Paasche VL tip & needle question

[ohioskeeter]

Like I posted earlier, I'm new at this technique. What tip and needle do you recommend to paint crankbaits? Also, the set I have spits all the time, could it be the needle or the tip or both? The one needle looks bent but the other looks fine. Thanks

[BobP]

I only used the fine tip, cone and end cap when I had a VL. A VL set comes with 3 tip assemblies, each with a needle, a cone and an end cap. The parts may have stamped rings around them to show size; one for fine, two for medium, three for large (or stamped F, M, L). The fine cone and needle may lack a size stamp. If you compare them all together, you can usually sort them out and you should store them in separate jars to keep them straight. If a needle looks bent, it almost certainly is. They should be straight as an arrow. They are made from fairly soft stainless and you can straighten a bent tip against a flat surface without much force. Also take a look at the cone to make sure it doesn't have a split in it. VL replacement parts aren't expensive.

Edited April 23, 2009 by BobP

[ohioskeeter]

Bob,

How do you match them up? and does the needle extend outside the cone? Mine do sometimes. The instruction manual with the set stunk.

Thanks

Eric

[BobP]

I matched them up comparing the size of the holes in the cones to the thickness of the needle points. If you have them laying side by side, it's not hard. If you bought a used airbrush with a mishmash of tip parts, it's more complicated. Many airbrushes with multiple tips have the parts marked so you can keep them straight. The caps often have F, M and L stamped on them and the cones and needles often have rings circling them somewhere (usually at the rear of the needle, for instance) - one ring for fine, two rings for medium, three for large. If you get them mixed up you can get odd spray patterns. However, in the specific case of "spitting", the problem is more often caused by low pressure, a bent needle, or a split cone. Check those things first.