Just realized my paint gun was never the problem, it was the compressor CFM rating the whole time
I was at a supply shop in Fresno last week and the guy behind the counter asked what compressor I run. I said a 30 gallon from the big box store and he just nodded and pulled up a chart. Turns out my gun needs 13 CFM at 40 PSI and my compressor only pushes 8.2 at 90. So all that orange peel and dry spray I blamed on my air cap and my mixing ratio was just starved air. I felt like an idiot because I bought two different guns trying to chase it down. Gonna grab a 60 gallon with a real rating this weekend. Anybody else get fooled by the tank size and not the actual CFM number?
But what if the compressor was never the real issue and it was your setup all along? Tons of guys spray perfectly fine with a 30 gallon and 8 CFM, they just turn the pressure down and lay it on wetter to make up for it. Buying a bigger tank without fixing your technique just means you'll still get orange peel, except now you'll have a bigger receipt.