paint) but what about the rest if the time, just water? 
Any advice on tip / needle sizes would be good too. 
I will be using Liquid Leather Scuffmaster Dye on the seats, diluted with 10-20% water. The sizes I have are 0.8, 1.2, 1.4 and 1.7
Also will be used for kitchen cupboard door paint so if anyone has done those that would be great to know (not strictly car related I know, but looking for the benefit of experience)
TIA


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## Danl94 (Mar 10, 2016)

If you're using water based paints then i suggest you clean the guns out with water when you are finished spraying and then once you've cleaned them just flush a little bit of thinners through to soak up any left over residue. Just putting thinners will congeal the basecoat and take longer. Thinner is solvent based and should be used for solvent based paints. Water vice versa.


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## waqasr (Oct 22, 2011)

If they are brand new I would take it apart and clean with thinners as they tend to ship with some oils in them I guess to stop corrosion or something.

After that it the leather stuff is water based so just use water to clean them out. Whatever the paint is based on, water or solvent, use that to clean the gun.


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## macmaw (Mar 5, 2007)

Thanks guys

Any ideas on tip / needle sizes for the liquid leather paint?

Thanks again


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## steely dan (Dec 13, 2007)

It would have to be the 0.8 with paint flow turned down, you really want to lay very thin coats.
I used an airbrush for mine ,didn't take long and i found it gave me much better control of the "thickness" of the coats.
Follow the dye manufacturers instructions to the letter.


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