Hot Coat Powder Gun - Regulating and Malfunction

[burningman]

I'm having some difficulties with my Eastwood Hot Coat gun.

I can coat parts, although I am finding application tricky and a small amount of powder is escaping from the top of the lid cap and down the cup - not profusely but enough to make me wonder if I've damaged the gun with too much psi. I've always tried to achieve between 5 and 8 psi but I'm not sure if that's what been happening.

My setup is as follows:
HC gun | digital regulator | hose | moisture separator/filter | into compressor

My approach to setting up air regulation is to open up the digital regulator at the tool end completely and then to regulate appropriately at the compressor outlet regulator. I do this because I find it a balancing act having to press the trigger, press activation button, and open up the digital regulator all at the same time. Its much easier knowing that full-open on the digital regulator is the desired psi.

That being said, there seems to be a mismatch between the digital psi readings when the digital regulator is disconnected from tools. I am finding that the powder coat gun does not get enough compressed air unless the (disconnected) digital reading of the regulator is around 25 psi. Does this have to do with internal resistance of the gun?

This is also causing me problems as when I connect the gun to compressed air (valve off), and begin to open the valve, it blasts the gun with more air than it probably should be receiving and stabilizes at the 5-8 psi range after about 3 seconds.

Can anyone offer me improvements on my methods for regulating and application?
Is there something wrong with the digital regulator I am using?
Thanks.

[tiges_ tendres]

What kind of compressor are you using?

[burningman]

A Campbell Hausfeld 8 Gallon, 125 PSI maximum 3.7 SCFM @90PSI

[tiges_ tendres]

hmm.

The problem with powder escaping is probably a manufacturing issue with the gun.  I dont have this particular gun, but on mine, occasionally the little rubber seal comes loose if I tighten the lid too tightly.

As for the regulator you have, I cant speak for it or say I've even used one.  I set the PSI on my compressor, rather than dealing with an inline regulator, analog or digital.  I would like to own one, but at the time I couldnt find one that was affordable, so I skipped it.  I wouldnt say my results suffered because of this.

Also, I was put off the hot coat gun because of the need to use two hands to operate.  My gun is the harbor freight gun, and to charge the powder, you use a footpedal which frees up your other hand.