Home garage what pressure regulator and inline filter?

6

67 Fastback

Looking for some cheap stuff to get me spraying. I picked up the purple harbor freight gun some time ago. I plan to spray epoxy and 2k hi-build eventually. What pressure regulator and moisture filter do you guys suggest.
Bill
 
your going to waste a bunch of materials and learn all about solvent pop with that pos gun. it is an air hog and puts more product in the air than on the car. a decent gun will pay for its self in material savings alone not to mention repairs.
 
$1000 for an air compressor (80 gallon, 16-19 cfm @ 100 psi)
$700 in copper lines, fittings and filtration system
$300 for a used spray gun in decent shape
$300+ for "basic" safety equipment, respirator, gloves, suit, etc.

And that is CHEAP stuff to get you started and doesn't include everything. If you try to get by with less you will regret it like Shine points out. By the way, I work out of my garage at home restoring cars on the side and for pleasure.
 
Your telling me I need to spend 1600 bux just to spray a little primer here and there. Just not feasible for the average hobbyist.
Bill
 
you have to have clean air and enough volume to run the gun. cheap guns waste air and materials . running a hoae off a cheap compressor is going to create nothing but problems. you cant build a motor with vise grips and a bent screw driver and you cant shoot paint without the proper equipment and materials.
 
I suppose we cater to the above average hobbyist, the type that can achieve professional results at home.

I would say that if you want to primer panels one or two at a time, a smaller compressor will suit you fine, and that a Tyvek suit, a box of disposable nitrile gloves, and a 3M disposable paint respirator should run about $80 or so.

http://www.foxruntools.com/lgpaintsuit-white.aspx

http://www.foxruntools.com/bx50xlderma-maxnitrilepf.aspx

http://www.foxruntools.com/p95paintrespmed.aspx

If you buy another $20 bucks worth of stuff like sandpaper or whatever, shipping is free.

We want you to get involved in this as a hobby, but most of the pros here feel pretty strongly about quality, and that starts with the proper equipment. We want you to succeed!
 
What you need to remove moisture in the line is a desiccant dryer. I might point one out for you later this evening but for now I have to go. Hang with us and you will get set on a good path.
 
I understand. I have access to tyvek suits at work and the gloves also.
Bill
 
Bill, I am a hobbyist. The truth is I started out with the same mentality that I could "get by" with this or that. Reality sets in when you are buying the same tools AGAIN only this time you are spending more on better equipment and wishing you had not spent your money on the cheap stuff in the first place.
If this is a one time deal and you want that nice 67 Fastback to look sharp when its done then take to a pro for paint. However if you feel you want to get into this hobby seriously the prices I listed are estimates but I believe very reasonable for baseline equipment in this trade.
Just trying to help.
 
I don't plan on doing the bc/cc. I do want to epoxy the parts that I have replaced or repaired while I'm going. Afterwards, I would like to spray the hi-build myself and block and sand. Then, seal it with epoxy, while I finish the rest of the car while driving it. Main, reason for not wanting to go to bc/cc right away is that I'm sure I'll change things as I go. A work in progress type thing.
What I'm looking for it's the basic necessities to accomplish this.
Thanks, Bill
 
67 Fastback;11310 said:
Your telling me I need to spend 1600 bux just to spray a little primer here and there. Just not feasible for the average hobbyist.
Bill
Click to expand...

67 Fastback;11312 said:
I want to do it right, but 1600 bux just to spray some primer is unrealistic. I'm sure a lot of guys on here are spraying primer without that cost. I'm just the average guy that's not doing this for a living, just as a hobby.
What's wrong with something like this?
http://www.google.com/products/cata...=jvtHTu6qG8agtgeMmuGsBw&sqi=2&ved=0CGoQ8wIwAg
or this
http://www.google.com/products/cata...ei=2PtHTvWQHoiXtwesyJHWBQ&ved=0CLUBEPMCMAY4Cg

Thanks for the advice, Bill
Click to expand...

shine;11313 said:
you have to have clean air and enough volume to run the gun. cheap guns waste air and materials . running a hoae off a cheap compressor is going to create nothing but problems. you cant build a motor with vise grips and a bent screw driver and you cant shoot paint without the proper equipment and materials.
Click to expand...

Can we find a reasonable compromise between a $15 Harbor Freight gun and $300 gun?

It's posted all over that SPI is fantastic epoxy, but it's only $180 to prime a whole car.
So maybe we don't need a $300 gun, especially if we just want to do one panel at a time.

Can there be a recommendation for the guy that found it in his budget to buy $180 worth of primer and isn't worried about wasting a quart of primer?

All I want to do for myself is to preserve my classic as I tinker on the weekends in my garage.
As I strip a panel, I want to protect it with epoxy.

I'm 46, and I don't have the money, and I'm not retired, and I don't want my truck to rust away, and I want to use SPI epoxy.
 
LostMy65;11326 said:
Can we find a reasonable compromise between a $15 Harbor Freight gun and $300 gun?

It's posted all over that SPI is fantastic epoxy, but it's only $180 to prime a whole car.
So maybe we don't need a $300 gun, especially if we just want to do one panel at a time.

Can there be a recommendation for the guy that found it in his budget to buy $180 worth of primer and isn't worried about wasting a quart of primer?

All I want to do for myself is to preserve my classic as I tinker on the weekends in my garage.
As I strip a panel, I want to protect it with epoxy.

I'm 46, and I don't have the money, and I'm not retired, and I don't want my truck to rust away, and I want to use SPI epoxy.
Click to expand...
The guys here don't lie. They also don't mess around, You can't when your doing bodywork. Don't expect a pro to trust a $10 gun on a $10k paintjob.
I use the infamous HF Purple gun to spray epoxy, but thats it. I get about 1 gal out of one before its junk, leaking past the seals, etc. I have a Matco tools gun with a larger tip for 2k primer, and a good gun for spraying color and clear. I don't have a dedicated base coat gun (yet). All in all, I still have $500
wrapped up in spray guns, thats less than some guys spend on a gun just to spray clear. You have to have a dedicated set up to spray. I use a inexpensive water separator regulator with a dessicant snake, and a dedicated air hose. SPI is fantastic epoxy, buy not if your gonna spray it out of a squirt gun with oily watery lines. I spent enough on tools, equipment, and materials when I sprayed my car, to have paid a pro to do it. In the end, I learned more than I assumed I already knew, and I have a car that looks like a pro did it.
 
dukess396;11327 said:
The guys here don't lie. They also don't mess around, You can't when your doing bodywork. Don't expect a pro to trust a $10 gun on a $10k paintjob.
I use the infamous HF Purple gun to spray epoxy, but thats it. I get about 1 gal out of one before its junk, leaking past the seals, etc. I have a Matco tools gun with a larger tip for 2k primer, and a good gun for spraying color and clear. I don't have a dedicated base coat gun (yet). All in all, I still have $500
wrapped up in spray guns, thats less than some guys spend on a gun just to spray clear. You have to have a dedicated set up to spray. I use a inexpensive water separator regulator with a dessicant snake, and a dedicated air hose. SPI is fantastic epoxy, buy not if your gonna spray it out of a squirt gun with oily watery lines. I spent enough on tools, equipment, and materials when I sprayed my car, to have paid a pro to do it. In the end, I learned more than I assumed I already knew, and I have a car that looks like a pro did it.
Click to expand...

And that is great advice for just getting some epoxy down to protect our classic until we can afford to do it right.
Thanks.
 
There are plenty of guys spraying cars with guns that cost under $100.00
I have an Astro I've used for over 15 yrs now and it does a nice job
spraying base, primer or clear.
When I started out I used a 3/4 hp compressor and a "binks copy"
import conventional gun that cost $35.00.
I did a lot of real nice paint jobs with that cheap outfit.
It made me enough money to afford better equipment that
I would have never obtained without starting with that "cheap" stuff.:cool:
 
I would recommend the Devilbliss Finishline 3 gun, for your primer and Epoxy needs. Comes with a 1.3/1.5/1.8 tips. I also purchases a 2.2 tip for my polyester fillers.
 
67 Fastback;11295 said:
Looking for some cheap stuff to get me spraying. I picked up the purple harbor freight gun some time ago. I plan to spray epoxy and 2k hi-build eventually. What pressure regulator and moisture filter do you guys suggest.
Bill
Click to expand...
Sounds like you already have the compressor, spray gun and safety gear. I bought a regulator and a water separator/filter for my compressor for about $40 each. After I bought them I discovered they make a combo unit for around the same. They have 1/2" inlet and outlet pipe thread connections so they don't restrict flow too much. They also have "Made in the USA" markings, if that's important to you. You can Google these part numbers to find the best price if your local stores don't have them.
Amstar Regulator: AMSPR354G
Amstar Filter: AMSPF354W
Amstar Combo: AMSPB754GW
Here's what the combo looks like.
AMSPB754GW.jpg


I mounted them right at the outlet from the compressor tank so the regulator is very effective setting the pressure for the entire air line setup. On the other hand, the filter does very little to dry the air -- it's there because every setup I've ever seen has one right at the tank and it acts as a "pre-filter". It also helps remove oil mist from the air -- in the event the compressor has some blow-by. For final filtration, I installed a MotorGuard coalescing filter that uses a cartridge that looks like a roll of toilet paper. It comes in 1/4" and 1/2" models and I ended up with one of each (PM me if you are interested in the 1/4" -- just pay the shipping).
M-60.jpg


There are several ways to effectively remove moisture from the compressed air but the most effective methods involve cooling the air. The best way is to have a refrigeration unit but those are big bucks. Second best is a run of copper line A 50-foot coil will do a great job and if you have the coil spiral downward to a tee fitting and run a vertical line off the bottom of the tee with a drain valve, you'll have yourself a really fine water distillation system. If, like me, you want to save a few bucks, galvanized or black pipe also works. At the end of your cooling line you can install a desiccant dryer that uses silica gel to get the last of the water out of the air. I don't understand why but some of these dryers cost almost as much as a refrigeration unit. Mine is a Harbor Freight unit I picked up for $40 and it could be duplicated with some 3" metal pipe with caps drilled and tapped for air fittings.
97686.jpg


All this being said, I bought a Devilbiss Finish Line spray gun package from Eastwood for about $100 years ago and compared to my 40-year old siphon-feed Craftsman they were a big improvement. I used one of those stimulus checks to buy an Iwata LPH400 gun and it really is in a different class. I've gotten decent results from my Devilbiss guns but every time I use the Iwata the results are superb. Might be just dumb luck but I have to go out of my way to screw up with that puppy.

I don't have any contacts in this business and I don't have a pickup to go shopping for a Craigslist compressor deal. When my 110v 5hp 25-gallon machine died, I ended up buying a US General (Harbor Freight) 220v 3.5hp 60-gallon compressor for $399. It only puts out 12.85 CFM at 90psi but that's double what the old one produced (at five times the noise level). At 67 I'm not planning to start a new career -- this is just a fun outlet that doesn't involve a keyboard.
 
Thanks for replies, guys.

I posted in another thread that I was considering rolling it after reading the opening replies to this thread that to get started I needed at the very cheapest tools $1600 to spray some $180 primer.

For under filler, I may still roll it. And let it cure for 8-12 hours, and then apply my filler.
Then, after I get a panel all cleaned up, spray coat the whole panel with epoxy.

Maybe after I get everything cleaned up and protected, I may just decide to take a class at the community college to have a reason to use their equipment. :)

Either way, I do not have $1600 to spare on my 66 truck to get a coat of epoxy on it.
 
Y'all can flame me if you want but I stand by those numbers for anyone wanting to get serious about this hobby. Can you do it with Chinese tools and products? Of course you can if that's what you choose to do.
My numbers will hold up in the end but you won't know that till you get there. Good luck.
 
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