2k paint and 3hp compressors

[Forward Look]

Hi Everyone,

I have a roling restoration 1960 Plymouth, and I could do with some help.
I have a 3HP compressor, Standard Power SP30/50 with 50L tank. More info here:

http://secure.thorite.co.uk/product.asp?P_ID=46070

I have nothing else with the compressor.
The car is currently wearing 2k paint (a Honda metallic turquoise) and I would like to be able to touch the colour up as I repair some of the metal work. Is this feasible with 2k paints?
I know I will need the respirator gear, that goes without saying. I am also looking at a decent HVLP touch up gun to use with it. Are there any suggestions as to which gun/nozzle etc would work well? Also, any recommended ancillary equipment?
Last but not least, I will at some point need to do much larger panels (all the panels are big, it's a huuuge car ). Are there any recommendations for what to use on these? I would be willing to use the compressor with the airfeed mask and use one of those turbine HVLP units to paint with, if anyone has had any success with these I would appreciate your input!
Any and all help would be as always greatly appreciated.
Thanks alot,
FL

 

[Forward Look]

Alternatively, has anyone had any luck with conversion guns? Apparently they can be run on smaller compressors.
Forgive my ignorance

Again, thanks for your help.
FL

 

[Satsuma]

I have sprayed a couple of cars with HP suction fed guns on small compressors; you just have to watch the pressure and obviously give it a break to leave it catch up.

I use an air fed mask (3M welding mask) and it eats air, I think you would struggle to spray and run a mask at the same time. There are battery powered masks which should do the job.

For doing small touch up repairs I would recommend a small gravity fed 'repair' gun, should give you more accuracy and less overspray.

 

[TVT]

A gravity feed touch up gun will be fine for touch ups, and should run OK with the compressor set up you mention - they don't take that much air volume at the nozzle.
I'd advise that you be careful with the color match on the 2stage metallic - I find it's best to spray up to a natural body crease to minimise obvious color changes - blending can be very difficult at times, so disguise it with natural shadows and highlights.

But - a 50 litre tank is going to be very frustrating if/when you spray the whole thing. You'll probably get one pass on a '60 Mopar (unless it's a Valiant, in which case you might get halfway back too!) before the tank has to refill.

I've got a 26 gallon tank (about 100 litres), and after doing my C Body with it, I'd never paint a big car with anything that small again. In truth, 26 gallons is OK, but it isn't really enough. And I didn't use an air-fed mask either...

That said, I painted my previous car (albeit just a tiny Model A truck) with a 15 litre tank, so it is do-able, if a bit frustrating.

As for guns - obviously get the best you can afford, but you'll need about a 1.3mm tip for the paint (depending on the size of the metallic particles), plus say a 1.6 for the primer - depending how thick you spray it.

 

[Forward Look]

Hi Guys, thanks for the responses.

Satsuma, did you use 2 pack paints with the high pressure guns? I thought it was very difficult to apply 2 pack unless you used HVLP.

TCT, I understand that it'll be a bit of a challenge painting with such a small tank, pretty sure these tailfins should empty it! At least with my car there are trim lines all over the place that offer a place to paint to. Again, did you use 2 pack paint? I'm not sure what they are referred to by in the states, but everyone over there I have spoken to seems unfamiliar with the term.

Again, thanks for your help guys!,
FL

 

[TVT]

I've always called it 2 pack, but I know it's sometimes called 'two stage', or more often now 'BC/CC'. There's even 3 stage paint 'systems' going round now...

Anyway, no - I used good old single stage lacquer on my Model A, and on my C Body.

That said, you're only squirting liquid, whether it's single or 2 stage, so I can't see why an HVHP would do a worse job than an HVLP gun. And you can get LVLP guns now, which might help with your tank capacity issue...I know the Low Pressure part means you get a lot less overspray, and in these environmentally-aware days, that's a big part of the reason for going over to HVLP. And of course, it saves you money on paint if it's on the car and not on the garage wall.

 

[irondarren]

metalics work better with a HVLP gun, to much air pressure will drive the metalic deep into the colour, resulting in a less metalic effect than desired. Im currently doing a quick blast over on my car metalic blue with a slight hint of pearl. Got it nice an cheap from the local paint supplier as it was mixed in error. I have noticed the lower the pressure the better the effect, to much air seems to result in a very patchy finish.
Most HVLPs work on about 10PSI at the nozzle and about 30PSI supply.

 

[TVT]

Oh yes - and you'll need the cfm to be up there for an HVLP - it always seems to vary, but the least I've ever seen quoted for an HVLP gun is 6cfm. Your 3hp motor should be able to supply that kind of volume, but again, it's the size/volume of air in the tank that could let you down.

That's a good point about the metallic though - you don't want a tiger stripe finish..