Tiny bubbles in EM6000 Laquer using HVLP gun

[jaguar36]

I've been having some difficulties spraying Target EM6000.  When I tried to spray it I am getting lots of tiny little bubbles in the finish.  Tried to take some pictures but wasn't able to really get anything meaningful.

For reference I'm spraying a 3-mil thick coat, with a CA Technologies CAT-X HVLP spray gun with a 1.3mm tip running at about 25psi.  Its fed with cool, dry air, and the spray booth is at 71 degrees, 69.5% relative humidity.

Anyone happen to have any ideas what might be causing this?

 

[tjbnwi]

Could not resist;


The issue is called micro foaming. Can be to much air, to close to item being sprayed, larger panels wet over product that is starting to dry.

Tom

 

[jaguar36]

I spoke with Jeff over at Target Coatings and it turned out the issue was  air entrapment in the fluid handling cup.  I was using a PPS pressure cup and switched over to a gravity fed and the issue went away!

I'm shocked that with how finely the finish gets atomized out of the gun that any air in the cup would matter, but it does seem that was the issue.

Still wasn't ever able to get the CL100 to mix in without getting solids forming in the finish though.