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Air Compressor


skatz

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hey, i did a couple of searches of the forum and nothing really helped me. i am looking into buying a air compressor to use with a spray gun to do some finishes. i wouldnt need a professional set up, just something to finish a few guitars as a hobby. i have no idea what i am looking for or how much a setup would cost. if someone could point me in the right direction i would be very appreciative.

thank you

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You are going to need a pretty decent size compressor to spray with. I have a 33 gal Craftsman (~$330 new) and I could really use a larger one. You need to look around at guns and take note of the CFM requirements and then match those to the output of the compressor you are looking at. Its probably a good idea to find the compressor that matches those specs and buy slightly larger. Nothing worse than running out of air mid spray.

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I have 50 L compressor and the thing is that best way to spray nitro color is arround 7-8 bar and same clearcote not over 2-3. At least thats what i figured out 'cos when i spray clearcoat over 2-3 bar it turns out to be creamy cos pressure is to big and it builds up air in clearcoat.

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Skatz, what you really need to look at is the CFM ( cubic feet per minute ) rating of the compressor. Any compressor will give the right pressure, but spray guns require a high volume of air as well. I believe 17cfm is sufficient for most spray equipment, but like Jay said, check the info on the gun you have or are going to buy.

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Just thought i'd offer a different opinion...

OK, my spray rig is as cheap as it gets. I'm using a Husk 1/3HP (I believe) 4 gallon pancake compressor, along with the Stew-Mac door-jamb gun. Now, I let the tank build up to full pressure (100 PSI, for safety) and begin spraying. I'm using McFadden's nitro unthinned, at anywhere from 30-40 PSI. I can usually stretch one coat (I've gotten better at managing spraying, I can spray about an inch from the body and move my arm fast enough to get medium/light build, even coats) in before the tank starts to run out, usually if it does I just wait for it to build back up again, then finish. It's not much of a problem, as rushing your work isn't very wise.

What's my point? You don't need a super expensive, super huge, super energy killing machine to paint a guitar. My rig works fine, except for the occasional compressor having to rebuild (when you spray for long enough, you can tell when the tanks getting low, and I automatically just stop) pressure.

But, like Jay said, make sure your compressor can meet or exceed the guns required CFM, mine doesnt, and I pay the consequences. :D

-Also- If I had to recommend you the smallest/cheapest compressor to go with, I'd say anywhere from an 8-16 gallon tank would be fine. Correct me if I'm wrong though!

Edited by AlGeeEater
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If we are talking really cheep then this thing is i guess thr low cost as you can go

spraygun1.jpg

I refinished loads of guitars with that and never had any problems with it. The only down side is that it is fairly hard to clean once you done spraying.

This guitar is one of guitars that i finished with that little gadget and as you see it turned ok.

Good thing to practice with too.

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CFM is most important. The tank size will change accordingly. It is surprising how many so called 20 gallon compressors have poor CFM output at their rated pressure. So don't be looking at just tank size, because it is misleading.

Another thing to consider is what ELSE you might want compressed air for. Truthfully, I could not imagine life without an air compressor. My current one, very old though, does 14CFM @ 120PSI which is plenty for paint work, but for DA or jitterbug sanding it is not enough. Even the air router runs it out fast. So if you plan to utilize air tools think about getting a compressor that is bigger right from the start. It's sort of like planning for the future.

-Doug

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