Happy New Year

OK.  2007 is past and we're ready for 2008 to get our industry back on track.  Most of our customers were slower in 2007 due to the post mortem new housing slump.  Most of the forecasts that we have seen on the construction industry suggest a stable floor and the start of a really slow upward swing.  Sound good to us.

There isn't allot of news regarding the airless equipment market.  There are a few changes to the market, but nothing that will revolutionize the industry.  The small electrics are just stabilizing in their spec's.  Very few changes.  The gas market has seen the introduction of the Airlessco gas/hydraulic which will give the Speeflo PowerTwins and the Graco GH pumps a run for the money.  I will post the spec's on this pump on a later post.

But, for Now......

Have a really GREAT holiday season.  Rest up.  This spring will be the start of a really busy season.

Winterize

Now is the time to think about winter-izing the machines that you won't be using through the winter. There are different ways to accomplish this, but we recommend the following.
REALLY clean the pump by flushing with the appropriate solvent (of the last product used). Then run about a gallon of lacquer thinner through the pump. Last, fill the pump with 1/2 kerosene, 1/2 non detergent oil (compressor oil). Leave this in the pump. Leave the prime valve open to ensure that there is no pressure in the system. The pump is now protected from rust, corrosion and freezing.
Remember to flush the oil/kerosene mixture out of the machine with lacquer thinner before using again.

ALSO. Remember to drain all gas out of machine tanks unless you have added storage treatment to the fuel. Otherwise you will varnish up the fuel system and will accellerate maintenance and repairs.

Old Advice Remembered

I was reminded of advice that we used to give with regularity and needs to be restated. We had a machine that came to be repacked. The owner stated that he was going to convert the machine from all latex paints to a solvent only machine. We cleaned the machine, repacked the fluid section, flushed the lines and gun with solvent and replaced the filters. What we didn't do and should have done is to replace the siphon set complete. The owner charged the system and sprayed all morning. He noticed allot of junk in the filters at noon. The machine sat until the next morning. The solvent had loosened all of the latex material that has collected in the siphon set. The machine clogged. The pressure was turned up in an effort to blow out the junk. It packed it REALLY solid. The machine had to come back in for a new set. Because we didn't recommend the new siphon, we only charged for the siphon parts that needed to be replaced.
This was a reminder to us to recommend a new siphon set to all customers that are making a change like this. We haven't had a change from latex to solvent for quite sometime, so it slipped by us. The siphon set costs $196.00, so it isn't something that we would just add on automatically. So if you are making this kind of a change, remember to really check out the siphon from pump to screen. The hose and pipe are almost impossible to completely clean out. It is always better to replace them.

Airless Spray Center: Incredible cleaning products!

Airless Spray Center: Incredible cleaning products!

Incredible cleaning products!

I have had a couple of machines in the back that needed to be cleaned up and sold or rented. Both of these machines had been covered by asphalt products. 1 was only used for 2 months, so wasn't a severe case. It just was sticky and looked bad. The other machine is a couple of years old and none of the original colors or decals on the machine were visible. In a later post, I will include before and after photos.
I have had a few cleaning products for sale for 3-4 years. I have had no personal experience with them and have had to rely on any feedback that I could get regarding their performance.
You won't believe how well they work. "Liquid dynamite" started cutting through the tar and paint immediately. It softened all of the coatings and didn't even touch the original paint or decals. There is hardly any odor and it doesn't seem to bother any of our skin. This is the stuff that most of our customers should use to clean off the exterior of their equipment.
When we got to the really bad machine, it was working, but slowly. I hauled out the "Sledge Hammer" bottle. Oh man! This stuff cuts through 1/4" thick material. Still doesn't hurt the chrome or paint. Some scraping is still required, but only because the material is so thick. It does have a strong odor and will cause a "soap burn" if it contacts your skin. It is biodegradable though, so water instantly cuts it and neutralizes it's strength. We wore gloves and just rinses off any contact that was made. More info will be posted when the "after" pictures are in.

Airless Spray Center: now offering Rental machines

Airless Spray Center: now offering Rental machines

now offering Rental machines

We now rent airless machines.
The smallest of these is our electric SprayTech 1620, @ .33gpm and 3000psi, which includes 25' hose, gun and tip. Daily rental is $45.00 plus tax. Weekly rental is $180.00 plus tax.
The largest electric machine is an Airlessco 4100, @ .8gpm and 3000psi, which includes 50' hose, gun and tip. This airless will easily handle heavy materials up to elastomerics. Daily rental is $120.00 plus tax. Weekly rental is $480.00 plus tax.
We have a Graco GH200 (gas hydraulic) rig, @ 1.15gpm and 3300psi, which includes 50' hose, gun and tip. Daily rental is $160.00 plus tax. Weekly rental is $640.00 plus tax.
There is a 1 time clean-up fee of $45.00 on electric rigs and $54.00 on gas rigs, regardless of rental time.
We do not clock by the hour. We clock in and out by am and pm. Since we are not open to the public on weekends, Friday pm to Monday am is charged as 1 day rental. (Friday am to Monday am is 2 days as is Friday pm to Monday pm) Use this to your advantage.

New Blog

Here we go. I have listed Airless Spray Center at the Sacramento Scribbler, but now ASC Sacramento has it's own published Blog.

Our history starts in Southern California, where I learned to work on the Family business' machines. Working in the construction business all through high school and college gave me allot of experience with a limited number of airless machines.

In the early 1980's, I moved my business to northern California. I continued to work mostly in the industrial and commercial end of construction. I had contracts for schools, wineries, office buildings, restaurants, etc.

In 1986 I was involved in an auto accident. The 3/4 ton van that I was driving was hit in the rear at over 50 mph. I was waiting for a red light. By mid-1987, I was informed that I would never be allowed on a construction site again. While undergoing PT, I had a friend in the coatings industry and manager at the largest paint store, ask me to attempt to fix a machine that had been to 4 or 5 shops in the north bay area. No one had been able to fix the machine to the owners satisfaction. I contacted a friend that had helped me off and on since I was in my early teens, working on Dad's machines. George, at Speeflo, got me the parts breakdowns and knowing my experience, opened me an account for ordering parts. Airless Repair in Windsor/Santa Rosa, California was born. My thanks to Zel at Kelly Moore Paints, in Santa Rosa, for the exceptional help and encouragement during this time.

By the late 1990's, my bride and I really wanted out of the Sonoma County/hwy 101 corridor. So in 2000, after our daughter had graduated from High School, the house and business went up for sale and we moved east to Sacramento. With the input from all of the airless reps, I opened Airless Spray Center in March of 2001, with the GRAND OPENING in May of 2001. By 2003, I had outgrown the space and moved to our current location. Here we have a 450 square foot showroom as well to display the new and used equipment for sale. The business web-site is http://www.airlessspraycenter.com/ The store web-site is http://www.shop.airlessspraycenter.com/main.sc

I will continue to blog at the Sacramento Scribbler, but will attempt to separate the personal from the business postings.