buying a compressor....

would this compressor from harbor frieght be enough for guitar finishing? if not why??? also what gun would you recomend??? are the extra cheap ones good enough??

http://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools/air-compressors/3-gallon-100-psi-oilless-pancake-air-compressor-95275.html

Thanks!

Bump !

no answer possible without knowing what gun you would like to use in fact
some guns need lot of air ,other less ect....
i think there is thread here where it is explain cfm ect...
for exemple i have a 50 litre with a 1 mm nozzle gun it work the compressor don't run always but with my 1.5 mm nozzle it run always then no good pressure more over it is really loud to hear

the one on your link is for air brush not for guns

If you use the 4 oz. detail hvlp from harbor freight, it should be able to work. I use a 2 gallon compressor with that gun and it will work, but you have to let it do its job several times.

The real question is "I have (fill in the blank - brand, model, conventional or HVLP...and if real HVLP it has to be under 4PSI)" gun. What do I need to make it work for painting guitars.

The gun is the critical element - it determines your compressor requirements, your method of application, what kind of masking/overspray protection you need to do, how fine a finish you can acheive - better conventional guns need a good sized compressor and other gear (moisture traps, the right needle/aircap set and other items); better HVLP's are non-bleeder, heated air types that don't use a standard compressor but give you better control. Conventional is cheaper IF you buy cheap equipment; although you can buy a cheap bleeder HVLP that'll do the job - but nto without some training.

In fact any of these systems require at least minimal training in use and safety (and cleaning, or you'll have a boat anchor on your hands.).

If you search past threads on equipment you'll get far more info than by posting a general question that's been answered dozens of times.

The gun referred to by a previous poster is this one:

http://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools/paint/adjustable-detail-spray-gun-92126.html

Recommended pressure: 20-50 PSI
Air consumption:3 CFM @ 50 PSI

Could this be paired with the compressor originally mentioned for a bare bones setup? And is this a bleeder or non-bleeder type gun? Hard to tell form the specs listed.

Take the specs of the compressor and pair them with that gun:

Air Output at 40 PSI 1 CFM
Air Output at 90 PSI 0.6 CFM

No, it won't work. You need 3 times the CFM to meet the gun manufacturer's recommendations.

The gun is also a cheap one with a mid-size needle/air cap not designed for lacquers (it's for latex paint and enamels).

It's very difficult to put together a quality conventional (compressor and gun) rig cheaply, and even if you do you have the disadvantages of overspray, dry spray, bounce, material waste and high airborne solvent concetration.

"Bleeder/non bleeder" is irrelevant in this context. Those terms would refer to HVLP - which these are not (HVLP is legally defined in most areas as under 4 PSI along with several other requirements...equipment packaging/advertising, however, isn't covered so companies can call pretty much anything they want an "HVLP" unit).

Aerosols or Preval/Crown Spra-Tool units would provide far better results than an underpowered compressor and crappy gun (although those CAN be used by experienced painters for certain quick touch-up operations).

this is becoming a confusing thread....now i understand the gun has alot to do with compressors...if thats the case wha gun that HF sells woudl work with a cheap compressor like the one listed???? anyone??? here is a link to some of the guns they selll...also, does the hose matter??

http://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools/paint.html

Take the specs of the compressor and pair them with that gun:

Air Output at 40 PSI 1 CFM
Air Output at 90 PSI 0.6 CFM

No, it won't work. You need 3 times the CFM to meet the gun manufacturer's recommendations.

The gun is also a cheap one with a mid-size needle/air cap not designed for lacquers (it's for latex paint and enamels).

It's very difficult to put together a quality conventional (compressor and gun) rig cheaply, and even if you do you have the disadvantages of overspray, dry spray, bounce, material waste and high airborne solvent concetration.

"Bleeder/non bleeder" is irrelevant in this context. Those terms would refer to HVLP - which these are not (HVLP is legally defined in most areas as under 4 PSI along with several other requirements...equipment packaging/advertising, however, isn't covered so companies can call pretty much anything they want an "HVLP" unit).

Aerosols or Preval/Crown Spra-Tool units would provide far better results than an underpowered compressor and crappy gun (although those CAN be used by experienced painters for certain quick touch-up operations).


The gun linked above that I was referring to actually has a very small needle (0.6 mm) and it lays down lacquer very smoothly, smoother than my turbine-driven unit. It is also nice that the cup size is small so you can put in just enough for one or two coats on a body and it will use it all, whereas with a siphon-fed gun you still have plenty left in the bottom even when spray gets sputtery.

Would one be better served with a larger compressor and better gun? Of course, but the price tag begins to increase very rapidly as well. I have used the gun discussed above with a 2 gallon compressor and laid down a completely acceptable finish. You will want a separator and possibly dessicant, as moving that much air from a compressor that small is going to transfer moisture in the air, but it can still work really well.

The gun (4 oz detail gun) is just fine--I've used it myself. However, it demands just a bit more air than the OP's linked compressor. It is possible to use that gun with that compressor, but you have a very limited spraying time, and might not be able to complete a guitar body front and back with it. It is so small, it likely would not keep up with the demand of even that small gun.

When you spray with a hard-working compressor, you compress air that's hot. Air that is hot can hold a lot more moisture than air that is cold. Using this compressor for any serious painting I think would invite problems from moisture condensation, as the first chance the air would have to cool is when it exits the spray tip. The air cools instantly, and the contained moisture condenses into droplets--mixed with your finish. In Florida, where the OP lives, and in Georgia where I live, hot temps and humidity are the norm, so this is a problem. Separators and even dessicants don't work well on vaporized water, they work on moisture droplets. So the air has to be cooled somewhat and condensed into droplets for the air drying equipment to work. (And in Florida, Georgia, and even New York in the summer, you MUST have air drying equipment on your spray rig, or risk bad results.)

I use two 50' air hoses, laid on the cool concrete floor of my basement, keep my compressor in the basement where it's cooler, have a separator on the machine, and one between the two hoses, a dessicant dryer at the gun to keep moisture at bay. If you Google the subject, you can see where guys have built elaborate copper pipe air coolers, run air lines through water baths, and all kinds of approaches to trying to cool down the air, so it can be dried before it gets to the spray gun or other equipment.

My recommendation is to look one or two steps up for larger-tank compressors. 5-7 gallon size should work OK for that gun, with less problem potential. Oilless is good, as it eliminates one potential source of contaminants in your air stream.