Painting Help Please

general_lee_jr · Post by **general_lee_jr** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 5:04 pm

I now have a compressor. I now need a paint gun and some advice. This is my first time painting and I would like to do it right. What kind of gun should you use and is their any certain air pressure that I must maintain? I would also like to know how to do it safe as far as ventalation and all that good stuff.

I have a garage that is about 18 X 18. Should I plaster the walls with plastic or tarp. I want to make the painting area as clean as possible as well as being well ventalated too. Any help would be great. I spent the majority of my money on the compressor and I am on a budget.

If anybody has a website that I can read up on that would be great.

blackace · Post by **blackace** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 5:24 pm

I like DeVilbiss http://www.autorefinishdevilbiss.com/. I use their Finishline Paint gun. I bought a cheap suction feed gun for spraying primer at a wholesale club. Like CostCo, BJ's, and Sam's. I don't know if you have any in Georgia but Walmart will have them. I was looking on eBay the other day and the Finishline paint guns were selling for about $100. I paid almost $200 for about 7 years ago and I love it. If there are any local bodyshop supply stores you can check them out for paint guns. Primers are sprayed between 20 to 30 psi or less and paint is sprayed between 30 to 40 psi (if I rember correctly its been a while) depending on the application. Pick up a body repair book and they should have just about all the information you need.

blackace · Post by **blackace** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 5:55 pm

You also want to wet the floor in your garage to catch the dust from spraying all over the car while spraying. You dont want to soak it because if you do that then you will be walking and splashing dirty, muddy water all over fresh paint. Buy a charcol respirator for painting or a fresh air line the connects to you air supply while painting.

general_lee_jr · Post by **general_lee_jr** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 6:14 pm

How big is a big compressor?

blackace · Post by **blackace** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 6:19 pm

7 HP 60 Gallon

general_lee_jr · Post by **general_lee_jr** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 6:22 pm

Thats what I got. That was close. I was looking at a 30gal but figure for less then $150 I could double the capacity. Can you buy the pressure regulators at home depot or somewhere like that. I live 20 miles northeast of atlanta so I figure I can get what ener is needed without mail order. Thanks

57Drag · Post by **57Drag** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 8:55 pm

Don't forget the presure needs to be at the gun,i run a small presure guage at my gun.And on metalic colors it's vital you spray them at the proper presure.As for what presure,each manufacturer is a little different,it tells you on the can.Best advise is to hit a good book store,read,read,practice,and practice some more.My paint gun is a Snap On i got in 89 or so when i worked at the body shop,it's a Develvis head and a Snap On cup,i also had a air powered mixing cup(with a mixer in the botom to stir the metalic)but since my divorce i cant seem to find it,and a bunch of other things

.It is a good idea to get a primer gun for primer only so you can keep your good gun good....Donald

general_lee_jr · Post by **general_lee_jr** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 4:12 am

I will look into some guns. Is their a major difference between the gravity fed and the bowl type. I would also like to know where you can purchase the original paint colors from. I am going to keep the fasty the light blue color that it came from the factory with. Thanks

metropoj · Post by **metropoj** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 4:34 am

Is it true to run short flex lines to your guns ?

I've noticed that when I use my tools with a long 50 foot hose, the pressure seems to drop off rapidly. I was thinking of running the solid lines with regulators and then use a ten foot or so hose with a water / particle filter. Does this make sense ?

blackace · Post by **blackace** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 10:22 am

general_lee_jr wrote:I will look into some guns. Is their a major difference between the gravity fed and the bowl type. I would also like to know where you can purchase the original paint colors from. I am going to keep the fasty the light blue color that it came from the factory with. Thanks

As long as you have the paint code you can either go to a body shop or a body shop supply store and they can mix the factory color for you. Or if you don't know what the color code is a body shop or the supply store has a database that they can find the code. Or you can even contact House of Kolour and they also might be able to help you. Now just about everyone uses the gravity feed because they are HLVP (high volume low pressure) guns. And you really dont want to use your painting gun to spray primers with. You primer gun will be that only primer and you really don't have to keep it as clean as your paint gun. Just clean the nozzle and the cup after each use. Unlike your paint gun where you want to take it apart when you are done spraying that color so that it does not contaminate the other colors. Also with your paint gun you want to go with a larger tip so that you have a more larger even pattern then that of your primer gun.

blackace · Post by **blackace** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 11:57 am

webs1302s wrote:
blackace wrote:
general_lee_jr wrote:I will look into some guns. Is their a major difference between the gravity fed and the bowl type. I would also like to know where you can purchase the original paint colors from. I am going to keep the fasty the light blue color that it came from the factory with. Thanks
Also with your paint gun you want to go with a larger tip so that you have a more larger even pattern then that of your primer gun.
Larger tips are for thicker paints and don't have much to do with a even pattern. The better the atomization, the nicer the job. Most primer is thick (fill primer) and will need a larger tip. Not topcoat. Too large of a tip can lead to too much paint comming out of your gun and that could lead to runs. Depending on the paint, 1.1 to 1.6 is the norm. Your paint supplier will know depending on what type of paint you buy so you won't have to guess.

Sorry I was refering to spray pattern.