Weather Quick Change

It seems that the weather has decided to change quite rapidly this fall. Within 2 weeks, it went from 80+ degrees to barely getting up to 65. This brings me to reminding everyone to winterize your pumps now. If you wait until it freezes, you will be too late. From this time on, you should clean your rigs completely and store them with pump saver, antifreeze or make sure that they are completely dry with no hoses or guns attached. Prime valves should be left open also. Make sure that the siphon tube or hose is clean and empty. All machinery should be stored inside. The back of your truck, even in a camper shell, does not constitute indoors.

Remember that temperature also affects how your material dries, cures and adheres. Or Not. Even indoors, if the temperature isn’t regulated, your material can and will fail. Flat is more forgiving than enamel, but will still fail to adhere. Humidity will also cause problems. Take all of this into consideration before starting the days work and schedule your workmen accordingly.

Problems this Winter

Again, this winter we are seeing a few machines that have frozen.  And we are seeing many machines that are having electrical problems.  Protect your machines by storing them inside, always.  Also, on the same note, never leave material outside in a unheated truck, trailer or job site.  When the material gets too cold, it does odd thins, none of which are good.  Some materials coagulate and become difficult or impossible to spray.  This leads to machine complications and premature breakdowns.  When we take the machine apart, it looks like you have run incompatible products.  This is similar to trying to clean latex with paint thinner.  The pump valves and ports are clogged.  This also increases the cost of repairs.  Very few water soluble products will survive being stored at temperatures under 50 degrees for any length of time.

Prepare for the Job

We are having quite a few customers come in with machines that haven’t been plugged in for a year or more.  One came in that hadn't been used for 12 years!  After sitting for ANY amount of time, I.e. a month or more, start out by plugging it in and making sure that the motor runs!.  Then prime with water first to make sure that it will prime and then build pressure.  And do this BEFORE you go out on the job.

If you wait and take for granted that everything will work, you are gambling with your time and energy.  If you just put it in paint and it doesn’t prime or pressurize, you then have a wet machine to manually clean before repairs can be made.  If you are on the job, this is a mess and you have to spend time going back to the shop and starting over.

Think of it like you would a car or truck.  If you hadn't started the vehicle for a year or two or twelve, and are planning on a cross country trip, would you load up all of your luggage and family and then see if it will start?

Rain and more rain

We have finally shifted back to our “normal” winter weather.  It seems that we are getting flooded this year, but we are really getting the same amount of rain as when we first opened the shop here in Sacramento in the year 2001.  We have had serious rain storms here every winter until the “draught”.  So after 5 years of no winter, we are actually back on track.  Construction will once again have to be scheduled according to weather conditions as in our pre draught years.

Remember to shelter your rigs during this weather,  Neither gas nor electric rigs should be wet.  Water will get into your fuel tanks and gas cans.  Water will get into the electric motors and electronic control boxes.  This can be catastrophic.  Control boards for both gas and electric run from $250 to $800 for the parts alone.  Even if you have the rig chained with a logging chain in the back of your truck, cover it up with a tarp!

Also, remember that even if the paint seems dry to the touch, in this weather, it takes many more hours for it to cure hard enough to shed water without damage.  Interior painting will take many hours to cure if the area isn’t heated.  Don’t take unnecessary chances.  Every valid contract has weather related delays built into it.  Make sure that every contract you sign has this in it.  And don’t be afraid to enforce said clauses.  If the owner/builder insists on you continuing, make them sign an acceptance of your objection and for them to accept the responsibility of said work.  The law allows for this and you should insist on it.

Be extra careful on ladders and scaffolding (as well as on roofs) as this rain will cause everything to be slick and many ladders and scaffolding to sink unevenly into the ground.

New equipment companies

Beware new companies that are trying to get into the construction equipment market.  A few months ago, I wrote about a company named TriTech that is getting into the airless market.  After trying for months to get information about the company, other than their own P.R., I have hit a blank.  Evidently they aren’t interested in the service centers that will eventually see their products.  They haven’t returned inquiries or phone calls.  To a service business that has been servicing the airless market as a general repair and warranty center for all brands since 1986, this usually means one of a few things:  1.That the company is fading out of the market due to poor sales or performance.  2. They are so undercapitalized that they have no parts other than what they can afford to assemble for complete machines (to sell).  3. They don’t want anyone to take the machines apart for repair and see the poor design or lack of quality,   4. They have no marketing and/or business experience or don’t have the financial backing to proceed in expanding into existing markets.

In the last 30 years, I have seen the airless market expand and contract.  A few good companies have been purchased by others in the same market.  Examples of these are Amspray, Airlessco and Speeflo.  Wagner merged Amspray into their (then) new piston pump line as SprayTech.  Airlessco is still sold as Airlessco (by Graco) as a premium line.  Speeflo is the gas/hydraulic line of Titan.  A few have died, such as Binks and HERO.  4 or 5 have just disappeared leaving their customers without any parts or service support, such as Allimite, Karldom, HERO (closed by Graco) and Simpson.

So beware of purchasing any equipment by a new company.  Make sure that it can be serviced by all factory certified service centers.   And then make sure that you are getting a better value per dollar than with a known and well established brand.  Quality and repair support will last long after an impulse buy from a persuasive sales person or advertisement.  Despite any claims to the contrary, all equipment that is used for any length of time will need service and repairs.

Freeze Warnings !!

Once again, we are at the time of year where they are posting freeze warnings.  Last night was the first of this year, although it only dropped to 35 degrees in Sacramento.  Outlying areas such as Grass Valley and in many other places, it dropped below freezing.

DO NOT LEAVE ANY MATERIAL IN YOUR PUMP OVERNIGHT.  It doesn’t matter if it is in a camper shell or a trailer or a (unheated) garage or storage building.  Your pump WILL freeze and serious damage can occur.  If you are in doubt, come into the shop, I have 2 really graphic examples of what it can do.  A split cylinder can run from $150 to $600.  Just for the part.  Then you have packings, etc.  Run Pump Gaurd through your machine, remove the airless hose and gun and then run it for about 10 seconds to run it dry.  A clean, dry pump without hose and gun cannot freeze.

If you have any pumps that you haven’t been using, go get them out and check them too.

Fall is Here

The fall rains have begun.  Remember to protect your spraying equipment from the rain.  If wet, electric motors can short out.  Electrical circuits can short out if just damp.  Keep them dry.  Gas engines will form moisture inside the fuel tanks and ruin the carburetor.  Gas machines that have clutches, non-hydraulic pumps, also have electrical circuits.  Wet and damp can short them out.  Some of the newest hydraulic machines have circuit boards also.  Keep them all dry.

Remember, of course, all exterior paints should have a minimum of 24 hours to dry before any moisture (rain) touches them.  Even if the rain doesn’t slide the material off the wall and onto the sidewalk/driveway/ground, it will change the surface tension and change the appearance of the wall.  You may be able to see the difference between the areas that got wet and the areas that didn’t.  The owners might complain and then you would have to repaint the areas that got wet.  It isn’t worth the chance.  Also,  almost all contracts have included in them a change of the project finish date for “acts of God”, which includes rain.  So for each day of rain or wet weather or temperature too low to paint, the finish date will extend 1 weekday.  Weekends are not usually included for delay or for a finish date.  Just make sure to let the person in charge of the property know of the delay as it happens.

Tahoe and participation trophies

Eloise and I got away on one of our rare 3 day weekends.  We left on Friday and headed to Tahoe.  We stayed at “The Ridge”.  It is truly on the ridge.  From one side of the top of the “Tower” that we stayed in, you can see Lake Tahoe and from the other side you can see the valley south of Reno.  Our view from the living room, dining room and master was down to the Reno side.  The property within 20 feet of the building slopes down at a 30-40 degree angle and drops from over 10000 feet to approximately 4400 feet at the valley floor.  An impressive view to say the least.  Friday, right around our check in time, it started to rain.  It was a serious rain and rained most of the night.  Saturday morning started with a breezy day without rain.  It enabled us to go and walk Stateline and visit the stores there.  We visited 2 of the most impressive art galleries that I have ever been in.  This includes all of the galleries that we have been in in San Francisco and the beach areas of Southern California.  We had to be back up to the Ridge for facial and massage by early afternoon.  By the time we got back and walked to the main building, it had started to rain again.  Really serious rain.  This rain reminded me of the rain one gets in the rain forest of Mendocino County where cousin Glen lives.  It’s like standing under a fire hose.  It poured all night with a few lightning strikes seen from our suite.  Sunday morning was still cloudy, but without rain.  By the time that we left, it had started again.  Altogether the Tahoe area got 4 inches of rain in 3 days.  Monday, I heard on the radio that Lake Folsom had risen 2 feet from Friday morning to Monday morning.

Monday, Eloise Renee had her last Volley Ball game and Adam traveled up to Sacramento to watch.  I have always thought that “Participation” trophies are foolish.  Go ahead, kid yourself, the kids keep score and know who wins and who doesn’t.  Maybe give a consolation trophy to those that don’t win.  (I don’t think that the Jr High gives out any trophies)  However, some of the parents are a problem, not the kids.  They embarrass their kids and annoy the other spectators.  Come on, This is junior high!  Let the kids have fun,  win or lose.  The point is to learn the game and have fun. 

New Security Measures

We have updated our physical security here at Airless Spray Center.  We have always had physical alarms, both audible and silent.  We have had a monitoring service, both on-site and in the cloud recordings of all 5 cameras.  They record both interior and exterior of the shop.  We have a security company that checks up also throughout the property during our closed hours.  We have iron bar gates on all possible entrance and exit locations.

So now we have added Guard Cats. These wild felines will climb up your pant leg whenever they aren’t contained away from the public.  Here you can see them patrolling, on the job.

 

New Pump Line Available

There is now a new pump company that is marketing small electric airless pumps.  The company name is TriTech.  They are located in New Jersey and every part of every machine is made in the USA.  The engineering group has been in the industry for over 25 years.  Most of their history was with Titan Tool.  They use PMC motors, which use less power and which extends the life of the entire unit and accessories.  All parts are made from Aircraft Grade metals and will not rust.  They include a lifetime warranty on the motor and drive train. 

The pumps now available include .57gpm, .67gpm and .77gpm.  All pressures max out at 3300psi.  All 3 of these pumps come on a stand, Low-cart and Hi-cart.  The stand is also available with a hopper for small material usage.  Unit weight runs from 33 lbs. to 77 lbs.

They have a larger pump which will be made available next year.  It will be a 1 gpm machine.  We are looking forward to seeing the demo pump.

Protect your skin(s)

Actually, protect your pump FROM skins.  It is still summer and the heat will skin up your material within minutes.  You must strain EVERY gallon.  After filtering the paint, float a small amount of water on top, do not stir, and it will keep the paint from skinning over.  The manifold filter on the pump and the gun filter will keep your tips from clogging, however the skins are already up, in and through your pump by the time that they are caught in the filters.

Clogging the tip is annoying, but it isn’t costly except in time wasted.  Paint skins will clog the inlet and starve the pump.  This causes cavitation.  Cavitation will damage the pump similar to what is does to a prop on a boat.  It causes permanent damage.  If a skin gets caught in one of the pump valves, the pump won’t function properly and you will not get pressure, except in surges.  If a skin gets caught in between the packings, it will tear them up and very possibly score the cylinder sleeve which is a permanent and expensive repair.  Also, as soon as paint or water is leaking up into the wet cup (top of piston area), the packings are shot and damage to the piston is starting.  This also is an expensive repair.

Control Board Issues

Yes, to the inquires about dead or faulty control boards.  We are seeing many more control board replacements than ever before.  In reality, some of this is because ALL machines, even gas and some hydraulic machines now have electronic control boards.

Some of the problems are pressure sensor related.  This can be caused by build up on the sensor.  See the last article about cleaning.  Some of the problems are with units that are on new construction projects that use a “gang box” or temporary power pole for power.  Your power is unstable due to other motors that draw large current surges.  These can include table and worm drive saws, welding equipment, compressors, etc.  Some of the problems are caused by painting old structures that have old, weak power wiring and/or electrical boxes.  If you are plugged into the circuit and the clothes dryer starts, your machine will be starved of power.

Just keep in mind the cost of repairs when you plug in the machine.  Take the few minutes to check the power supply AND you power cords.  Loose and damaged power plugs (i.e. missing the ground lug) will cause you costly problems.

Re: Cleaning

We are seeing more rigs come in that have multiple colors still inside the fluid section.  I know that these are latex paints, “water based material”, but water alone will not clean the pump.  Any material that is darker than an off-white will still leave a residue of color in the pump.  This layer will then collect the next material (even off-whites) from then on.  This causes wear and tearing of the packings, which can also cause piston and cylinder wear and damage.

The cure for this is to use liquid dishwashing soap in the second wash.  The first wash is just water, clearing out the bulk of the material.  Recirculate the second wash for 5 minutes.  Let the pump build pressure occasionally during this time.  Then make sure that you completely rinse the soapy water out of the pump with the third wash.  If there is any clouding in the rinse water, repeat the second wash.

There are some really deep tint colors that will require paint thinner to dissolve all of the colorant, but that is another article.

Summer Care

This summer looks to be a hot one.  It looks like we are back to the Sacramento we knew before the last 5 years of mild weather.  We have had mild summers and warm dry winters (which led up to the draught).
Remember to clean out your pumps as soon as possible!  Any material left in the pump will skin up and clog the works.  All material needs to be strained.  Do not wrap the strainer around the siphon screen, it will just plug up and starve the pump.  This will glaze the packings and take them out.  Float a cup of water on the top of the paint.  Do not stir it in,.  This will keep the paint from forming a skin on the top.  Never leave paint in your pump overnight!
Low boy pump have a black siphon hose. If left in the sun, these will get really hot.  This skins the material inside of the hose.  Keep your pump in the shade but DO NOT cover the pump with a tarp.  That will restrict the air flow and overheat the pump.
If you have a gas engine, throttle it down.  Slower is better.  It should only run fast enough to output paint to your tip size.  If you have only 1 gun on the pump, most should only run at half speed.  Change the engine oil at least 3 times a year.  Change oil every May and August.  This will extend the life of the engine.

Winter Again!

OK. we forget what winter is really like.  We have had 4 or 5 years without any real winter.  It is HERE this year.  I have checked in the first “frozen” pump.  If you leave any water, thinner, etc in your pump, you risk a burst fluid section.  Even if you leave the prime valve open, if the fluid section isn’t empty, it will freeze and break parts.

Clean your pump completely and then open the prime valve and run it dry!  Removing the hose and gun is also a good idea.  I recommend that the last “clear water” rinse contain 20% anti-freeze.  Even so, pump it dry and store it out of all weather.

PDCA

Have you checked out the California Painting and Decorating Contractors Assn?  They are a valuable resource for all painting contractors.  One seminar that I saw online is about finding the cost of each bid.  Not the job cost when done, but the cost of giving the bid.  The following is an excerpt of the leading paragraph:

HOW MUCH DID THAT BID JUST COST YOU??

It’s a fair question. The answer to which is certainly worth knowing. Surprisingly, however, many business owners have no idea what they’re actually spending – from a marketing standpoint, at least – to carry out their trade.

What’s your cost-per-lead?

What’s your cost-per-sale?

And, ultimately, what constitutes a really good lead? Or a really worthwhile sale?

Answering these more granular questions with complete candidness is how businesses of all sizes develop in the direction that best suits them – growing their profit margins as they go.

Now here’s the good news: it’s not that hard.

Calculating your cost-per-lead, cost-per-sale, and the handful of other metrics that’ll help you work less while earning more boils down to simple math. It’s what comes next that requires effort, commitment and stick-to-itiveness – but as a business owner, you already have those qualities in the bag.

 

Go online to PDCA.org and check them out!

Android Winner

I had the 1st winner in my Android Tablet drawing.  My 8 year old granddaughter closed her eyes, swirled all of the cards and drew out the winner.

Our first winner is Nathan Saracino, of Saracino Construction.  On October 10th, 2014, Nathan picked up his Tablet.  Out of all of his choices, he picked a White 9” tablet.

Our next drawing will be within a week or so.  Enter your business card (with address, email and phone number) now!

Android Tablet Drawing

Over the past 5 years, my contact list, with contact addresses has shrunk by 60%.  Some businesses have moved, some have been closed and some have changed names.  In order to get my sale flyers out to all of my customers, I am running a drawing over the next 6-12 months. 

In order to enter you in the drawing, I need a business card with your current snail mail (and email address) on it.  i am putting all of the cards in a bucket and drawing 1 out each month.  All of the cards not chosen will stay in the bucket for the next drawing.  So, If you get your card in soon, you will have 6 to 12 chances to win a brand new android tablet.

Each winner will have their choice of the tablets available.  I have 7”, 8” and 9” tablets.  They all run Android version 4.0 and higher.  I have some black, some white and ever a couple of pink tablets.

You name and address will not be given or sold to anyone.  It is solely for my sale flyer mailing list.  I send out 3 or 4 sale flyer/discount coupons per year.

spring 2014

Summer has just arrived.  The repaint business is now picking up.  Contractors are hearing complaints about the cost of repaints.  Most of this is due the fact that repainting has been put off for too long. Customers were warned about waiting too long for years and now they will pay the price.  A lot of repaint has now turned to repair and paint.  “Pay it now or pay it later” is an expensive way to be educated on property maintenance.  The cost of materials never slowed down either.  Now the minimum wage has increased and so even the bottom rung of painters should be getting more than even last year.  California isn’t survivable at minimum wage.

The work on the levy has now passed final approval.  The funding for it should happen within 6-8 months.  As soon as funding happens, real estate in the north area will start to escalate in price and availability.  New construction in both the residential and commercial will start up to fill the void that the moratorium has caused for the past 3 years.

The new construction will pull the tract stars off of the repaint market.  This will enable the repaint market to rebound on their pricing, which has been in the tank due to the track stars being used to working for 50% less than they should.  The tract painters are getting less now, in 2014, than Dad did on his last tract in 1959.  Seriously.  And Dad was union.  No, not adjusted for inflation.  Dollar for dollar, less than in 1959.  I sat down with Dad in 1990 and we recalculated his last bid (he had all the paperwork) so that we could find out how much he got for each floor foot.  He didn’t paint the floors, so his bids weren’t figured that way……   Dad used to get between $1.40 and $1.60 per floor foot in 1959!  You can guess at his material costs…… figure 10% of current.  His journeymen were getting as much or more than what most are getting today, 45 years later.

Sure, housing costs have climbed radically since then, but the sub contractors are making a lot less.  The rising costs are the cost of the dirt, licenses, permits and developer profits.

Jan 2014

“Lightweight, multi-functional sprayers are designed to make painting faster and easier for industrial and commercial painters. Heavier latexes, enamels, and acrylics, as well as thinner stains, lacquers, and urethanes, all can be sprayed using the same tool, simply by changing the front end assembly. Two-in-one tools like these save time, money, and material. This trend also applies to spray tips that offer both narrow and wide orifices to apply coatings quickly, without losing precision and efficiency.

Spray equipment is also becoming more compact and portable for difficult-to-access areas and tight spaces. Pumps, hoses, compressors, guns, and remote controls can all fit in a single assembly. Versatile units are capable of dispensing various materials such as fireproofers, waterproofers, and other materials, and are available in manual (crank) and electric versions. Quick change options allow easy conversion from cart- to skid-mount.

Portable and lightweight equipment for coating pipeline has also come out to make application faster and easier.*”

What this translates to is that you can now own a piece of equipment that is designed for the application of regular Architectural coatings as well as for specialized coatings, such as elastomerics and epoxies. The best of these now enable you to spray regular and special coatings without changing a thing. Examples of these pumps include the following:

Electric Pumps:

Airlessco TS 1500, Graco IronMan 300E, Titan/Speeflo PT 6900 DI electric & Titan PowerTex 1200SF

Gas Pumps:

Airlessco HSS9000, Airlessco HSS11000,  Graco IronMan 500G, Titan Advantage GPX 165, Titan Advantage GPX 220, Titan/Speeflo 6900 DI & Titan/Speeflo 12000DI

 

 

 

 

*Anita  M.  Socci  Managing Editor, JPCL