Marshalltown Enforcer Texture Sprayer FAQ | Tools Rule! | Toologics.com

Jun 27 2008

Marshalltown Enforcer Texture Sprayer FAQ

Written by Ben Jackson

Friday, 27 June 2008

Marshalltown's ENFORCER backpack texture/mud sprayer is quite possibly the coolest texture spraying tool around. With a capacity of 2.5 gallons, the Marshalltown ENFORCER can spray Acoustic/Popcorn, Orange Peel/Fine Splatter, Splatter, Knockdown, EIFS, Stucco, and Deck Coatings/Decorative Concrete Overlay. Unlike a traditional hopper texture gun, the enclosed tank makes spills thing of the past. It works with any standard air compressor and has a maximum output of 1.75 gallons per minute.

Personally, I think it resembles the ectoplasm guns carried by Dan Akroyd and Ernie Hudson in the movie, "Ghostbusters 2".

Marshalltown sent Toologics.com a comprehenive FAQ that aims to answer many of the questions you may have about the Enforcer. Click READ MORE to check out the Marshalltown ENFORCER F.A.Q.

I can’t get the lid off – what’s wrong?
There are a couple things that may be going on and some things that you can try to combat that.
Make sure you are holding the red release valve up while turning the lid.
Make sure you have loosened the bolts.
Make sure you haven’t over-loosened the bolts. Each bolt has a small platform that is designed to prevent over-tightening. If you over-loosen the bolt it will lift the lid upwards. Having one bolt over-loosened will cause the lid to kink and will make it very difficult to get off. Retighten all four bolts and then loosen them back up – it should take 1 full turn of the bolt to release the lid.

If the Enforcer is new, recently greased, or has been sitting a while the lid may stick. If you have trouble breaking that seal, try loosening all four bolts several turns. Start with any bolt and then skip to the bolt across from it, move to the bolt next to that, and then across again. This will use the lifting effect described above to lift the lid and break that seal. Once the lid has been removed, retighten all four bolts and then loosen them back up – it should take 1 full turn of the bolt to release the lid. Removing the lid gets much easier with practice.

What can the Enforcer spray?
The official list includes: Acoustic/Popcorn, Orange Peel/Fine Splatter, Splatter, Knockdown, EIFS, Stucco, and Deck Coatings/Decorative Concrete Overlay. MSDS sheets are available for all materials that we have successfully tested with the Enforcer.

What capacity of compressor do I need?
As a general rule of thumb, it can run off any compressor that can run a standard hopper gun. To be more exact, the Enforcer requires a minimum 5.0 CFM @ 40 PSI.

Can I use the pump with materials other than drywall texture?
Using a pump with other materials is not recommended. Materials like EIFS and concrete overlays set-up too quickly and harden inside of the pump.

I’m fighting the stiffness of the spray hose, how can I fix that?
One quick way to reduce the struggle with the hose is to make an adjustment at the gun attachment. The fitting on the end of the hose that connects to the gun is a swivel connector. Once you have connected the gun and suited up with the Enforcer – you should be able to grab the gun and hose and rotate them without completely unscrewing the gun. If the gun is very difficult to rotate, loosen the connector slightly, adjust the gun as needed, and retighten.

My piston is stuck.
A seized piston is rare but has happened on occasion. This occurs when the piston seals have not been properly lubricated or are over-worn causing the piston to rock and lock in place. To remove a seized piston – remove the lid, take off the piston cap, and rock the piston side to side and in a circular motion. Once the piston has released, inspect the seals and replace as necessary. Lubricate the piston seals with Vaseline or an o-ring lubricant prior reinserting the piston.

How often do I need to replace the seals?
The seals should be inspected before each use. Properly maintained seals used exclusively with drywall compound can last for 6 months or more. Seals that are used with aggregate materials, like EIFS or concrete overlay, are more prone to wear and tear and will need replaced more frequently. As a rule of thumb, the seals should be lubricated with Vaseline or an o-ring lubricant bi-weekly and after cleaning for the best results.

The air hose comes unraveled or sags.
The air hose is designed to be used without any fasteners, but as the hose loses some of its coil memory from prolonged use, a zip tie can fix the problem. A zip tie near the gun should eliminate the unraveling or sagging.

The material isn’t flowing.
Check to make sure the compressor is connected to the Enforcer and working properly.
Check to make sure the toggle switch is flipped to SPRAY.
Check to make sure the mud flow control knob is not turned all the way counterclockwise. For a medium viscosity material the mud flow control will typically need to be at least half way open before the material will flow. For high viscosity (thick) material the controls may need to be all the open before you’ll see movement.
Make sure you pull and hold the trigger of the gun.
Check the viscosity of your material. If the material is too thick to pour from bucket to bucket, it’s too thick to spray through the Enforcer.
Open the lid and check the piston. Is it in there? Will it slide up and down freely in the tank? Do the seals look worn out?
Is there an obstruction in the gun or hose?
If none of these suggestions have fixed the issue, contact customer service for additional troubleshooting tips.

Mud is dripping from my gun.
Determine where the mud is flowing from. If the dripping is coming from the face of the gun there are a couple steps you can take.
Remove the orifice plate. If the dripping stopped, it’s likely the orifice hole wasn’t directly over the nozzle. This forces the trigger backward and causes material to leak. Replace the orifice plate paying special attention to lining up the hole.
Try pushing the trigger forward without the orifice plate. This should seat the nozzle into the o-ring on the front of the gun. If the leaking hasn’t stopped, contact customer service. If it did stop, try lubricating the o-ring with Vaseline or an o-ring lubricant after cleaning out the gun.
If these suggestions haven’t fixed the issue, or if material is leaking elsewhere in the gun, contact customer service.

When I try to fill with a pump, it is difficult/impossible to pump.
There are a couple things that might be causing this problem.
Check the toggle switch to make sure it is flipped to FILL/OFF.
Lift up on the red air release cap on the lid. If pressure continues to flow from the cap with the toggle switch on FILL/OFF – disconnect the Enforcer from the compressor immediately and call customer service.
Remove the lid and check the piston. Remove the piston cap and cycle the piston up and down. Inspect the piston seals and lubricate or replace as needed. If you discover that the piston can not be removed, please refer to the “My piston is stuck” section above.

How often do I need to lubricate the o-ring and piston?
On average, you will need to lubricate the piston seals with Vaseline or an o-ring lubricant every 2 weeks or after every cleaning for optimal performance.

The Enforcer isn’t tight against my backpack – what’s wrong?
Make sure that the pneumatic assembly is on the right hand side as the Enforcer would be on your back. Tighten down the straps that connect the Enforcer to the backpack as needed.

Do I need to dilute the drywall mud prior to filling?
As a rule of thumb, material needs to be pourable from bucket to bucket to be able to spray from the Enforcer. If you run a mixer through a fresh bucket or box of drywall compound without adding water it would be too thick to meet this criteria. Typical drywall texture is sprayed at a pancake batter consistency. So yes, the material needs to be diluted, but no more so then normally done with a hopper gun or texture rig.

Can I attach the hose to the top of the gun instead of the bottom?
Yes. We actually found this to reduce fatigue while spraying ceilings.

Why is the Enforcer “empty” when I can still see mud in the hose?
The material stops flowing from Enforcer when the piston settles to the bottom of the tank. At that point there is no longer any force behind the material to push the mud through the hose. Although it is not recommended for finish texturing because of the splattering effect that will result, the rest of that mud can be removed quickly and easily. Simply remove the piston and reseal the system. The air alone will be enough to force the majority of that material out. Another option for low viscosity (thin) materials is to remove the piston and hold the tank higher than the gun. This will allow the material to simply flow out.

The spray is sputtering when I first start spraying after filling and when I stop spraying.
The sputtering will happen when air is mixing with the compound. This will happen after filling if air has been pumped into the system. Make sure that the pump has been primed and that there is enough mud in the bucket prior to filling.

Sputtering will also happen as the material runs out. If you continue to try to spray after the piston has bottomed out in the tank then small amounts of air will slide past the piston and slowly force material out of the gun. This is not recommended and will result in a very inconsistent pattern.