DIY auto painting
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,179
Likes: 3
From: SF East Bay CA
You probably want at least a 100psi, but you WILL also want to get a rgulator to give a constant air flow. There is a good book on Amazon entitled "painting secrets" Actually put out by House of color. I have it around here somewhere, but it is a good reference. May be at your local bookstore too. Make sure you have the right gun/nozzle for your application.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,672
Likes: 1
From: New Cumberland PA
Originally Posted by timbo79
You probably want at least a 100psi,
Last edited by mandm1200; Mar 19, 2005 at 01:14 PM.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 15,175
Likes: 3,990
From: Connecticut, USA
Check and see if you can find any of Lars information he's and exert on painting and write excellany papers on doing it at home. It's the one thing I haven't done on a corvette.
Gary
Gary
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 169
Likes: 0
From: Ingersoll Ontario
Depends on the gun if its one of the newer HLVP guns you only need about 9-12psi. Buy a inline air filter/dryer even if you have one on the compressor. And if you have an inline oiler remove the oiler and buy a new hose and use that hose for only painting as there may be oil inside of the other hose. One of the biggest keys to a good DIY paint job is clean air, tools, area for painting and good clean surfaces. You can never be to clean.
Pro
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 687
Likes: 0
From: Atascadero Ca
You're getting way too many scattered answers. One of those little cheapo 5 gallon pancake style compressors should be pleanty to run a hvlp gun. A typical hvlp gun will require you to set the air pressure to 25-35 psi at your air compressor. HVLP guns have internal regulators in them, the 9-12 psi rating is at the air cap in the gun, not at the gun inlet. Anyway, with the small amount of air todays guns consume your money is best spent on the gun rather than on the compressor. The devilbiss finishline is a good entry level hvlp gun, of course you can always upgrade to a nicer gun, but a nice hvlp finishline should be adequate for painting a vette in a home garage. I reccomend getting a nice small 5 gallon or so construction style air compressor, a water trap/oil separator, to keep the air line clean, and a nice devilbiss gun. If you want to run air ratchets, impact guns, sanders, etc. you'll of course need a bigger compressor, but 5 gallons is more than pleanty to paint a car.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
I thought the high volumn low pressure guns still required 30 to 40 psi to atomize the paint properly. You don't need 100 psi , you need volume. I use the large 5 horse, 220 volt 60 gallon tank and it seems to run alot when painting too.
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C6 the C5 of tomorrow
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 6,665
Likes: 2
From: Twin Cities Minnesota
HVLP guns do require a lot of air. My little 5 hp compressor is not big enough. I still paint with it, but I stand around a lot waiting for the compressor to shut off.
Norval tho prolly has a real 5 hp compressor ( i.e 220v )
Just bring your paint gun to the place you are going to buy the compressor from and say, <cave man voice on> Me need compressor for this, Ug </cave man voice>
Norval tho prolly has a real 5 hp compressor ( i.e 220v )
Just bring your paint gun to the place you are going to buy the compressor from and say, <cave man voice on> Me need compressor for this, Ug </cave man voice>
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Originally Posted by 427V8
HVLP guns do require a lot of air. My little 5 hp compressor is not big enough. I still paint with it, but I stand around a lot waiting for the compressor to shut off.
Norval tho prolly has a real 5 hp compressor ( i.e 220v )
Just bring your paint gun to the place you are going to buy the compressor from and say, <cave man voice on> Me need compressor for this, Ug </cave man voice>
Norval tho prolly has a real 5 hp compressor ( i.e 220v )
Just bring your paint gun to the place you are going to buy the compressor from and say, <cave man voice on> Me need compressor for this, Ug </cave man voice>
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 18,191
Likes: 145
From: Snake handler
Correct me if I'm wrong but HVLP guns don't need much pressure (psi) but they do need adequate CFM - I believe 8+ -
I bought a FinishLine gun and it was junk. Invest in a good gun - you'll also need different tips for primer, color and clear.
I painted my car in a spray booth. My biggest concern about painting at home would be dust.
Also, be careful running an air compressor in the same area that you are painting. You could create an explosion!
I bought a FinishLine gun and it was junk. Invest in a good gun - you'll also need different tips for primer, color and clear.
I painted my car in a spray booth. My biggest concern about painting at home would be dust.
Also, be careful running an air compressor in the same area that you are painting. You could create an explosion!
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,692
Likes: 206
From: Loveland, CO
Check out Harbor Freight for both compressors and spray guns. You don't need a professional (expensive) spray gun for occasional use in your garage. I just got one of their 60 gal, 6 1/2HP model compressors for high $400, with free delivery to my door. My old Sears 2HP, 20 gallon was running all the time. I've painted a few cars in my garage, in a homemade paint booth, with cheap paint guns and got excellent results. There is nothing like "Spray gun envy". 
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 803
Likes: 0
From: South San Francisco CA
I've used an airless sprayer on the last six or seven cars I've painted. The advantage is you get more paint on the car than in the air but you will need to spend more time wetsanding. Having used both methods, the airless is by far the best in my book. With the price of paint these days hovering around $400 per gallon or more, I like putting this "liquid gold" on the car and not everywhere else.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 492
Likes: 0
From: Birmingham AL
Originally Posted by pjmonfre
I painted my car in a spray booth. My biggest concern about painting at home would be dust.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 231
Likes: 0
From: Cedar City UT
CFM rules when it comes to compressors. Match your compressor to your paint gun. If you want a 12.5 cfm Sata or Sharpe ,you'll need a big 7-10 HP 15cfm compressor to run smoothly without waiting for the compressor to catch up.
A good amateur gun is a Sharpe Platinum low vol HVLP gun that only needs 7.5cfm to run. This gun slows the whole painting process down which is just what the amateur needs. Its low cfm rating means you can get by with a 7 hp 60gal 11.3 cfm compressor from Home Depot or Lowels. Get yourself a cheap hvlp gun from Harbor Freight for primer and your in buisness. LOL
Bob
A good amateur gun is a Sharpe Platinum low vol HVLP gun that only needs 7.5cfm to run. This gun slows the whole painting process down which is just what the amateur needs. Its low cfm rating means you can get by with a 7 hp 60gal 11.3 cfm compressor from Home Depot or Lowels. Get yourself a cheap hvlp gun from Harbor Freight for primer and your in buisness. LOL
Bob
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,380
Likes: 6,391
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
I've done a lot of home painting, and here's what I've found and experienced:
I've painted complete cars (that have come out very nice) with a 3-horse Craftsman. However, the compressor cannot keep up with the paint gun, so you have to really plan your painting carefully since you cannot paint continuously. Since the pressure will not remain constant, it's a real trick to make the paint come out uniformly. You can do it with a 3-horse, but I sure wouldn't recommend it.
A 5-horse is marginal. If you have a big tank on a 5-horse, you can do the painting fairly well. A small tank on a 5-horse will produce the same delayed results as the 3-horse: the 5-horse cannot keep up with a paint gun with the trigger pulled.
A 7-horse will get the job done. You can paint continuously with a 7-horse compressor, and it will maintain pressure.
Don't be fooled by an old suction paint gun versus an HVLP: Both guns will consume a large amount of air, and you don't ever want to operate an HVLP at the manufacturer's recommended inlet pressure if you want your paint to come out nice...
I've painted complete cars (that have come out very nice) with a 3-horse Craftsman. However, the compressor cannot keep up with the paint gun, so you have to really plan your painting carefully since you cannot paint continuously. Since the pressure will not remain constant, it's a real trick to make the paint come out uniformly. You can do it with a 3-horse, but I sure wouldn't recommend it.
A 5-horse is marginal. If you have a big tank on a 5-horse, you can do the painting fairly well. A small tank on a 5-horse will produce the same delayed results as the 3-horse: the 5-horse cannot keep up with a paint gun with the trigger pulled.
A 7-horse will get the job done. You can paint continuously with a 7-horse compressor, and it will maintain pressure.
Don't be fooled by an old suction paint gun versus an HVLP: Both guns will consume a large amount of air, and you don't ever want to operate an HVLP at the manufacturer's recommended inlet pressure if you want your paint to come out nice...
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 169
Likes: 0
From: Ingersoll Ontario
Gdaina you painted your car with a 5 hp and is that the paint job that is the green vert....if so that is an awsome job. I am contemplating do this as well I have a Brand new Sears Craftsman 6hp 33 gallon compressor at states that it delivers 7.8cfm @ 40psi and 5.5 @ 90psi will this be ok and what gun and tips should be used for base and clear. I have an old gun for primer. What is a good deal on a gun and what have people been using. I know get a sata or a binkks but I have already blow my wad on bumpers and rad support and engine crap so funds are an issue. Any good comments on this would be great. Sorry didn't mean to hijack the thread I'm sure this info will be good for the thread creator as well.