please enlighten me - painting your automobile

SO, Ive seen a lot of threads about rollering your car, or vinyl wrapping your car, or even rattle bombing your car. A lot of these threads actually show pretty decent 10 foot paint jobs.

I was wondering though, if something like THIS HARBOR FREIGHT AIRLESS SPRAYER could also do a decent job of shooting a new coat on the ol DD:

So what says they masses? I have an email coupon for an additional $30 off, so it makes this beast $169. There are a couple good reviews, one where a guy basically tore down the thing trying to diagnose what was essentially a clog of old paint he didnt clean out. What he found was a pleasant surprise - brushless motor, metal gears on brass bushings, needle bearings, etc etc. I have never painted a car, and dont have a big compressor (have a little 5 gal Campbell Hausefeld good for trim nailing and tire inflation, but not much else). Anyone ever gone this route, or have any insight?

Airless sprayers like that will generally leave too much texture in the paint, not great for cars. You'll get a better result with a foam roller.

I like this guy: http://www.harborfreight.com/detail-spray-gun-91011.html

plus a desiccant dryer in line.

Fill it with this: http://www.majicpaints.com/products/farm/tti/

plus this: http://www.majicpaints.com/catalyst-hardener-reducer/

and for well under $100, total investment you've got a 20-footer in one afternoon's work, sprayed in the drive way.

PS, bugs love this stuff.

Rustic Brown, International Harvester white (beige), and Ford Red

I have researched those compressorless sprayers, and what I heard is like the above. They sure do apply paint. They will definitely put paint on the car. Especially at this price, things like texture and glossiness are not included.

I used a Wagner airless sprayer (the one with the turbine compressor built into the handle, as recommended by some of the Rustoleum painting sites) to paint our front door with Rustoleum Red. Much like any sprayer, you have to test the pattern properly and adjust it until it is right. I didn't and got horrible texture, but it was good enough at the time. With more time and experience I think I would have had better results.

On my 924, I used the foam roller method, which worked pretty well. The only issues I had was patience. Since it was my first car to paint and it was meant to be a race car, I didn't care as much about the presentation. The waiting between coats, especially in a cold garage (had a heater going most of the time to help with drying a bit) was frustrating to say the least.

For tht amount of money you can buy a cheap hvlp gun. I have not painted a car, but I have done lots of bikes. Paint is not cheap, you don't want to throw it on like you re painting a fence. 90% of the quality of a paint job is prep. The next 7% is skill. The rest is the right materials and supplies and the equipment.

In reply to sporqster:

Id sure love a siphon or gravity gun, but I lack access to a decent compressor capable of running the thing for longer than it takes to cook pop tarts.

Would it be possible to get a tip fine enough for a compressorless unit to get away from the texture issue? What is it about an air sprayer that does it so much better? Better atomization? Does the air turbulence somehow begin the curing process when the paint is in mid flight? If its simply a matter of forcing the paint thru a tiny hole at the proper flow rate and speed to mist it and apply it, then I have to think that theres a way to attain this environment without a compressor?!?

Ninja edit - learn me high volume low pressure...exactly how low? Could THIS KIT FROM HF be the answer?

I have, in the past, built a compressor that would handle 15 cfm for about $150. Add in an HVLP gun from HF for $15, and you've got a better rig than this that will lay down quite good paint. And when you're done, you've got a 15 cfm compressor!

Keith Tanner wrote: I have, in the past, built a compressor that would handle 15 cfm for about $150. Add in an HVLP gun from HF for $15, and you've got a better rig than this that will lay down quite good paint. And when you're done, you've got a 15 cfm compressor!

Details?

EvanB wrote:

Keith Tanner wrote: I have, in the past, built a compressor that would handle 15 cfm for about $150. Add in an HVLP gun from HF for $15, and you've got a better rig than this that will lay down quite good paint. And when you're done, you've got a 15 cfm compressor!

Details?

yea, that seems to need a build thread.

I painted my dad's '98 3500 Chevy with a $30 Campbell Hausfeld HVLP gun and a POS LOUD oiless 20 gal Crapsman compressor. Nason single stage from O'Rielly's. It was a decent "10 foot" job, had I taken the time to color sand it might have been a good "5 foot" job or better.

You don't need a lot of air with a HVLP gun, you'll be spraying at less than 15 psi, so 90% of the 110V 20 to 30 gallon compressors you see on Craig's List would be adequate, not ideal, but adequate. Sure you may have to wait on the compressor to "catch up" occasionally but if you're willing to spend $200 on an airless, I'd be finding a used compressor and a HF HVLP gun.

• Lee

It would be a short build thread.

• I came across a 60 gallon compressor with a siezed pump. I think I got it for free.
• I bought a HF pump and mounted it with a certain amount of entertainment. It was $125 or so at the time.

And, umm, that's about it. My father in law is using it, and he's had to do a bit of modification/maintenance to the pump. But it's pounding along.

I agree that you don't need 15 CFM for HVLP, but you do need some. That's what the High Volume part means I have a compressor that's close to 15 CFM at home, and with the 60 gallon tank it rarely cycles when I'm painting smaller stuff. I'll bet my old 25 gallon 110v compressor would do the job.