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Afew First Time Spraying Questions

  • Thread starter Thread starter Woodsy
  • Start date Start date
W

Woodsy

Guest
Okay guys, i'm getting ready to finish painting my bike in Jet Black ACRYLIC and am planing on using my spray gun for the first time but am not sure if my compressor will handle it so have afew questions.

Compressor info: 2.5HP, 40L tank 112LPM Direct Drive.
Spray Gun info: Gravity Fed, will be using a 2.0mm tip.

It runs 1/4inch lines and fittings which i have been told to change to 3/8.

It has a Regulator on the tank and i have seen different setups in regards to a water separator, some are mounted on the tank and some are mounted remotely a metre or so away with a small inline filter up near the gun.

Now here comes the tricky question, what makes a compressor a high flow? i have seen a compressor the same as mine just branded differently but it puts out 200LPM, the only noticable difference is that the hose going from the cylinder to the tank is alot thicker than my one, would this make a difference?

I'm going to get another compressor tank to join this one which is about 60L, would i have problems with burning the compressor out with it pumping 100L, it isnt a dry compressor it has oil in it.
 
The 2.0 tip is too large, assuming you are using regular automotive paint. A 1.0 - 1.5 tip is usually about right unless you are painting a 747 or something and need to really hose on the paint.

2.5 hp should be plenty, and you shouldn't need a bigger tank. Motorcycle parts are relatively small so you don't need a big honking air compressor.
 
try using it on some cardboard or other non important material to get the feel for it. you can try it with some cheap paint so it doesnt cost much but will save you lots of hassle later on.
 
I'm using Acrylic automotive paint, should i change the airline to the 3/8 line or will the 1/4 do for the bike?
 
You mentioned the LPM output of the compressor that you have. At what pressure is that LPM rated? Also there should be a minimum LPM at a certain pressure for the gun if I am not mistaken. So your compressor should be able to make that continuously.
 
no idea, i will have to check, turns out i cant get any bigger nozzle than the 1.5 in it
 
yeah its an older version of that compressor, the gun came with a 1.5 tip, i've been told to use a 1.8-2.0 but thought i could get a better answer here from someone who has sprayed a bike.

Buying a new compressor is out of my price range at the moment, i may have to finish it off with pressure packs
 
in all my bodywork experience the work you do before and after the paint is applied is what really makes a paintjob. this set up will work but it will probably require more hours of fine sanding/polishing to get the quality look i hope you wish to achieve. its up to you, spend a pretty penny on a bigger compressor and do a lot of sanding afterwards or keep the setup and do a lot of sanding afterwards. either way be ready to sand
 
As mentioned , your rig will handle it but one piece of advice, crank the compressor output pressure to max and regulate the pressure at the gun only. The pressure coming from these smaller rigs is optomistic and there is always a drop in the hose ( especially if it is extended) and if it goes through a drier. Increaseing the hose size is also not going to help so leave it be.

You should get a product sheet with the paint that will give you all the info you need to set up your equipment, spraying and recoating times etc. Always refer to that.

Practice will make perfect so shoot some test patches. Try for a "wet" look application but not so wet that it runs. If it runs, stop, let it dry, sand it out and spray again. Of course and as mentioned , if the prep work is not flawless, paint is not going to make it better and will actually show up the faults more clearly.

Above all, don't rush, take your time.

Cheers,
spyug
 
Hose and compressor size might be a factor if using a HVLP gun (high volume low pressure). HVLP guns are expensive so if you didnt spend $500 on the gun your hose and compressor will do fine.
 
go for it(after hours of meticulous prep work) you may want to spray very light layers first and with some very fine grit(600-800 grit) wet sand between coats. then after everything is very smooth, make the layers heavier and wet sand between coats. finish with 2 or 3 coats of clear and wet sand with 1000 grit or finer and then polishing compound and a cloth will become your gym ;) also a case of budweiser between coats is a must
 
well my first attempt at spraying was abit of a dud, i followed the instructions on the tin, the paint went on wet but has gone flat, looks like matt black. i'll give it a sand tomorrow with my home made speed block and see if i can make anything of it.
 
well my first attempt at spraying was abit of a dud
Click to expand...

Woodsy, not so fast mate, if you are using basecoat/clearcoat, then that is how it is, the basecoat colour does not shine, it goes on with a matt/satin finish, once you put the clear over it, it brings out the shine, sanding and polishing he clear turns it into a mirror.

I did my wheels in a basecoat, some Nissan colour charcoal, as you can see, without the cleat over it, it is quite flat.
DSC02387.jpg
 
Hmm yeah mines pretty close to that, will try and get some pics tomorrow before i sand it and put them up, i know spraying takes practice so i wasnt expecting a perfect paint job to start with. Another hassle being acrylic, ALOT of sanding! Will keep you posted.
 
i havent yet put clear over it yet no, i want to get the surface as perfect as i can first
 
Then dont sweat it, as soon as you put the clear on, it will shine like a mirror, that is how it is, you can sand until you are blue in the face, the basecoat will not shine, it is not supposed to, it is designed that way.
Just make sure you get any dust or imperfections sanded out, and call it done, lay the clear down.

And post pics...we want pics, we want pics...
 
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