You can paint with a small compressor but bigger is better. You should let the paint flash good in between coats, plan on buffing, so make sure to put enough paint and to wet sand good. I did a video on color coat wet sanding, just not post it yet. If you load too many coats on too fast it will take a long time to dry, so let it flash good between coats.
The problem of a small compressor is that you may run low on air when you are in the middle of spraying which will cause the paint not to atomize correctly. Tank size on a small compressor is the problem. If there is a salvage yard around you can buy an air tank cheap, like 20 bucks or so and pipe your air line into that tank, let it build up then you should have no problem.
Here are some pics of the tanks and compressors I am using. I got the yellow one for 20 or 30 bucks from a local yard. The small blue one I bought for 25 and then I put on a trimmer engine bought for 10 bucks and it works fine. In the pic you can see there are 2 air lines connections (yellow one), one is for in and one is for out. I run the line from the small compressor to it than run a line out to paint. The 2 Hp 20 Gallon compressor I got it for free, use it to grind, sand. The the big 60 Gallon one I've had for quite a while, definitely no problem even paint a semi truck with it.
Salvage yards here sell the tanks cheap around here cuz they pull the motors off for the scrap copper. By adding a tank you will not run out of air and you do not have to spend lots of hard earned money on a new compressor. I hope this helps.
81SPIDERMATT wrote:maybe i missed it... the talk about compressors ... here is what i am thinking.... my little compressor will be good for everything until final paint... at that point i was thinking of renting a booth..or if funds allow a bigger compressor. as i know that the paint will flash waiting for air to catch up... that is bad on the color and clear BUT it should not matter with primer coats and all.... is that a correct assumption???... love the thread and the vids... thanks for sharing... you would be surprised at how many would not (this forum not included in that statement)
Should I ask what the story is on that?
