I.C.T.C. Holdings Corporation 1240 - Manual (Page 12)

HERO Operator’s Manual – Page 11 of 23
The direction of the spraying motion should be based on the spray pattern chosen: when spraying a
horizontal pattern, the direction should be up and down; when spraying a vertical pattern, the direction
should be left to right or right to left; when spraying a round pattern, the direction can be either.
CAUTION: Once you have filled the spray gun, it is important to keep the gun upright. You may tilt the
gun as necessary to spray a ceiling or table top for example , but note that the Pressure Feed Tube that
pressurizes the paint cup is internal. Do not turn the gun on it side or upside down when there is paint in
the cup as the paint may block the air holes and prevent the pressurization of the paint cup.
3.8
TESTING PRIOR TO SPRAYING
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For optimum results, always test coating viscosity, spraying distance, pattern size, film thickness,
Needle/Fluid Tip/ Air Cap combination and finish, on a sample of the surface to be coated.
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To test the proper application speed (speed of your hand), spray one pass on a sample of the
surface to be coated at a consistent speed. Examine the sprayed coating: if there appears to be space
between the droplets of paint, slow down your application speed; if individual droplets are not visible
and the film seems even, note the application speed and maintain it throughout use.
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To test the Needle/Fluid Tip/Air Cap combination and to ensure even film thickness (coat of
material being applied), use the Horizontal Spray Pattern Test:
Horizontal Spay Pattern Test
1. Turn the Air Cap to the vertical position – this will spray a horizontal pattern.
2. Maintaining the distance of 6-8” from the surface, squeeze the trigger and spray a horizontal
pattern on the same spot until the material has built up enough to sag.
3. Release the trigger and point the gun away from the surface.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 about three to five times in different areas of the test piece.
Watch the material sag and see if it runs (drips) evenly across the spray pattern. If so, your Needle, Fluid
Tip and Air Cap combination are correct. If not, identify a common problem with all the test patterns
sprayed and refer to the following troubleshooting chart:
Problem Solution
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Coating is running/dripping from the center of
the pattern
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Air Cap may be too large: try smaller size Air
Cap
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Coating is running/dripping from the
extremities of the pattern
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Air Cap may be too small: try larger size Air
Cap
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Pattern is in the form of a figure 8
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Air Cap may be too small: try larger size Air
Cap
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Air Cap may be too close to the Fluid Tip: turn
the Sleeve Nut slightly to move Air Cap further
from Fluid Tip