That worn out spray booth in Daytona taught me more than any class

I stopped by a small shop near the speedway last month to grab some masking tape and ended up watching the old guy there work a 2002 speedboat hull someone wanted color matched. He was using a beat up Iwata that must have seen 10,000 jobs and his clear coat lay down better than anything I've managed with my fancy new setup. Asked him about it and he just said 'it's about the wrist, not the gun.' Spent an hour watching him cut and buff and totally changed how I hold my spray pattern. Anyone else pick up a trick from an old timer's busted equipment that you now use every day?

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park.riley22d ago

That old timer's got it right... "it's about the wrist, not the gun." I had the same thing happen with a beat up Devilbiss someone left in a garage I was cleaning out. The thing had a bent needle and I still got a better first pass than on my new HVLP. People chase the newest tip size but honestly the real trick is learning to move your arm in one smooth sweep instead of jabbing at it. Now I do all my practice coats with a worn out nozzle on purpose just to keep my form honest. Forces you to slow down and feel the air pressure instead of just trusting the tool to fix your mistakes.