I want to paint the hood of my Duster satin black affordably. I have a Harbor freight 2.5hp, 21 gallon, 125 psi air compressor.

Which cheap spray gun from Harbor freight would work with my air compressor?
Also what kind of paint should I buy? Any other tips I need to know?
Thanks!

I can't answer about the compressor, that sounds really small. Maybe a detail gun?

Since just painting a hood, I'd try this:

http://www.eastwood.com/2k-aerospray-rat-rod-satin-black.html

That Eastwood paint looks awesome but it might get expensive depending on the amount of cans. I'm actually doing the hood, scoop, tops of fenders, tops of doors, and up around the drip moulding like some Dusters are painted.
Last year I got talked into doing it all in black Plastidip, what a joke that was, took alot of cans and looked like crap. My family had a plastidip peeling party yesterday.

For a project that small, the compressor should keep up. CFM is really the biggest consideration, so start with a full tank of air. Your biggest challenge will be the hood, and if you can break the rest into several small projects you should be able to manage the air temps and moisture content. Definitely get a moisture filter right at the gun.

As far as paint, SEM Trim Black seems to be a good choice. It has a very low sheen and only needs to be reduced 1:1. Make sure everything is extremely clean, and you'll need to scuff the paint so the black will stick. Wash with dish soap, wax and grease remover before and after scuffing.

You can paint with a small air compressor but you may have to give it some time to recover as you go. I had a small, cheap compressor for years and primed numerous cars and painted a couple with it. I kept a close eye on my pressures to ensure it was keeping up but it did ok. Most spray guns operate at fairly low PSI and most air compressors produce more volume at lower pressures.

I've primed and painted cars before with a 20 gallon 2.5hp oil lubed compressor and it did just fine. Sure it ran when I was spraying but it was never down on PSI and I never had to wait for it to recover while spraying. I did use a conventional gun, not a HVLP.

http://t.harborfreight.com/professional-automotive-hvlp-spray-gun-kit-94572.html?utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

You might look into a complete hvlp system. They can be quite inexpensive and likely do a much better job for you.

Some examples from Amazon. Be certain to evaluate those suitable for auto painting.

.http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Home-Improvement-Power-Paint-HVLP-Sprayers/zgbs/hi/497500

Do a google search on:

Low volume, low pressure automotive paint systems

So what exactly is the difference between a conventional spray gun and an HVLP system? Is the HVLP an electric sprayer or is it powered by an air compressor?

Also, when I buy the paint, what kind of thinner or reducer do I need, does it matter what brand? How do I know how much of it to add to the quart of paint. Or do I need a gallon of paint?

Sorry for all the dumb questions, I've raced my whole life but never painted anything.

Conventional paint spray guns spray / atomize paint using higher regulated air pressure.

HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) spray guns operate at a reduced regulated air pressure.

There are HVLP Spray Guns that use compressed air. Harbor Freight sells those too.

As for how much reducer or additives to mix in, the paint manufacturer will have recommendations. This can be affected by humidity, temperature, etc.

As for how to learn about painting techniques, etc, there is lots of advice on the Internet and YouTub, etc. You might consider getting a book or two on automotive refinishing.

Cleanliness and surface preparation are extremely important. There are Lots of tips and tricks on doing everything correctly, you just need to seek the information and spend some time studying the subject.

You may want to practice on something else (even a smooth piece of cardboard) first.

What does HVLP mean? What are the benefits?

High Volume Low Pressure. The single biggest benefit is less over spray - which means less mess, and conservation of expen$ive paint. They can give better results - but really, there is more to a good/experienced painter... YMMV


Need to watch for too small of compressors as they can really heat up the air since they are working hard and put more moisture in the lines = Bad. Get a good filter and water trap hard mounted as far from the tank as you can as well as the gun.

If you gave plastidip a chance I would recommend the paintjob on a budget thread. You can roll on satin black with a very nice finish. I painted this truck with this method and rustoleum paint. Not too shabby. I also have a thread in the truck section that details my progress from beginning to end. Or if you want it from the source there are 3 parts to the original paintjob on a budget thread with thousands of progress pics, tips, and different types of paint used.

Reducer thins out the paint which makes it lay down smoother. Less orange peel. It also covers thinner so may require an extra coat, as you are basically watering down the paint. Best is to pick up a spare fender, mask it off into a few sections and try on that. Often 4:1 paint(already mixed with activator) to reducer is a good starting point. Download the "p sheets" of the product you are interested in. I've had good luck with the products from tcpglobal.com

Hvlp puts more paint on your car and less in the air than a conventional. Downside is you need a higher output compressor. They tend to run at a low air pressure but a high volume cfm of air. Not exactly where a small compressor shines. This is why I suggest a conventional.

Awesome, thanks for all the great info guys!

A hvlp complete system which includes a turbine to create air pressure avoids many of the issues that plague a conventional air compressor driven system, such as moisture in the air supply. Each has its place, however for what you seek, a complete hvlp system is likely the ticket. .

Do some research online and view some U tube videos to get a proper feel for them. Can be obtained for quite modest costs.

Check these out to give you an idea of a quite good but moderate cost system. Cheaper solutions abound with a bit of research.

http://www.tptools.com/TP-Tools-HVLP-Turbine-Paint-Systems.html

Whatever you are shooting with, be sure to keep paint, reducer, thinner, whatever in the same family from the same manufacturer. They are systems which are designed to work together.
If you are a pro, you may know about your favorite combos but most pro advice I have read says keep in the same paint family for all the products.

R.

It will work just fine. I painted my car using a simi;lar compressor from Sears back in 1982 in a open carport. Get a HVLP gun from Harbor Freight and go for it!

Thanks again guys, great info. I think on my tight budget I'm gonna lean towards a cheap conventional spray gun with a water filter, and a quart or gallon of the 'SEM trim black'. I think my friend might even have the gun and filter I can borrow.

Roe, I've read some of that thread before, the results of some of those rolled paint jobs is amazing. I need to get this car done very soon and don't want to try anything new again. Good idea though.

I have a nice spray gun that cost some good coin, but once I was at harbour freight and they had a gravity fed hvlp gun for less than 20 bucks, i figured i would try it for certain jobs, and it sprays pretty good for what it is, just make sure you practice on a piece of sheet metal till you are used to setting the gun up correctly before letting loose on your hood (it might save you from a bunch of sanding) also when done painting or priming make sure to clean the gun really good so when you use it the next time you dont have anything clogging up your gun, you can buy a paint gun cleaning kit with different sized brushes to make sure you get everything out.

Thanks, I'm gonna go shopping at Harbor Freight real soon unless I borrow my friends setup.