Recommend a spray gun set up

[drbassman]

Just check the sight glass on the regulator and keep the compressor drained of water. What hp and tank size is it?  A fairly small one is serviceable as long as you are maintaining enough pressure.

I can spray down to 50 degrees with the correct thinner or no blush added to standard thinner.  Also a flow out additive is great in hot weather (85+) to eliminate orange peel

I'll check the compressor tomorrow.  My neighor just returned it.

[Bionic-Joe]

Being a model maker for 10 years, I've sprayed many parts...big and small...My 2 best guns are boith Graco 600 gravity fed, side mounts. They're both 20 years old.... But for the Mercedes or Rolls Royce of Guns..I recommend a Sata...German made...Perfection...expensive..but you can find used one on Ebay reasonably priced...and you can buy rebuild kits as well...all Delrin washers so sopaking them in thinner will not harm the gun.

[dadagoboi]

Being a model maker for 10 years, I've sprayed many parts...big and small...My 2 best guns are boith Graco 600 gravity fed, side mounts. They're both 20 years old.... But for the Mercedes or Rolls Royce of Guns..I recommend a Sata...German made...Perfection...expensive..but you can find used one on Ebay reasonably priced...and you can buy rebuild kits as well...all Delrin washers so sopaking them in thinner will not harm the gun.

IMO, always properly maintain ANY gun so you never have to soak it.  Having to soak a gun means you've done something seriously wrong, let paint dry in either the paint passages or, even worse, allowed paint to get into the air passages.  New technology (newer than 25 years) is entirely unnecessary to spray nitro, those newer guns were all developed to spray the glop they call paint these days at the restrictive parameters designed to "protect the environment."  A properly maintained vintage (USA) DeVilbiss JGA is all you need and all the parts are still available from DeVilbiss. IMO

[Pilgrim]

Lightyear, I have a friend who owns a transmission shop and works on everything up to semis.  When he moved into a new shop, he plumbed an air line all around the shop with about 3" (maybe 4") metal pipe.  Same idea as your friend, except he wanted a huge air reserve at higher pressure.  His compressor tank is taller than I am so it's not a small setup at all, but the reserve capacity of all that pipe is considerable.

IIRC, he said that when he first fired up the compressor it took nearly a full day for it to bring the entire system up to full pressure.

I like the PVC idea as long as the pressure is regulated well below the rated pressure as you indicate - much easier to work with.  A broken pipe in a system like that won't just blow pieces around, it will also turn loose a considerable volume of air at pressure - not something to be close to.

[Bionic-Joe]

Carlo is right. I fully agree. But I was speaking of the quality and many dumbasses have let paint dry intheir guns. SHaving to disassemble and clean a gun is a pain. I ALWAYS disassemble the whole gun, clean with lacquer thinner and brushes, tiny brushes,, reassemble, spray thinner through it and bang!!! It's rockin". But honestly...If you go to Harbor freight...You can buy a $25.00 gun that will do the trick. Just clean it. It should last a while.

[Lightyear]

Lightyear, I have a friend who owns a transmission shop and works on everything up to semis.  When he moved into a new shop, he plumbed an air line all around the shop with about 3" (maybe 4") metal pipe.  Same idea as your friend, except he wanted a huge air reserve at higher pressure.  His compressor tank is taller than I am so it's not a small setup at all, but the reserve capacity of all that pipe is considerable.

IIRC, he said that when he first fired up the compressor it took nearly a full day for it to bring the entire system up to full pressure.

I like the PVC idea as long as the pressure is regulated well below the rated pressure as you indicate - much easier to work with.  A broken pipe in a system like that won't just blow pieces around, it will also turn loose a considerable volume of air at pressure - not something to be close to.

Yup, my friend's compressor is probably 6' tall and runs on 220 - he said he was damn tired of running out of air!  I'm going to do this in my garage as well though I really won't need much - one 20' main trunk and a line that runs across the ceiling with one maybe two self winding hose reels.  Even if I run galvanized I don't think I would spend more than $100.00  It beats the hell out of tripping over hoses

I've also considered the pressure limitations and I'm thinking that I will, at the very least, retain at least one connection that can run up at at higher pressure before the PVC/regualtor.

[drbassman]

I'll get around to the compressor and set up this weekend.  It won't be super high power, but I'm sure I'll be able to spray guitars.  Later on, in a year or two I want to repaint my Porsche 912.  Te guitars will be good practice!

[drbassman]

I forgot to check the compressor this week, but it's all I have, so we are gonna press her into service and hope for the best.  Hope to work on it this weekend.