Air Compressor

[95strokerPSU]

I'm probably gonna get an air compressor for Christmas so I just a couple questions. What should I look for as far specs? It needs to be vertical, for storage space, and I'm gonna use it initially just to power some air tools, but within a year I plan to start learning how to paint. Any particular make/model you guys recommend?

I was looking in the Sears ad today and they had a 33gal 150psi compressor with 3 air tools and hose included for $300. Would this be good for me? I'm looking for something around $300.

Thanks
Dave

 

[slvrbullit302]

that is not a bad deal there, I paid that for mine from Wal mart last year and it is only a 15gal ???psi. I used it to paint my hood and it did a good job, I used a HVLP siphon style gun.

 

[bigcat]

33 gal is a little small for painting, but it depends on what you are painting. i spray for my buddy with his 30 gal. compressor and only have enough air to do about 1 panel of a car before it has to fill up again and i have to wait. you will NOT be able to spray an entire side of a car without problems, let alone a complete paint job. spend a little more and you can find 60 gal. compressors for about $450 at places like home depot. but, the bigger compressors use 220 and the smaller ones only need 110. so if you dont have 220 (or dont want to install 220), then youll have to go with a smaller unit.

 

[Nagash01WS6]

I used a 25 gallon craftsman with the same air consumption specs as the 33 gallon craftsman and it kept up fine.

My next compressor will be a 60 gallon though, I would advise you spend the money right the first time, and spend the extra 100-150 dollars for more range of use. I got this one from a friend after it broke and fixed it up.

Only bad thing with the smaller compressors is from what I have noticed they collect water much more quickly in the tank when you are running them in a continuous duty situation. You would want to run an air / water seperator regardless when painting. While I was running the D/A sanding the car down, it like to start spitting a lot of water at me.

 

[mo_dingo]

33 gal is a little small for painting, but it depends on what you are painting. i spray for my buddy with his 30 gal. compressor and only have enough air to do about 1 panel of a car before it has to fill up again and i have to wait. you will NOT be able to spray an entire side of a car without problems, let alone a complete paint job. spend a little more and you can find 60 gal. compressors for about $450 at places like home depot. but, the bigger compressors use 220 and the smaller ones only need 110. so if you dont have 220 (or dont want to install 220), then youll have to go with a smaller unit.

Yup, good point. All about your application and electrical situation. It's no biggie to run 2 romex's from your garage, you just need 2 seperate phases.

But you need at least 110 psi to use all of your air tools. So a 150 psi would be fine.

Also, like said before, the smaller the tank, the less you can spray w/o having to wait. But if you are patient, then stick w/ a 33 or so.
Scott

 

[95strokerPSU]

How long of a wait is it for the tank to refill?

And what would be some negative affects of doing a paint job panel by panel?

Dave

 

[Nagash01WS6]

If you are using a HVLP gun... a 33 should be fine. My compressor hardly ever came on when I sprayed my car.

You could have some off color panels by going panel by panel because you wont have the same amount of paint on each panel.

I did it that way the first time, and I forgot to hit a panel when I got interruped. Pulled it out, and it was a bit darker than the rest of the car.