Please don't bash me, I've done a search but couldn't find what I was looking for...

So, it turns out that CFM is the most important part in an air compressor and the higher the better. How about if I just wanted to paint one panel at a time (fender, door, hood, bumper, 1/4 panel, roof? Here's the specs I've dug up for my extremely economical budget...


8 gallon Campbell Hausfeld Oil-lubed Air Compressor:

Type: Oil Lube Style, Horizontal
Gallon Capacity: 8 Gallons
Max PSI: 125 PSI
SCFM @ 40 PSI: 4.3 SCFM
SCFM @ 90 PSI: 3.7 SCFM
Running HP: 1.3
Voltage: 120V
Weight: 112 lbs.


Harbor Freight purple "hvlp" spray gun:

Minimum transfer efficiency: 65%;
Operating air pressure: 43 PSI;
Air consumption: 3.7 CFM;
Air inlet: 1/4'';
Fluid nozzle: 1mm (.039");
Flow rate: 40cc per minute;
Cap pressure: 10 PSI


So everyone's been raving about the 60 gallon+ air compressors that put out 10+ CFM in combination with the $100+ devilbliss gun. For the average joe on a budget who still seeks a great quality finish, would the setup above be decent enough?

What's the cons of using a smaller and weaker tank besides the fact that it'll be impossible to paint the entire car in one round? Would this setup be adequate for spraying one panel at a time?

What's the cons of using a cheap gun from harbor freight? Is the spray pattern so horrible that it can't be fixed with a bit of wet sanding? Will the gun spray out the paint in larger clunks?

I've asked this in another thread, but was wondering why the metallic pieces would flake off if you were to roll automotive paint onto the car. Originally, I planned to roll on automotive paint to get around all this research for an air compressor, spray gun, desiccant filter, respirator, etc. So it would be a bad idea to roll on paint and wet sand afterwards for a smoother finish?

Are oil-lubed air compressors worse mainly because of the possibility of spraying oil in with the paint which may therefore create fish eyes? Oil-lubed compressors seem to be more durable over the years from the reviews I've read.

Sorry for all the noob questions but I'm on a tight budget and can't afford to spend $1500-$2000 on paint supplies.

 

With 40psi at the gun. you pull the trigger and 2 min. later it drops to 12.

I've used harbor freight guns in the past for primer. There cheap and i can toss it in the trash as soon as i finish without cleaning them (only 29.99) clunks/chucks of paint? No. shitty pattern? yes. also wont lay smooth at all.


The metallics wont lay flat. Its hard for rookie painters to get the metallics to lay flat spraying it on, id hate to see it rolled on LOL

This is true. oil from air compressors are bad news for paint.

devilbliss guns have worked for me a couple times int the past.

 

The Harbor Freight 43430 is a knockoff of a "brand name" gun. I don't recall which one. That is the one you want if you plan on going this route. See link below:
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sum...praygun-2.html
Although I think you're gonna need a much bigger compressor to get decent results.

 

You can get those purple harbor freight guns on sale for $9.95 I buy like 10-15 at a clip. Use them for primer then throw right in the trash can man.

 

Okay, so from my understanding, these cheap harbor freight guns are disposable and should only be used for primer as it's much more forgiving than the base coat. How much would the average HT painter spend on their gun and air compressor? Again, with a tight budget ranging around $300-500 for tools, what would most people go with?

So oil-lubed air compressors are bad news? Is anyone using an oil lubed air compressor for their setup and having good results (no fisheyes)?

 

just spend the most you can. You can get a nice 60gallon compressor from harbor freight for $400 and some change. Spend at least another $100 on a gun.

 

Yea, my second setup consists the 60 gallon campbell hausfeld air compressor that puts out 11 CFM and the $100+ devilbiss spray gun. However, this one is oil lubed so I'm still unsure if that'll really be an issue. Are you using an oil free compressor for your setup precision?

 

just get some inline filters....and a plastic filter you put on the end of the gun

 

I have an oiled aircompressor and never had an issue with air contamination. But I use filters and such

 

I think this setup would be VERY nice for the DIY painter...

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

 

Thanks for the suggestion bro.

I've actually decided to go with the 60 gallon campbell hausfeld air compressor that puts out 10.5 CFM @ 90psi and about 11 CFM @ 45psi.

There's too many spray guns to choose from... This Devilbiss kit looks quite promising. One for primer and the other for base/clear coat. Is this the same gun you're using Hybrid?

 

No. I am in the market for a gun though. I am planning on changing my EK from the stock black to a single stage bright white.

 

That's a pretty good looking kit.

 

Those were the first guns I ever bought. They spray pretty good for the price. Another good gun for the money is the Devilbiss finishline. I use them all the time an they lay out good.

 

I think they are the ones I am going to go with. I am planning on shooting a single stage white. Is this difficult for a beginning painter? Easy to run? anything I should know about the process?

 

So what's the better gun for the money? The Devilbiss Startingline or the Devilbiss Finishline? Is there a difference in the transfer efficiency of these 2? Are there aftermarket kits available to rebuild these units if they ever fail?

 

It can be hard, I never really had a problem, but some people cant shoot for ****. There's alot that goes with painting, everything from what kind of paint and the correct mixture of catalysts or reducers, air pressure, environment, what size tip your spraying with. White is probably the easiet color to spray just because it hides alot.

Best advice for you would be to practice on smaller objects to get the feel for it, then work up to painting the car.

 

I personally like the finishline. Alot of painters hate on it cause its not a 400 sata or gti. But Ive never had a problem laying whatever material Im spraying down. The only difference would be the tip size. I have two finishlines, one with a 1.4 tip for base and clear. And a 1.7 for primer and sealer.

If your starting out the kit would probably be better because it comes with a 1.3 tip for base and clear and the 1.8 for primers and heavier materials.

 

And for the record, the purple Harbour freight gun sucks. I used it once and threw it out, I wouldnt even use it for primer. Just buy a dedicated primer gun and be donewith it. Or in this case, the devilbiss kit, which is a good bang for the buck.

 

Nice, I've actually spotted the Devilbiss Finishline 3 on fleabay for $150 shipped. It's being sold by tcpglobal which most people had good luck with.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/DeVIL...motiveQ5fTools

So it contains the 1.3mm, 1.5mm, and 1.8mm tips. This one however, only comes with one gun as opposed to the Startingline kit which also contains the clean up tools. If there's no difference but the tip, I think I'll just go with the Startingline kit.

Does anyone still wetsand the basecoat/clear coat after using these higher quality guns? I've been hearing people raving about how it lays on like "glass" so I'm assuming wetsanding is something of the past. Unless your working in a highly contaminated area.

 

I found this "system" which includes everything needed to shoot the car with the single stage paint. From what I have learned, single stage is the way to go with solid colors such as white/black/etc. BC/CC is more beneficial with metallic type paints, I am correct? Seems like the single stage is a good amount cheaper and will look "wet" all the time, which is what I like. Buffs out easy and is a little more forgiving in terms of shooting.. Anyways, here is what I had my eye on:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/COMPL...motiveQ5fTools

 

Wow, that kit's hella cheap. The kits I've been keeping an eye on were the metallic BC/CC urethane offered by TCPglobal. I might be going with dupont or ppg once I visit my local paint shop. I'm going for the dark gunmetal color.

I've heard that single stage urethane was harder to spray. Don't you need a whole lot of experience to lay down the single stage paint flawlessly?

Which air compressor are you using with the devilbiss gun Hybrid?

 

I have the previous model of this compressor:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...air+compressor

 

4.9CFM @ 90psi

Doesn't the Devilbiss gun require about 13 CFM?

 

The only difference is the tip, if you purchased the single you have to swap out tips depending on the material you were spraying.
As far as wetsanding/buffing go, it all depends in your paint surface/environment, and how you lay your clear. You'll always have orange peel to some extent not to mention possible dirt or some type of contaminant, so if your looking for a mirror finish you'll probably want to wetsand and buff it afterwards. But then again afterwards if the paint looks good, you might not have to.