This article will cover the best types of air compressors for painting & painting cars, what your air compressor will require to be able to paint cars, and things to consider when choosing an air compressor for painting. Number 1 Factor in Choosing an Air Compressor for Painting – Air Compressor CFM. Spraying paint with an air spray gun requires a large volume of air being injected into the paint which creates atomization or break up of paint. So if you will be using your air compressor for painting or painting cars, you will want to consider a 2 stage compressor with atleast 5 Horse power to properly provide air to your spray gun.
An air compressor is what powers a spray gun, making it an essential tool for any body shop. Buying a properly sized air compressor for auto painting will help you avoid common painting issues while enhancing your productivity. Auto Body Toolmart offers several outstanding air compressors that are ideal for painting cars.
An air compressor is a tool, specifically it is a tool to run other tools, unless you just need a volume of air compressed for an air tank or to inflate a tire. Buying a compressor with a bigger tank than you need means the compressor doesn’t have to run as often, which is great if you have to work right next to it. A good rule of thumb is to get a compressor that can deliver 1 times the needed CFM of your most air hungry, continuous use tool at its rated PSI. For a basting cabinet rated at 7 CFM at 90 PSI you would want a compressor able to produce at least 12 CFM at 90 PSI, otherwise once you deplete the air in the tank, the compressor may run continuously and never catch up.
If you actually want an air compressor that you can use to tackle more demanding projects in the project, or maybe you want an air compressor that can perform better then that the small 6 gallon ones, a 20-gallon air compressor like the DeWalt DXCMPA1982054 20 gallon air compressor will certainly step up your game. It is an 8-gallon air compressor that produces 2.2 CFM of air at 90 PSI and has the capacity to stock up and compress air up to a maximum pressure of 120 PSI. A 1 HP motor operates at a speed of just 1680 RPM that keeps the dual piston pump running, and also to increase the life cycle of the air compressor by dropping wear and tear in the pump. It’s an 80-gallon single stage air compressor loaded with a 3 piston pump powered by a 4.7 HP motor that operates at a speed of 3450 RPM. It can store air up to a pressure of 155 PSI and it produces 14 CFM of air at 90 PSI of air pressure.
You might invest more When you select an air compressor for a car painting shop, where you need continuous airflow to spray gun, you should consider a bigger sized air compressor for heavy-duty performance. It would be best if you considered a 60-gallon air compressor, which one equipped a 5HP motor and capable of producing a minimum of 10CFM. If you are a hobbyist painter and involve in weekend painting at your home garage, a 6-10 CFM air delivering capable air compressor is a perfect fit to handle your criteria. The benefit of having a big-sized air compressor unit for performing nailing tasks, driving auto repair air tools is that it may use auto painting and furniture painting jobs at the home garage.
best air compressor for paint booth Related Question:
What size air compressor do I need for painting?
Look for a minimum of 15 psi, with some applications, such as clear coat, better-suited to 20 or 25 psi. Horsepower: For auto painting, a 10hp compressor will typically suffice. However, higher horsepower compressors may operate more efficiently, and can be used for other tasks.
How many CFM do I need for a paint gun?
For a quality HVLP Spray Gun you can often need up to 20 CFM of air. If you are using a Conventional Spray Gun you may not need as much air as HVLP requires a High Volume of air (HV) especially compared to conventional spray guns, but a conventional spray gun can still use 10 – 15 CFM.
Can I paint with a 60 gallon air compressor?
I recommend a 60-gallon 5 HP air compressor, if you are painting a full size car in your garage or shop. You will need one that puts out at least 15 CFM at 40 lbs. The larger air compressor you have, the more reserve time you’re going to have.
What kind of air compressor do I need for a paint gun?
For small projects or single panels, your Air Compressor should be rated at 100% of the CFM required by your paint gun. If you’re spraying a whole car, you’ll want 150-200%. For example: A 15-20 CFM air compressor is a good match for a 10 CFM paint gun.
Can a 6 gallon air compressor run a paint gun?
What Size Air Compressor Do I Need To Run A Paint Sprayer? Because of this, you cannot use a 6 gallon air compressor to spray paint. It is necessary to have a compressor with a large tank, preferably 50 gallons or more, in order to be able to spray paint with a spray gun.
Can you paint a car with a 30 gallon air compressor?
That being said, most air compressors with an air tank capacity of 30 gallons and up can usually handle painting a car. If you’re painting a classic full-size car or want to play it safe, a tank of 60 gallons or more should be enough to coat the vehicle in a single pass.
What PSI should my paint sprayer be?
How Much Air Pressure Does A Paint Gun Need? Most people say that 10-15 psi when the trigger is pulled for a base coat is the ideal setting for their guns. When spraying base coat and clear coat with low volume low pressure spray guns, I spray at about 17 psi.
Can you paint a car with a 8 gallon compressor?
If you think you may use a smaller air compressor to paint the car in steps (same day), but you may run into more than enough dust on the clear coat stage, yes, that may happen. flash times come when the spray has almost already evaporated and becomes clear.
Can you paint with 3 gallon air compressor?
A 3-gallon (11.36-liter) air compressor is handy for small-scale painting jobs. You can effortlessly paint a door and achieve the expected professional finish. 2.6 CFM (0.07 CMM) at 90 PSI (620.5 kPa) is appropriate for personal painting projects.
How many CFM does it take to paint a car?
The compressor CFM for spray painting should be at least 12 CFM, regardless of whether some air spray guns have a rating of less than 10 CFM.
Can you paint with a 20 gallon air compressor?
You should specify that your Air Compressor should carry 100 percent of the CFM the paint gun requires for small projects or only one panel at a time. Your spray needs to amount to 150-200% of the car’s weight in foam. I recommend using a 15-20 CFM air compressor with a 10 CFM paint gun for instance.
Can I paint a car with a 20 gallon compressor?
You’ll run out of air with a 20 gallon tank. I’ve painted cars with 60 gallon tanks, never had a problem. If you are painting the car in pieces, 20 will probably work.
What CFM compressor do I need?
To find the minimum required CFM of the compressor you need to purchase multiply your tool’s required CFM by 1.2. Example – If you want to run a tool which is 5.5CFM you would times that by 1.2. (5.5 x 1.2 = 6.6CFM).
Can I use air compressor to paint walls?
Instead, use an air compressor and a spray gun to quickly apply an even coat of paint to the walls. Spraying the paint also will greatly reduce the amount of time you spend painting, leaving you time to do other things. A spray gun, an air hose and a compressor are the basic tools that you need to get this job moving.
Can you use a paint sprayer with an air compressor?
Using an air compressor and a paint sprayer can help you cover more space at one time and can help you make sure that you get an even coat of paint on your surface.
