Trying to do this myself
Trying to do this myself Hey fellas! I gotta do some fixing upping on the quarter panels on my car and I have yet to find a body shop that I feel comfortable with so I thought to myself... "buy the tools and materials to do the job with the insurance money then give it a good try, if its fucked and you can't match the paint properly then dip the car some extravagant color!"
So that's my plan but I need help on what size compressor should I get? I'm lookign to spend $150 max on a compressor and I have no problem finding a used one on CL but I'm not sure how big or small I should go, what do you guys suggest? Also what spray guns are good? I'm looking to do about $200ish on the gun... I know Harbor Freight has a $50 gun that'll work but I wan't something decent and I don't have as much as $500 to do just on the gun. Also any recommendations on what brands of paint/clear/filler/primer should I stay away from and which are the best ones?
I'm not compltely new to this process, I've seen it done a couple times and I've partipated a couple times also. Now I'm going to get a junkyard hood and try my luck a couple times on that first. My problem is that I never paid attention to the gun that was being used and I don't want a huge 100 gallon compressor just for this and other small shananigans I might do.
So that's my plan but I need help on what size compressor should I get? I'm lookign to spend $150 max on a compressor and I have no problem finding a used one on CL but I'm not sure how big or small I should go, what do you guys suggest? Also what spray guns are good? I'm looking to do about $200ish on the gun... I know Harbor Freight has a $50 gun that'll work but I wan't something decent and I don't have as much as $500 to do just on the gun. Also any recommendations on what brands of paint/clear/filler/primer should I stay away from and which are the best ones?
I'm not compltely new to this process, I've seen it done a couple times and I've partipated a couple times also. Now I'm going to get a junkyard hood and try my luck a couple times on that first. My problem is that I never paid attention to the gun that was being used and I don't want a huge 100 gallon compressor just for this and other small shananigans I might do.
the compressor, when it comes to painting is more about tank capacity then the compressor itself, you need a LARGE tank, some little 3-5 gallon portable is not large enough to make the supply a spray gun calls for, will a small one work, technically yes but you will have to stop frequently to allow the compressor to refill the tank. as for guns I suggest a gravity fed gun (where the paint cup goes on top) I had a cheap suction one from advance auto and never really liked it.
the other thing I just remembered, is different guns have different flow tips (so naturally the nicer guns have changeable tips) and depending on the type of paint/primer/clear you may be spraying certain types are better for certain things but you'll have to wait on someone else to explain that stuff, its been to many years since I've read about that part.
Even more important than getting a decent tank on the compressor is the rated flow. You will need something with a decent CFM, most people completely ignore this aspect when shopping for a compressor to run air tools or a spray gun. Most guns will have a minimum CFM rating @ around 30-40psi required to operate properly. Eastwood has a DeVilbiss startingline kit for $130 that has 2 guns, multiple cups and tips, everything you would need on that aspect.
You might be able to find some nice guns for 200$ on CL. Sauter's and DeVilbiss are what you should look for. I would go to harbor freight, get yourself a siphon fed and then look on CL for the Gravity. Use the siphon fed for you primer, and the gravity for your paint/clear. For basic paint jobs i used to use OMNI/PPG quality product and affordable.
Teching In
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: S.W. Florida
I painted a 68 GTO with a standard gravity gun with a 1.8 tip for primer and an hvlp 1.4 for color. I used ppg for both and cambell hausfeld (cheap) guns. It had a little orange peel that I could've probably wet sanded out but it looked great so I didn't bother. I did have to take my time with the compressor playing catch up. That's the only car I've painted and I sold it 3 months later so I have no idea how it held up. Just my 2 cents on what worked for me. Edit: deleted the part about my compressor because I just can't remember for sure and I don't have it anymore.
Last edited by ChevyJunk; Nov 4, 2013 at 12:30 PM.
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If your not going to spend the money on one good gun you can get the 2 or three gun kit ... Keep them clean and they will do ok fir the average DIYer ... I have one develbiss that I own.. But I'm not really a fan ... If you can get a deal on an Iwata or sata .. Those are my two preferred guns .... I wouldn't recommend a used gun .. Too much can be wrong with em .. Neglect kills a gun... As far as materials goes .. 3m platinum plus is my favorite filler and is fairly inexpensive ... Next would be evercoat z grip... For primers you should look for Marson marhyde or some of the transtar products ... Decently priced and fill very well
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With the cheaper guns, stay away from heavy metallic or metallic in general. They'll stripe or blotch. Solid colors, you shouldn't have a problem when using a cheaper gun.
As far as compressor a 33gal craftsman would work but not to run air tools such as sanders. They really put a strain on any compressor
As far as compressor a 33gal craftsman would work but not to run air tools such as sanders. They really put a strain on any compressor
Dynatron Putty Cote is great for small dents etc, can be applied over scuffed paint (unlike bondo). it sands easy but is like 30-40 for a small tub. Don't use any kind of scratch or dent filler or paste that doesn't require a harder,( like tube of stuff at walmart)
As far as bondo's....bondo brand, evercoat.. etc. Main thing is it can only be applied to metal so requires grinding.
As far as bondo's....bondo brand, evercoat.. etc. Main thing is it can only be applied to metal so requires grinding.
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
From: Ft. Ashby, WV
These are my personal and certainly not professional thoughts. If you are really dedicated to painting, and running air tools, go big. A 33 gallon won't run many tools, so it's a waste. I have a 60 gal I found at yard sale. Most of the bigger compressors require 220V. Which is easy to wire in. All these set-ups require filtering-more money. I actually painted a motorcycle with a cheapy gun set from HF. The results were surprising decent, although a Sata or other name brand would have been better.
A paint job is 90% prep and 10% paint. Clean and straight combined with some practice with the actual gun, you should be alright. You can practice with cheap paint from car parts store on a piece of whatever.
You could always do all the prep work up to paint then have a shop finish color/clear. Thats a semi-cheap way to go if you consider the cost of compressor,gun, etc.
Don't get the Dupli-Color Paint shop, it's single stage not base/clear.
I went to Colours Inc and got the PPG cheapest stuff. Still base/clear.
A paint job is 90% prep and 10% paint. Clean and straight combined with some practice with the actual gun, you should be alright. You can practice with cheap paint from car parts store on a piece of whatever.
You could always do all the prep work up to paint then have a shop finish color/clear. Thats a semi-cheap way to go if you consider the cost of compressor,gun, etc.
Don't get the Dupli-Color Paint shop, it's single stage not base/clear.
I went to Colours Inc and got the PPG cheapest stuff. Still base/clear.
Yeah, I'm kinda leaning towards this. I was reading that this silver is really hard to match/blend. So I'll either practice alot on junk panels or take it to a shop to get painted after I prep it.