High Explosive

Hi been thinking of this for a while and want to start spraying well having ago anyway, but lots of air compessors sizes etc out and about i just want some advice what size tank i should be looking at and power oil free etc,,,also what type size of guns any help advice would help thanks,,,

Ray_li

i'm interested too

would not have a clue how to set the gun up and what is classed as a good spray/spread

High Explosive

If you PM me your address i have a disc that explains a few things etc but just want more advise on size of air tank i need and pressure etc..

DCR59

A 3hp motor is the most you can use from a 13amp home/garage power supply. Even then it has to have what is called soft start, so when it comes on it doesn't have a power spike and trips your fuses.

So with a 3hp motor you then need to work on what size of tank. Usually they are 50L, 100L, 150L. Get the biggest you can afford or keep it.

I have a Sealey 3hp with a 150L tank.
I've used it to paint my motorbike; bits and pieces for my Impreza track car, the wing, side skirts, rear bumper etc; and I've even used it to paint my garden fence.

I always use 2 pack paint (not for the fence), buy a proper face mask and some white paper suits.
I have Sealey and Binks spray guns with 1.4mm tips and usually set the pressure at 50psi which drops to 45psi when applying the paint.

Getting the air / paint mix on the gun is trial and error and so is technique.
All practise from here.

High Explosive

Hi thanks very much for the help just one on the paint and 2 pak is this paint the clear or is it all one just good layers thanks

High Explosive

Forgot to say does it have to be 3hp or is 2hp enough thanks anyone.

Shark Man

I sprayed my Landy with a 1.5hp 25litre portable.

OK, it was only cellulose and I had the pressure down low as I was spraying outside (more pressure = more mist in the air and not on the car ). And it seemed to cope with my old spray gun - which usually lives on the end of a 3 phase twinscrew compressor with a 200 litre tank

High Explosive

Thanks just got to look into paint 2 pac and so on and which is the best to use does 2 pac come complete so no need to use clear or is it colour then clear etc...

DCR59

2 PK paint is the base paint + activator

For expensive paint like PPG it's usually a 50-50 mix of paint and thinners.
Cheap paint can be a 50-50 mix of paint and activator.

The paint supplier will tell you whats what, and usually have data sheets to help.

Now that's only for the base coats.



For the lacquer, again it depends on the make, but can be 50% lacquer, 25% hardener, 25% thinners. Again that can vary by a lot so ask the supplier.



For the motor hp, get the biggest you can afford. 2hp will do fine, but 3hp is better.

Also, I use my compressor more to run power tools than for painting, and a 3hp will run most that's available, ie impact guns, socket ratchets.

scooby jay

Depending on what paint supplier you use mixing ratios vary who ever you buy the paint from they will be able to tell you the mixing ratio,s most are 2 parts paint to 1 part thinners assuming your using solvent based 2 k paint waterbased paint is diffrent alltogether if you need any advice pm me mate only to glad to help

minty

iTrader: (1)

won't it all be water based now as the law has changed on paints.

I know i waited a couple of months for mine to be sprayed so that it was done in water based (thinking ahead for any future painting required on it)

Chelspeed

Get in touch with your local college and see if they do evening classes in car body work or even spraying.

I've done a couple of these classes, one on mig and tig welding, one on car body work, both were a couple or three hours one evening a week for ten weeks. Cost is peanuts for the amount of kit you get to play with and the instructors are usually really experienced and more important they are used to teaching others.

After that you'll have a feel for using the various types of kit and may find you have an aptitude for one over another (or like me find that you can't spray at all and save yourself a lot of cash).