Air Compressor size for painting

[vick7]

Could someone tell me what size tank I would need to paint a car with. I have a 67 Camaro that is just about ready for paint. I did all the work myself,and would like to go all the way by doing the painting myself. I took shop class about 26 years ago, so I know how to paint,but I do not know about air compressors. What is the smallest size tank I could use, and still pull this off. I do not want to have to wait on the compressor to build up every few minutes. I also do not need one that run a lot of air tools just one to run a spray gun. THANKS

[510dude]

hey man i dunno what to tell u, but what sand paper grit did you use to sand down your paint ? thanks man

[CDJr]

Well, Im no expert, and I hate to be the purveyor of bad news, but.......a lot of it depends on the gun youre using, as some require less than others. You need to use a gravity-feed for sure. The better guns usually require less air, but even they take quite a bit to atomize properly. Offhand, Id say the minimum would be one thatd produce 10-12 cfm @ 90 psi. Of course, the more the merrier, and a borderline setup also introduces moisture problems. So the money youd save on the compressor, youd probably spend on extra filters, as painting requires very dry air, and a compressor thats running hard or near its limit, produces more moisture.

[jefflilly]

In general a 5 horse compressor will do the job for painting. Electric and or gas powered as they usually put out 7-10 cfm at 125 psi which is more then enough.

[Devin66]

80 gallon tank is way to big. My uncle had one and he would paint a couple of cars before it cut in. He did some of the nicest paint jobs i ever seen. Anyway, maybe a 40 or 60 gallon tank, electric 5 hp.


EDIT: This poster is actually a 12 year old and he just repeats stories he hears. The real story was our uncle had a 80 gallon 5hp gas compressor that only cut in a couple of times while painting 1 car, not cuts in once every 5 cars.