Painting Q&A: Big Spray Paint Job

Q. I am an engineering manager and am looking for equipment to spray a two-coat paint system on a large surface measuring approximately 30 × 30 ft. The first coat will be a conductive coating that will contain a high silver loading, and this will be followed by a clear coat. I want to use an application system that will lay the paint down fairly smoothly and has a spray pattern that will cover an area as large as possible. I was considering an airless spray outfit, but I am unsure of how it would handle the silver-loaded paint. What application system would you recommend? B.C.

A. Painting such a large object could be a big problem. Airless spraying would certainly work for both the silver-filled first coat and the clear coat. However, if the viscosity of the silver-filled paint is extremely high, you may have to use an air-assisted airless spray gun to get proper atomization. This spray gun, which uses compressed air for additional atomization, would be used with the airless spray outfit.