TrailBeast
AKA Mopars4us on Youtube
Anyone have any idea of an approximate?
How many cubic feet of air to paint a car?
- Thread starter TrailBeast
- Start date
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It all depends on what kind of paint gun you have.
Depends on the the exhaust fan, I have done a whole car and truck in a 12 x 20 it sucked.
The main thing if you are thinking of a home paint job, the garage should be de-attached from the house.
The main thing if you are thinking of a home paint job, the garage should be de-attached from the house.
retractable
Well-Known Member
I had a neighbor when I was in the USAF that had access to many compressed air tanks and he painted his car with those. The paint job did not look very good. He ran out of air and had a hard time with a constant air pressure.
TrailBeast
AKA Mopars4us on Youtube
If you know that much, then you could take an estimated guess right"
I mean cubic feet of air needed to spray, not space to spray in.
Here's a pretty good read on CFM needs. Each gun is designed to be ran at a certain cfm @ X PSI and all compressors have different ratings.
http://www.spraygunworld.com/Information2/CFM.htm
http://www.spraygunworld.com/Information2/CFM.htm
If you know that much, then you could take an estimated guess right"
What is the cfm and pressure requirements of your gun or the gun you're looking to buy? How big is your compressor and what are it's specs? I am just trying to educate the customer and help him make the right choice.
AlV
Crabs in a barrel
I suppose if one knew the following variables
- The CFM of the Gun
- Rate of flow for the paint feed
- The surface area of the Vehicle
- the number of coats to be applied
and the amount of air used to paint a square foot you could calculate a rough estimate.
- The CFM of the Gun
- Rate of flow for the paint feed
- The surface area of the Vehicle
- the number of coats to be applied
and the amount of air used to paint a square foot you could calculate a rough estimate.
5 hp running on 230 with a 30 gallon tank minimum.
dart64gt
Well-Known Member
I have 2 5hp compressors 60 tanks in line and a great big air trap. My compressors run at 165 pounds and I regulate the pressure when I am painting a car and have never had a problem.
straightlinespeed
Sometimes I pretend to be normal
I used a 5 hp, 230 volt, 2 stage, 80 gallon tank that ran up to 150psi. It had a switch on it so that it would not shut down after it was up to pressure, it ran constantly, and only loaded and unloaded when needed. Spray gun only required 20psi. I put down 2 coats of primer, 3 coats of base and 5 coats of clear.
No problems with lack of air with that sucker.
No problems with lack of air with that sucker.
TrailBeast
AKA Mopars4us on Youtube
Thanks for the link Mike.
I was just curious how much air it would require, like in precommpressed dried air.
Instead of a compressor.
2 Darts
A-body Addicted
The gun, siphon or gravity feed, should not have a cfm rating at required pressure higher than the compressor, IMO. When I sprayed the underhood and trunk of the Demon it was a PITA to wait on the compressor to recharge the tank. The gun was a Binks siphon type that needed 90 psi to operate properly. IDK the cfm of the gun.
Retractable's USAF days neighbor was onto something that seems to have suffered from execution. Back in my US Army days, we never sent a diver down on a surface supplied dive using a compressor for air. We had a 4-ton trailer with 18 6 ft bottles of air that were on a common manifold. IIRC, each bottle was charged to 120 or 150 psi. Air was filtered and dehumidified. On deep dives, we would add a little nitrogen to the mix. But I digress.
Retractable's USAF days neighbor was onto something that seems to have suffered from execution. Back in my US Army days, we never sent a diver down on a surface supplied dive using a compressor for air. We had a 4-ton trailer with 18 6 ft bottles of air that were on a common manifold. IIRC, each bottle was charged to 120 or 150 psi. Air was filtered and dehumidified. On deep dives, we would add a little nitrogen to the mix. But I digress.
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
Make sure whatever spec you look at for compressors is either rated at 90 psi, or has a reference to that. Compressors are rated at 90, at 40, and at atmospheric suction. (SCFM) All this does is to make a compressor 'sound' larger than it is.
Also take a jaundiced eye towards hp ratings. "In the day" motors used to be electrically rated by standards. 'At some point' those standards seem to have evaporated
Some motors are rated for HP based on the power they draw. If the motor is not efficient, this is a VERY false rating.
Also take a jaundiced eye towards hp ratings. "In the day" motors used to be electrically rated by standards. 'At some point' those standards seem to have evaporated
Some motors are rated for HP based on the power they draw. If the motor is not efficient, this is a VERY false rating.
pishta
I know I'm right....
read that "HF grinders....." their "1/4 HP grinder" can barely spin a wheel. 3 phase is where its at when it comes to large compressors. Expensive though.
Just one thing to take into consideration, which I should of done years ago. Look into the turbine units. Spray fine makes (NOT AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR THEM) a cost effective unit that will supply great constant air without all the water issues of a conventional compressor. I have spent too much money adding twin cylinders and a larger motor to my old unit, because a new one runs about $800-$1000 for a solid unit. The turbine units are smaller than a 12" square box and I got a 50' hose so its outside my garage and away from the fumes. By the way with a turbine unit has little overspray and the pattern control is great. I have painted over 15 cars over the years from the lacquer to enamel days and I wished we had had turbines out many years ago. It is just a lot less to mess with and the paint job is superior "depends always on your skills or practice level, no matter the unit" Just mention it in case you are like me and you buy a new HVLP spray gun and find out after getting started that you really don't have enough air to do the whole side of the car without getting the compressor so hot that water becomes a problem and now you have a real mess when water gets in the airlines.
Just my thoughts.
Just my thoughts.
TrailBeast
AKA Mopars4us on Youtube
So no one knows the answer to the question then.
Ok, just thought I would ask.
Ok, just thought I would ask.
doug 371
Well-Known Member
5000 maybe
I painted my Coronet roof with an HVLP harbor freight style $19 gun and my wife's very small nail gun compressor. Can't be more than 5 CFM.
It did just fine and I could have painted the whole car if I wanted to (although a constant spray would have likely depleted the tank before the comp could catch up).
I agree, look at the CFM rating of the gun.
In the pic, the roof is freshly painted but the rest of the car is a 20 year old repaint.
It did just fine and I could have painted the whole car if I wanted to (although a constant spray would have likely depleted the tank before the comp could catch up).
I agree, look at the CFM rating of the gun.
In the pic, the roof is freshly painted but the rest of the car is a 20 year old repaint.
Tinbasher
Well-Known Member
Devilbiss JGA siphon feed needs 14 cu ft per minute @ 60 lbs. pressure.
Gravity feed HVLP I don,t know.
Gravity feed HVLP I don,t know.
I like to use nitrogen to paint mine. Use 3-4 304cft cylinder.just for painting not blowing the car off. I use it because you don't get any water or oil coming through the hose. Get a good regulator and 50ft of hose and your good to go. I work for an industrial gas co. so that helps
used 5 to do this one. Base clear
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