Problem Solving Products Critter Spray Gun

From: Woodcraft Magazine Issue 24

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	averages about 21/2" in diameter when the gun is held 6" from the workpiece. Despite, or maybe because of its simplicity, delivering just the right amount of material isn’t always easy or intuitive. The instructions that come with the gun help, but you’ll still need to do some experimentation. I suggest working out your fluid nozzle adjustment
The Critter isn’t a warm and fuzzy mammal, but it does resemble the smaller Badger airbrush that I’ve used for touch-up jobs for many years. In technical terms it’s a single action, external mix, bottom feed spray gun. The question is, for fifty bucks, can the Critter deliver the goods? THE SETUP: The gun comes with one jar and a 1/8" NPT quickconnect plug, so in theory, it’s good to go right out of the box. Fill the jar, attach it to the gun, hook up an air supply, and you’re set to spray. (My 2 hp, 4-gallon pancake compressor had no problems keeping up with the gun, although it cycled frequently.) To avoid contaminating your finish with any moisture or oil that may be in your compressor, you’ll want to attach an inline coalescing filter if you don’t already have one. TRIAL RUN: In terms of spraygun technology, this is about as simple as it gets. Pulling the trigger causes air to flow over the fluid nozzle, creating a pressure drop in the siphon tube, which draws the liquid up the siphon tube. When the liquid exits the liquid nozzle, the air stream atomizes it and directs it onto your work. The resulting round spray pattern
	and regulator settings on a piece of cardboard before spraying your project. There are only three ways to control the amount of product applied. The first way is to adjust the fluid tip. The second is to regulate the amount of air pressure at the compressor, and third is to manipulate the viscosity of the finishing material itself. I got the best results when using the lowest air pressure you can get by with. Higher pressures create overspray that produces an unattractive finish and wastes material. First, I tried spraying a watersoluble dye. Despite what it says in the manual, 30 psi was way too much pressure; even at 20 psi, there was still	with the gun, I nudged the pressure up to about 25 psi and left the fluid tip alone. I quickly built up a finish with five successive coats. When dry, the finish had some mild orange-peel but it was easily rubbed out with 4/0 steel wool. Climbing up the viscosity ladder, I test sprayed an alkyd satin polyurethane varnish. With the regulator set at 25 psi, I only had to raise the fluid tip about one-quarter turn to get a nice spray pattern. I applied three coats with excellent results. Finally, I decided to torture-test the Critter with a thick satin latex paint. At 35 psi, even with the fluid nozzle raised to its highest recommended point, the gun sputtered and spit like a rabid
	too much fluid leaving the nozzle. The gun performed acceptably only after bottoming out the fluid nozzle. I tried a 2-lb. cut of shellac next. Since I felt more comfortable



cobra. I thinned the paint with about 10% water, and it behaved for awhile. Soon the fluid nozzle began to clog. The solution to this problem was to mix in some Floetrol, an additive that helps paint flow better and extends the drying time. BEST APPLICATIONS: The Critter can be used to spray just about any liquid such as adhesives, cleaners, and bleaches. The manufacturer even offers a stainless steel siphon tube for handling corrosive liquids. It’s a great gun for applying stains, sealers, and alkyd varnishes. It would be hard to beat for patio furniture, interior trim, and general staining. For high-end finishes like lacquer, you’ll want a gun with more control. TESTER’S TAKE: The best thing about this gun is the small	number of parts. This translates into fast, easy cleaning. Just fill an extra jar with the appropriate solvent, put it on the gun, swirl it around a bit, spray it for a few seconds, and you’re done. For a more thorough cleaning, you can do a complete breakdown with just a small adjustable wrench. Pipe cleaners work well for cleaning latex paint out of the siphon tube. I wish the siphon tube was a little longer. It hangs about 3/4" from the bottom
	of the jar so you’ll never come close to emptying it. I would also have appreciated a few spare gaskets. Mine held up for the test purposes but I suspect it won’t last for long. There is a bit of a learning curve to using this gun effectively, but it’s	a handy piece of equipment if you don’t want to spend big bucks and don’t mind some tedious adjustments. You wouldn’t want to use one on a Steinway, but because it’s suitable for all sorts of smaller projects, I can see these Critters lurking in a lot of workshops.