Bay Area Dave wrote:
talk to a guy who sprays lacquer on vehicles for a living a see what
he thinks about the PITA that moisture in the air delivery systems
causes. I know that cars are painted with water based products, but
lacquer is also used. They resort to copper lines placed in dry ice
to condensate the moisture out. or they go the big bucks route and
buy various
driers. the effective ones are expensive; not your garden variety $30
gizmo from Campbell Hausfeld or HF. Lacquer and moisture in the inlet
air don't make for a fine finish.

you can always add retarder if spraying on a hot day with a HVLP, and
the air isn't hot right away anyway. For small projects it's no big
deal.

I'll easily deal with HVLP hot air as opposed to moisture/oil laden
compressed air.


Not to argue with your points Dave but to do justice to the original
question, I spray with a basic compressor and a simple moisture trap all of
the time. As I mentioned in my earlier reply, I spray cars as well as
woodworking. With any compressor, it is essential to drain the water out of
the tank before beginning a spray job as all compressors will build up water
in the tank as a by product of comression. I also use a water trap at the
gun - one of those orange round things you see at NAPA or any other auto
parts store. I keep it on the gun no matter what I'm spraying. It's good
for a lot - a ton of spraying before it needs to be replaced. I only say
all of this to counter the suggestion that a basic air compressor is
inadequate for HVLP techniques or poses some unique or expensive problems.
--

-Mike-




dave

mp wrote:

Can someone tell me what minimum size of compressor is needed for
spray painting? I would describe myself as a serious amateur and
the machine would be used for the occaisonal spray painting of
laquer in a domestic workshop.