Paint equipment recommendations

[ilustr8tor]

OK I have spent the last couple months trying to find someone to paint my body off 65 Bug restoration. I leave messages I meet with painters but no one has committed to this project so I have decided to paint it myself. Back in the day I did my share of airbrush murals on vans and motorcycles so I feel somewhat comfortable I can do this.

I have been looking at compressors and spray guns but there are so many to pick from. I will be shooting a final primer coat, sealer coat, then color and clear. Can anyone suggest a decent setup? I am not turning pro so not looking for something with all the bells and whistles. The body is off in in some cases I will need to paint under the body so not sure about gravity feed systems.

Look forward to everyone's input.

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[Doug C]

I'll leave the final answers to the more experienced painters here but (and I'm in the same boat, painting my own car at home for the first time).. but just for your consideration: I've gathered that basically you'll need at least a 5hp compressor. I see some in the used market with a 30 gallon tank - think that's what I'll be getting. Also, I've purchased a "Contour LT" gun from eastwood. It's a low air consumption gun that was developed especially for 'home compressors' - and it's reasonably priced. It comes with a 1.3 tip but you can purchase 1.7 for epoxy primer, 2.0 for high build, etc.

[TinCanFab]

I think maybe you should say what your total budget for tools needs to be. I never intended to go "pro" myself but after doing a complete job from bare metal on my single cab, I now have a 6ft x 3ft metal cabinet FULL of paint and body equipment alone. Multiple guns, sanders, blocks etc.

If you are painting under your bug with the body mounted way up high like it is, you'll have no problems using a standard gravity feed gun. Just fill the cup about a 1/3 or so.

I recently did the bottom of my heater channels, package tray and gas tank shelf on my bug while the empty body was sitting on jack stands. I have a few of those cheap purple harbor freight detail/jamb guns. The cup is super small and it has a .9 tip. I layed on my back and nailed it pretty easy. Not very much overspray in your face with the tiny gun and no bulky cup to get in the way when you are getting in those tight spots. The BEST part is the cup is mounted like a wing nut, just loosen the nut and rotate it to the angle you need. You can hold it completely upside down with a full cup and not spill a drop.

When I used Rust Bullet on the bottom of my truck (unibody, unlike a bug) and up on jack stands with no rotisserie, I used the cheap $50 harbor freight pressure pot system with the half gallon can and two hoses- no cup on gun. You can also use it completely upside down and has a bigger tip. After I was finished I just threw it away because Rust Bullet will never clean out from a gun, its brutal stuff. There's no one perfect tool for every job in paint and body. If you want a killer gun, spend $600 on Iwata or Sata. Everything else, you can improvise.
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They're never really ever finished 58 rag build...
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=658092

[ilustr8tor]

Thanks RoachDub and Doug

a lot of good information. Plan to paint on the "straddle stand" in the picture. I will frame out 10 x 11 x 16 space and wrap with vinyl. It will have a 12" exhaust fan. I use to do a lot of air brush work back in the 70's mostly vans and motorcycles but it has been a while. Nice thing is I can start out small with the fenders, door and hoods hanging, then move on to the body where I will have to use a step ladder.

I have been trying for months to find someone willing to paint this. They are either hours away, way to expensive or simply unresponsive. Well if anything needs touching up during re-assembly I can take care of it.

Interested to see if anyone has any other recommendations. The compressor I have is a small bell tank great for air brush but probably will need to upgrade it as well.
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[Evil_Fiz]

I am not a painter (my wife won't even let me paint the walls in our house) so this information is based solely on research I have done.

If your only need for a compressor is to paint your vehicle, you may want to consider a HVLP turbine system such as the AeroJet Apollo F3 HVLP Turbine Paint Sprayer by Apollo Sprayers. Apollo also makes larger, more $$$ systems.
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[TinCanFab]

One thing to note is, compare one 12" fan to what you see in a pro paint booth. An entire wall or floor (depending on booth style) is used to draw fumes and overspray away from the car. With only this one fan, you can only comfortably paint a few small parts at a time. Your eyes are going to burn and then water like crazy while your car sits in a fog of overspray. You'll be too blind to see your coverage and probably end up with a dry sandy texture if the overspray can't melt into the paint coat before it flashes! Your gun will put out a ton of vapor with every bit of cfm your compressor pumps. You will need a very large fan or leave your garage door open.
_________________
Check out my truck brought back from the dead... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=420762&highlight=sprayed+blood

They're never really ever finished 58 rag build...
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=658092

[ilustr8tor]

Looking at upgrading my compressor what suggestions for:
HP
Tank size
CFM guessing 25-30
single or two stage

Not looking to break the bank.
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[buguy]

When I started out I had I think like a 6-7 hp 80 gallon tank. Something like the tall ones you would see at a Home improvement store. Worked ok. Being a single stage compressor it generates heat so having a long line with a drain first helps get rid of the moisture. I believe they are in the $350-$400 range. A good Devilbiss spray gun will serve you well. Also in the $400 range.
A 2 stage compressor is way better but it will be way more expensive. But if you have the $$$ it would also work better and last longer.

[Doug C]

roachdub makes great points about air flow. I do hear of people just leaving their garage door open (when painting in the garage). It favors a cut and buff after the spray though, because you can fix certain things. Myself, I purchased a portable garage from Harbour Freight. I plan to roll up the door of it enough to install a row of the cheap blue furnace filters (low restriction) across the bottom. Then on the back wall, I've got a couple of zippers (peel and stick zippers from Home Depot) that will create an opening for a huge round shop fan to draw air thru the temporary garage. It should create enough flow (fingers crossed). Later the temporary garage can either be used for parking a car in, storage, taken down and used again later for paint projects or sold to recoup some of the cost. A wooden frame covered in sheet plastic will be ok if you're certain of no rain or heavy winds.

Before buying a compressor, consider whether you'll have access to a 110 or 220 outlet.

[ilustr8tor]

Also if I am shooting 2 stage, can anyone recommend a brand of paint and supplier. I have bought stuff before from Eastwood but I am sure there is much better source. I will need final primer, sealer, color and clear.
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[Doug C]

SPI or Southern Polyurethanes is a favorite amongst many for their 'Universal Clear'.. it's said to be as good as some of the big companies or better, and is reasonably priced. Lots of guys tend to buy an basecoat from another company such as ProSpray (I think, verify brands before purchasing, SPI has a forum) and clearcoat with SPI's 'Universal Clear'. Others, most will recommend staying with in the same brand and type across the line. That's a safe practice. I learned about SPI products after I'd already purchased materials. In the future I'll be using everything but basecoat from SPI including primers. They only have like 4 colors to choose from though.. red, black, white and orange. Otherwise they have a great reputation as far as I can tell. Just one option for your consideration.

[buguy]

I like PPG. They have a lesser line called shop line that works well too. But really I would see who you have in your town that sells paint. All major brands are good but having help and product nearby will be invaluable.
And just my oppinion, I tried SPI clear and liked it just about the least of anything I have used. Many love it though. PPG 2021 clear is awesome! Not cheap though. Seems like it's around $400 for a gallon kit.
SPI epoxy is my favorite though. Also generally I don't use sealer.

[avoll]

Be advised, you not only need paint, but activator, clear, more activator, paint thinner. Stuff starts to add up pretty quick. Also depending on what color you want to paint, youll want everything primer first so you dont get bleed through.
Just wanted to give you a heads up that it adds up pretty quick.

Good luck painting, as long as you get good covrage with paint, you can always color sand out whatever runs you shoot with clear. Practice on your your bumbers first, hang them so they lay flat with front side up so your runs will be on edges/back. Or whatever small parts you can shoot. You will have a much nicer paint job if you do a few smaller parts at a time when doing clear coat. Even with slow activator if flashes pretty quick.

[heimlich]

Evil and I both bought a Northern tool compressor. It's worked well for sandblasting. Both he and I are planning on painting. I have yet to get to that part on mine. Maybe he can chime in.

I bought the compressor on his recommendation. It has a great warranty and seems to work well. I've seen some more professional guns that it won't handle so be warned it doesn't have all the SCFM you will ever need.
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