Spray painting — first time question
PenobscotMan
| Posted in General Discussion on
Is it possible to spray paint (furniture, say) with a compresor that delivers 3.8 cfm? I just bought a compressor (Makita MAK700) to drive a 16 ga finish nailer and am very satisfied with it for that purpose. Now I’m thinking of spray painting — furniture, not walls. The catalogs suggest that for serious spray painting you need a compresor that can deliver more volume (8-10 cfm are frequently cited), but I see in one catalog a listing for a spray gun that works at low presure and capacity (3 cfm).
Any advice will be welcome. I’m new to compressors but otherwise an experienced painter.
Replies
It can work for small , short projects. Depending on the gun, the finish and a few other variables. You DO want a water seperator in line before the gun. Esp with clear coats and stains, latex paint, not so much a problem.
I don't get excited about spraying latex in any fashion tho' so YMMV.
A cheap spray gun is really OK for some things, usually a Cambell-Hausfeld or a clone can be had for 50 bucks or so.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
You gonna play that thing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Ln-SpJsy0
The small tank on that compressor will not provide enough air, I think you would be disappointed.
You can spray just fine til the tank runs out, than you wait til it charges up again and spray some more, probably ten or fifteen seconds spray for every three or four minutes compressor run time. Low cfm guns work, but don't lay out a primo finish.
That sounds terrible -- most of the time I'd be sitting, gun in hand, listening to the compressor chug. I guess this is a bad idea.
For something like furniture, you are doing a lot of stop and go short swath sprays that takes time anyways though.Harbor Freight is usually no place to shop for anything but rags and paperweights, but they have a spray gun that has earned a couple good test awards from magazines over the years for fifty bucks or less. They call it an HVLP gun.I don't have it or the exact model, but I think I have seen it labeled in the catalouge as "editors Choice " or some such.
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A compressor with a little tank will refill in a very short while, lot less than 3-4 minutes. You would not get below 60 psi while spraying, so you would only be waiting for it to recover. I'd give it a shot myself
"most of the time I'd be sitting, gun in hand, listening to the compressor chug."Worse yet, your paint will be drying while you wait for air pressure to come back up so you will have lost your wet edge. The next bit of sprayed area won't blend into the former one.
BruceT
It is a very difficult way to get a good finish unless what you are spraying is small and straightforward. I know, I did it for too many years and got to really, really hate finishing.I use turbine-driven Accuspray HVLP now and still can't believe how easy it can be.edit: If you go fro an HVLP 'conversion' gun, compressor driven HVLP, you still need to pay attention to compressor capacity.
Edited 7/9/2008 7:11 pm by observer
That accuspray is what I have.It is a bit more than fifty bucks tho, LOL
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
<<<It is a bit more than fifty bucks tho, LOL>>>Especially when you trick it out with pressure pot, lines, a spare gun and the full complement of needles, nozzles and caps. Worth every cent and more though.
It's not small and straightforward -- it's a pair of "antique" Adirondack chairs with lots of nooks and crannies. The voice of the people seems to be -- forget spraying! Thanks for the advice, all!
Penobsco
I use a cheap HVLP with it's own tubine for clear coats. 1st one was a Wagner 2nd one I can't remember the name. $160
Nothing fancy but it will spray a very nice finish of poly or laquer.
For mill work it is many times faster than by brush with alot smoother finish. I'll never go back to brushing mill work. Even for small jobs I get out the sprayer.
Some day I will upgrade to a nice unit but for now this gets the job done.
Rich
Edited 7/10/2008 10:27 pm ET by cargin
With that type of work, an HVLP unit is a much better choice. You can dial it right back and really reduce overspray and bounceback from all the nooks and crannies. Spraying finish is worth pursuing but it is really tough to learn with undersized, low end equipment.
Yes you can... harbor freight they run a little $15 touch up gun on sale all the time... it really sprays well... only holds about a cup of paint at a time... but it'll work fine with your compressor... they have a full size gun again... on sale all the time for less than $20 it's a clone of a nice gun... it too works well and has a qt cup... your compressor will run it... might have some lag time... but... go spend $20 and play with it... getting your paint thinned right will be your biggest issue...
I've painted cars since i was 14 with far less than what you'll have with a harbor freight gun... and they always turned out well...
p