Do I need a new compressor?

[juststartingout]

Hi all,

I'm debating buying a sprayer to stain and paint some of my pieces(Furniture and cabinets) with a handheld spray gun hooked up to a compressor.  I'm running into a problem in that it seems as though my compressor is underpowered.  I have the Hitachi EC89 compressor that is about 1HP.  It seems as though all the spray guns require a 1.5HP compressor.  Anyone out there run into this?  Is there a sprayer out there that will work with my lowly powered compressor?  I just bought the compressor so buying another one right now is kinda out of the question, that's why i'm seeking alternatives.

Thanks,

Oscar

 

[jmbfestool]

A HVLP sprayer would be best route to go down.   I love mine.  I believe your compressor won't handle any spray gun

I have got a large compressor for HP sprayer but never use it.  Always get my little LP sprayer out plug it in fill it with paint job done!  And they are cheap!

Jmb

 

[tjbnwi]

Need to know which gun you purchased.

It compressor is more than likely not large enough to carry the gun.

Turbine HVLP may have been the better route to take.

Tom

 

[Dan Clark]

Hi all,

I'm debating buying a sprayer to stain and paint some of my pieces(Furniture and cabinets) with a handheld spray gun hooked up to a compressor.  I'm running into a problem in that it seems as though my compressor is underpowered.  I have the Hitachi EC89 compressor that is about 1HP.  It seems as though all the spray guns require a 1.5HP compressor.  Anyone out there run into this?  Is there a sprayer out there that will work with my lowly powered compressor?  I just bought the compressor so buying another one right now is kinda out of the question, that's why i'm seeking alternatives.

Thanks,

Oscar

As the others have pointed out, you're compressor is not really appropriate for this kind of work.  It's the CFM not the horsepower.   That compressor, like virtually all single and double hot dogs are more designed for high pressure/low-CFM uses like nail guns.

For spraying, the trend now is an HVLP setup (gun + compressor) or a standard compressor with a HVLP conversion gun.   I went the second route.

My bigger compressor is a Thomas ST-200 double hotdog used with an Asturo XSeries II conversion gun.   This gun can be used with lower CFM compressors like the ST-200.  That said, the ST-200 puts out 4.5 CFM @ 100PSI - on the higher end of the scale for it's size.  Even then, the ST-200 is still not great for spraying even with a specialized gun like the Asturo.  

I am happy with my ST-200, but if I were to do it over, I'd get a turbine HVLP setup like an Apollo or Fuji.   I have NOT used one, but the Earlex 5500 may be a decent option.  The reviews are positive and at $299 the price is reasonable: http://www.amazon.com/Earlex-HV5500-Spray-Station/dp/B004RGOKR2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398281937&sr=8-1&keywords=earlex+hvlp

Good luck with your project.

Regards,

Dan.

 

[mastercabman]

Oscar
That compressor is not going to cut it.
It only puts out 3CFM @90psi    maybe get 3.5-4 cfm @40psi if that
I don't know of any guns that can run at that amount of cfm
There are "touch up" spray gun that only uses maybe 3cfm  but I wouldn't use it to spray projects
There are a couple guns that I know that are low cfm and gives good result
Asturo 5008wb and the j100 from CA Technology  both are gravity feed  they use 6cfm @29psi
I use compressed air system.
I have 2 rolair jc10 compressor hooked together when spraying
Each can put out 3.8cfm@40psi so I can get 7.6cfm witch is more than what I need.
I use both of the spray guns that I described
You also want to look into turbine system  but the good ones are going to cost just as much or more

 

[Kev]

I think a dedicated HVLP spraying system is a good choice. I've got a monster compressor, but I'm never going to spray paint a car ... so it's probably over the top for my needs. Plus it's big, not the best thing to move to where I'm going to need to spray.

I've got a Wagner Project system, which I personally think is "ok" for walls, outdoor, clear, etc ... but not for fine work. I'll keep my big shop compressor (coz I like it), but I'll probably get a HVLP turbine high end unit and also a small portable compressor (ideally in a systainer) for pneumatic tools used away from the shop.

 

[fdengel]

That compressor could probably handle an airbrush just fine - that's about as close as you are likely to get.

Not suitable for most types of clear finishes.

 

[tiralie]

I have the Hitachi EC89 compressor that is about 1HP.  It seems as though all the spray guns require a 1.5HP compressor. 

Oscar
As others have noted, the Hitachi EC89 does not produce enough CFM to adequately spray anything significant. You could use it to spray with a "detail" gun but I don't think that is what you want.

When you look at buying equipment to spray coatings you need to assess the following:
- will you be spraying on site or in shop/spray booth/controlled environment
- what kind of coatings will you be using e.g. only water borne, a mixture of water borne and solvent based or just solvent based
- what is the viscosity of the coatings you plan to use - all high viscosity (pigmented coatings such as latex paint) or only low viscosity coatings (e.g. shellac.) or a combination?
- will you be spraying large projects or small projects
- what is the frequency of my spraying every day, every week or occasionally etc.

Is there a sprayer out there that will work with my lowly powered compressor? 

No. As others have noted, you will need to spend more money to increase the CFM of your current system.

I would try to find someone who is willing to show you how they use their equipment and ask lots of questions, or take a course in spraying so you can make some decisions on what you want to do. McFadden's has a good one day course on spraying.

I would advise you to save your money or buy some other wood working tools that help you to build better and faster and work on expanding your client base before you get into spraying.
If you have to finish something do it by hand. You will learn about what works, why and how to get a professional finish, this experience will help when you finally get your spray equipment.
There is nothing wrong with hand application/brushing your finishes and some customers even prefer it. I have seen some hand applied finishes that were works of art.

Tim

 

[juststartingout]

Thanks all for the help.

Tim, I am a painters son and grew up with a brush in my hand and have used several airless machines while helping my dad, and completely agree that a hand finish is where it's at.  I actually prefer the hand finish as I get to work the material with much more control than a sprayer.  BUT, I have some concern with certain finishes on cabinets, and while I agree that a hand finish is nice, I thought for some bigger pieces it might be worthwhile to see if there is a sprayer out there that works with my small compressor.  My experience with my dad was large commercial projects (stores, schools and office buildings) so I know we've used small compressors for doors, but my compressor seems too small, which is why I was asking for the advice.  Appreciate the advice all, and it seems you all have confirmed, that I'm gonna end up hand finishing things for a while.

Cheers!

Oscar