Paint spraying

26th February 2015, 17:42

Not sure if this is the correct section but yeah..

I was wondering if anyone has any experience of spray painting? The reason I ask is I would like to get a spray gun etc to have a go at doing some small bits of bodywork at home I.e wings, bumpers etc. Its just something I'd like as a bit of a hobby when I have free time really.

I have a 3hp 50L sealey compressor think it makes around 12cfm max. Could anyone recommend me a gun and whatever else I would need to do a bit of spraying?

Cheers!

26th February 2015, 17:57

What paint type are you planning on spraying, as it changes equipment needs.

First thing you want to get a painters mask, unless you want to use 2k paint and then you need to seriously consider air fed gear for breathing. (I don't care what anyone says, even low exposure to 2k isn't worth the risk) If going down this route, then your compressor will realistically be running beyond its capability.
Then you need to sort out a good filter / water trap set up. Any water or dust in the finished paint is a ball ache.
As for guns, with practice you can get a good finish out of a cheap gun, but its easier to spray with a better gun. Also gravity feed guns require less air.
Also consumables.... Plenty of thinners for gun cleaning, panel wipe, tack rags.

Just get stuck in, with practice it isn't difficult.

26th February 2015, 18:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpclassics

Just get stuck in, with practice it isn't difficult.

Well that's bull shit.....

For a start your compressor doesn't meet the criteria for spray painting. You need atleast a 10ltr tank and 30cfm to run a decent hvlp gun at 2 bar of pressure to atomise the paint.

For home use the ebay special guns run okay as long as you clean them all the time. For a decent price decent gun you could look at the devilbiss range the gti will pretty much paint anything you like with a 1.3 spray cap and needle set up. At home realistically all you can paint is acrylic 2k acrylic and cellulose paint. A good mask is always the first thing I buy. Gun wash thinners is only a quid a litre and I use it instead of panel wipe and de greaser. Other than that watch vids on YouTube and keep your pressure below 2 bar and 7 inches from the panel and have some fun. It will become apparent what you need and what equipment you need when you start.

26th February 2015, 18:44

So ideally I would be needing a bigger compressor? And how much would I be looking at for a good mask?

26th February 2015, 18:57

A good 3m mask for 2k is about £13 but they only last 30days, a good mask with cartridges custs about £60 but can just buy replacements for £5 each lasting 30 days.

Your compressor will do the job for say half a bumper but more than that you're going to need a bigger tank and a bigger pump.

26th February 2015, 20:34

Ok thanks very much, I guess a £13 mask would do the job for me as I'm not going to be using it often, think I may price up some bigger compressors and browse the spray guns, one more question would it be better to have more than one gun for example a cheaper one for the primer then a better quality one for the paint?

26th February 2015, 20:57

I sprayed my entire car with a 50l 2.5hp compressor in my garage, as said a decent mask is a must, I used a set of guns I bought from ebay for 30 quid, one 1.8 tip for primer, and a 1.3 tip for base/laq, prep is everything, this is the sort of finish I got:

27th February 2015, 12:25

You got anymore pics of that? Looks quite a decent job to be fair!

27th February 2015, 14:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben_SaxoForte

You got anymore pics of that? Looks quite a decent job to be fair!

I did the whole rebuild in my garage and on the driveway, colour is audi ibis white

27th February 2015, 15:10

Looks awesome that does mate, I only really want to paint a wing and a front bumper then maybe a couple of other bits if I can manage a decent job, much prefer doing my own work if I can and at the end of the day I've already got a fucked bumper even if I made a balls up of the paint it can't be any worse and I'll have fun trying.. Haha

What kind of paint did you use? Being honest I'm a bit confused on what I need other than it being silver and I have the paint code.

27th February 2015, 17:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben_SaxoForte

Looks awesome that does mate, I only really want to paint a wing and a front bumper then maybe a couple of other bits if I can manage a decent job, much prefer doing my own work if I can and at the end of the day I've already got a fucked bumper even if I made a balls up of the paint it can't be any worse and I'll have fun trying.. Haha

What kind of paint did you use? Being honest I'm a bit confused on what I need other than it being silver and I have the paint code.

I used 2k mate, you obviously need the paint, hardener , thinners etc, panel wipe for degreasing what your spraying/tac cloth, sand paper, grit depends on what needs doing, if it just needs flatting, 400-600 would be fine, masking paper/tape etc, make sure you have a heated place to do it, I used 2 big heaters on in the garage to get it nice and toasty.

Also need to make sure your gun is set up correctly, there are some guides on youtube

hope this helps

27th February 2015, 17:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by iSlayeR

I used 2k mate, you obviously need the paint, hardener , thinners etc, panel wipe for degreasing what your spraying/tac cloth, sand paper, grit depends on what needs doing, if it just needs flatting, 400-600 would be fine, masking paper/tape etc, make sure you have a heated place to do it, I used 2 big heaters on in the garage to get it nice and toasty.

Also need to make sure your gun is set up correctly, there are some guides on youtube

hope this helps

Cheers

think I've got a pretty good idea of what I need now then, better start collecting bits, probably leave it til the weather's a bit warmer before I start but can get everything ready!