The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Paint gun cleanup

I have been using lacquer thinner for some time to cleanup after painting. I ran out and used mineral spirits which did not work well. Then I tried a can of naked gun, a cleaner just for paint gun cleanup, still not as good as lacquer thinner. I'm going to the store in a few minutes to get a gallon of lacquer thinner.

Lacquer thinner is a very good cleaner- - - - -for everything but enamel. If you've been spraying various types of enamel (particularly with isocyanate hardener) try an initial cleanup with enamel reducer. The chemistry of cleaning enamel up with lacquer thinner just doesn't work.
Jerry

I used acrylic enamel with hardener on my truck and didn't have any issues cleaning up with lacquer thinner. The reducer recommended for it is xylene, but I've never tried using that for cleanup. I could, as my gun cleanup amounts to a total of about 2 ounces of product, shot thru the gun a couple times. I'm using a 3M gun with disposable cups so just the (also disposable) nozzle and needle need cleaning. I really like that system after using a standard suction gun years ago and using thinner by the gallon for cleanup.

XXX 77763 Universal Gun Cleaner

Interesting stuff

From the SDS:
acetone
Petroleum gases, liquefied, sweetened
xylene
methanol
2-butoxyethanol
Solvent naphtha (petroleum), light arom.
butanone
toluene
1,2,4-trimethylbenzene

So a little bit of everything.

From the tech sheet:

Note:
XXX Universal Gun Cleaner is not recommended for use on plastic or painted surfaces as it may soften and
discolor the substrate.

AEROSOL SPRAY TIP
On clogged tips, remove spray button with a twisting motion and gently attach clogged tip to XXX Universal Gun
Cleaner. Spray XXX Universal Gun Cleaner through the clogged tip for a few seconds.

That might be worth the cost of a can, but aren't rattle can spray tips made of plastic?

As opposed to lacquer thinner

Methanol
Toluene
Acetone.
Ethanol
Acetic acid.
Light aliphatic solvent naphtha (petroleum)