16 replies to this topic

[Tregs]

I’m after some advice.
I want to give diy spraying a go, well at least the primer and prep and then i'll get a professional to apply the top coat.
I understand that the bigger compressor i get the better, can you get away with using a 50ltr tank or would i need bigger still?
Secondly, is there a a particular spray gun that people would recommend? I don’t want to spend hundreds if i can help it, is there an all rounder gun which could apply both primers and top coats at a later date?
Any advice or guidance would be much appreciated.
Cheers,
Lee

[crazypainter]

hello mate, best gun i can recomend is a devilbiss gti, they are good all round guns and you can aplly any material as long as you change the fluid tip size.

etch primer 1.3-1.4mm
hight build 1.8mm
tog coat (depending what it top coat) 1.2-1.4mm

as for compressor at least 150ltr and strong motor e.g min 3 hourse power and u need to make sure it projuces a minimum of 14cfm

hope this helps

[Tregs]

Brilliant, thanks for that. Is there anywhere you would recommend purchasing a gun from? I have been looking at Spraygunsdirect.co.uk

Realistically, I’ve never done any spraying at all in my life except with a spray can. I realise that everyone has to start somewhere, will i be able to achieve a reasonable finish. I used to be pretty handy with a DA and detailing in the past so i understand painting/ process etc.

[crazypainter]

erm you will pick one up on ebay, if it says clear or base and the body of the gun is red they wont serve the purpose you need the old crome or blue body ones. expect to spend around £100, well worth the investment, best all round guns.

to get an idea of how to use one youtube is the best thing i can suggest just dnt watch non of the american ****.

[tommc92]

I've just finished spraying my mini. 25l compressor from aldi & £20 spray gun from screwfix....
Have to say its a brilliant finish. So much better than I expected

[firefox]

He is only spraying primer why go OTT with compressor and gun, i did mine with 2 x 25L tanks joined

and a gun from machine mart, give it a go bud i did

Edited by firefox, 02 November 2012 - 05:34 PM.

[tommc92]

After a quick t-cut

[Tregs]

wow, im impressed with the results.
Really appreciate the feedback guys, im just worried that i may spend alot of money and end up with the wrong kit. With the pics above im inspired to give it a go, whats the worst that can happen, aye? noting ventured nothing gained.

[tommc92]

As long as you prep it properly and take your time it'll look great

[firefox]

Well paint runs really, do some reading on the net, i did, prep is the key to a good finish

if you can use spray can's you are part way there, and somwhere to spray it

i am sure the paint boys on here will help

[rally1380]

150 L tanked compressor ain't necessary. Its good in an ideal world of course and if you intend on doing many more projests then invest but for a first bash i'd listen to the guys above and get a feel for it first with much cheaper equipment.

I sprayed my first car with an SiP 100L 3HP compressor and a £40 gun and had very good results. The compressor ain't big enough to run air tools that comsume alot of air, but for a spray gun it was fine...did recharge a fair bit but kept up with my painting and is still going strong today.

[stealth05]

i used this compressor for years

http://www.machinema...t/details/tiger


and this gun

http://www.machinema...d-pro-spray-gun


loads of good results for little money


obviously the better the gun and compressor the better the results ,but as stated above the results are all set out in good prep work and you will be impressed with the results from budget equipment if you take your time with the prep ,put enough paint on and you can always flat and buff till you are happy .

[jetblack81]

Many people have achieved great results with all kinds and types of set ups. At the end of the day if your willing to have a go at it, i guess its all part of the fun of owning a mini a doing your own stuff. Investing in a compressor is great for so many other tools.
If i had any tips they would be 1, remember that 75% of the finish will be down to the effort, time and patience you put into prep. 2, buy the biggest comp you can afford. The bigger it is the more tools you can use on it and the less it will cut in and out. 3, be carefull about companies that quote big cfm numbers. They normally are quoting the piston displacement cfm not the free air delivery cfm. The fad cfm is the important one. Machine mart are a classic for this. A comps fad cfm ideally needs to be double that of the tool rating for it to work effectively.
To get a good result spraying on a small comp it maybe that you may not get more than a panel done at a time before your comps tank will need to recharge. There will be loads of other tips and factors that apply but if your willing to give it a go and learn, getting hands on is always the best way. Good luck.

[jonny d]

I sprayed mine in my mates garage next to his house i tented up got a water trap (important) and sprayed in small doses at15 mins between coats put loads on and when air dried a week later I wet sanded back and to be honest with you it looks professional tank is 90 and gun was a sealy gold for £40 as good for our purpose as a more expensive range just have a go at it and with a mini you have stopping places IE. the seams so you can perfect your painting what have you got to lose nothing but your time and paint have a go im glad i did

[firefox]

I sprayed mine in my mates garage next to his house i tented up got a water trap (important) and sprayed in small doses at15 mins between coats put loads on and when air dried a week later I wet sanded back and to be honest with you it looks professional tank is 90 and gun was a sealy gold for £40 as good for our purpose as a more expensive range just have a go at it and with a mini you have stopping places IE. the seams so you can perfect your painting what have you got to lose nothing but your time and paint have a go im glad i did

Yeah dont forget the water trap i got mine from machine mart good point jonny