Air Compressor Size For Painting?

[plurpimpin]

What is the smallest size air compressor i could get away with for painting? In another thread i was asking about rattle cans because i was under the impression that you needed a large (20 gallon +) compressor to paint which is way out of my budget. But i was just reading the painting thread on the wiki and it said that he used a 4 gallon compressor.

So what size compressor could i get away with? I'd be painting things 1 part at a time, not the whole bike at once. I'm in no rush since with the weather here i won't really be able to ride until april anyway.

here is a link to the wiki page, there are links to the equipment the author used at the bottom:
http://wiki.gstwins.com/index.php?n=Upgrades.Paint

thanks abunch

[toyopete]

hello Friend,
any small compressor will do, the parts of the suzuki are all relatively small, it also depends on the spray gun your going to use,
some use lots of air, I would advise a spraygun with a small nozzle like 0,5 mm or less.

good luck

[toyopete]

before I forget,
also use synthetic paint instead of 2 components, it will dry slower and gives you more time to let the layers flow nicely like a glass coating.
set up a test part first, an old fender or whatever. temperature is also important, too cold will give runs, you need at least 18 degrees celsius...

[Suzuki Stevo]

If you use a gravity feed spray gun you can get away with a very small compressor, siphon feed spray guns require a bit more CFM to pick up and atomize the paint properly, either way a large compressor is not required to obtain good results      

[plurpimpin]

how small is very small 3 gallon? 6 gallon?

[tt_four]

The other thing to note is that a HVLP(high volume low pressure) gun would make for an easier time than the gun he used. A HVLP gun would not only use less air blowing through it, but it would get more of your paint onto what you're painting, so you'll be painting for a shorter time as well. A gun like this is more what you want.... http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=90977 I know it costs a lot more than the one the other person used, but everything at Harbor Freight is constantly on sale. I just picked that gun up for $20 with a coupon that BaltimoreGS was nice enough to mail me, plus I picked up another one for $30 that was on the clearance rack due to a wrecked box. While I was there they were all on sale for $40 anyway.

I think I wouldn't go any smaller than the 4 gallon compressor, but it could be done, you'll just have to take your time. There's no real difference between what a small compressor can do compared to a large one. The 3 differences to look for in a compressor are the pressure rating, which you don't need to worry about if you're only painting at 30-40psi, the HP of the motor which will affect how fast the compressor can refill itself, which won't take long on a 4 gallon anyway, and then the volume, which is the one that will really affect you here. It won't affect the quality of your painting, it'll just affect that fact that the motor is going to kick on every 5 seconds, and you may have to take a break every couple of minutes to make sure the pressure doesn't drop below what you're using.

Here's an 8 gallon that's only $40 more than the 4 gallon you were looking at.... http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95386

Obviously some compressors are ridiculously expensive, but I think there's a disproportionate ration between the size of a compressor and how much it costs. You can get a 2-4 gallon compressor for $100, or you can get a 20-30 gallon compressor for $200, and I guarantee that once you buy that 4 gallon compressor and realize how much fun air tools are, you're gonna realize how much use you would've had for a bigger one.

[Suzuki Stevo]

^^^What he said, nothing wrong with Harbor Freight^^^

[BaltimoreGS]

Any compressor will work but buy/rent the biggest one you can afford.  The larger the tank, the less the compressor runs.  The less the compressor runs, the more time moisture has time to settle at the bottom of the tank.  HVLP gun is definitely the way to go and as others have said there is nothing wrong with Harbor Freight when you are starting out.  While I see his point I do have to disagree with an earlier statement.  I prefer to use a fast drying 2 part paint, either an acrylic enamel or a urethane.  The faster the paint dries the less time dust/debris have to get in your paint.  You will also need some tack cloths to help control dust.  Search the Odds and Ends section for a post titled "Killing Time" for some more painting info.  Good luck!

-Jessie

[jeremy_nash]

me and a friend actually just bought a compressor  here is a link.  http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=94667
if anyone wants it, I have a coupon to make it 129.99

[tt_four]

me and a friend actually just bought a compressor  here is a link.  http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=94667
if anyone wants it, I have a coupon to make it 129.99

Buy that one and grab one of their HVLP guns while you're there!

[plurpimpin]

me and a friend actually just bought a compressor  here is a link.  http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=94667
if anyone wants it, I have a coupon to make it 129.99

just sent you a pm about that coupon

[jeremy_nash]

coupon is taken, and he's gonna get a good deal!!

[sledge]

You need to match the compressor with the requirements of the spray gun. Find out what psi and CFM or cubic feet/minute it needs to operate and then get a comp` that can handle the demand. No good buying a comp that gives 30psi and 5CFM if the gun needs 40psi and 10CFM to operate reliably.

[tt_four]

Also, go to home depot sometime and browse the tools you think you may want to own at some point over the next 5-10 years. All of their tools have a little color coded graph on them that tells you what size compressor is recommended for which tools.

You can use tools on compressors that are too small if you have to. I remember using my angle grinder on my 2 gallon, it's just a hassle because you can grind for 5 seconds, then you wait 30 seconds for it to refill, grind 5 more seconds.... I know you're not trying to spend a lot, but something like a compressor is the core to a lot of tools you use, so you'll do well to pick one that's sufficient now, and if you want to save money somewhere just buy cheap tools, then replace those as time goes, don't skimp on the compressor.