Please help!!

[Sandra bellew]

I wonder if someone would be kind enough to help me, I recently purchased a Sealey gravity feed spray gun to paint some furniture, which is my business but usually have used Wagner but now want to upgrade to compressor gun, however I have no idea which air compressor would be suitable to use, believe me I have been researching for weeks but come across a lot of conflicting information and I have become a bit blinded by the science. The gun has the following info air pressure 50 psi , air consumption 4.5 - 8 cfm I have been looking at a Sealey SAC5030VE 50 litre, 3hp 12.6 cfm could someone tell me if this is suitable or recommend another, cheaper alternative as this will cost around £250 any help will be hugely appreciated

 

[Burdekin]

You're not alone. CFM is rated at no pressure so when you start using at higher pressure it isn't easy to work out what you need. You might find that spraying at 50psi will work your compressor hard so go for one with more capacity. This would be a better option and will be quieter than a direct drive https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wolf-Dakota-14cfm-Cylinder-Compressor/dp/B00HU4ZN10/ref=sr_1_3?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1526249088&sr=1-3&refinements=p_4:Wolf Aldi also sell cheap 14.5cfm direct drive compressors if you don't mind the noise. You can always add another compressor later if you need more capacity but you should be fine with the Wolf. It will work better if you take the air dieect from the cyclinder, have a search on here, there's threads on how to do this to get significant better air flow.

 

[frank horton]

a big old twin cylinder with a large tank is the way to go........very expensive new but there are plenty of good used examples.......u will need a decent water trap filter for the air but they are not so expensive anymore.........
guess u've only got single phase.........still not a problem........I'd go for the biggest comp ur electrical system will safely take.......
I'm semi retired and fix antique cars and tractors, mechanical and paint, well not so much paint now, just the odd tractor.........
bought a new 10cu.ft comp with a 50-60 liter tank.......
it ran almost constanly air tools and when spraying put another compressor in line.........
in the end got fed up with the noise and the inconvenience and went big........
now got a 16 ++cu.ft V twin Ingersol-Rand direct Drive unit, guess it about 5hp x 440v sitting on what would be at least a 350 litre tank........now runs 2-3 times a day and it's quieter.......
u will always grow into a big compressor........the only thing I ever did to modify my stationary comp was to junk the standard air filter a sponge abortion and adapt a AUTO paper type.......when I did a lot of painting the air intake was from outside the building.........
hope this helps......

 

[addjunkie]

When compressor shopping becareful to check / understand the numbers

Displacment CFM quoted is effect how much air is sucked in at the suction filter, when this air is compressed the pressure increases therefor the volume decreases.
Most manufactures dont quote the free air delivery FAD as its less, but the figure you need to drive your spray gun or air tool. Roughly 14cfm displacment gives you about 9 cfm free air delivered.

The sip website is one of the few that quote both numbers. This isnt a recomendation just and example of the numbers, but as most of the compressors are made in the far east its handy for comparison

https://www.sipuk.co.uk/sip-airmate-tn-3-50-d-oil-lubricated-air-compressor.html

 

[Sandra bellew]

You're not alone. CFM is rated at no pressure so when you start using at higher pressure it isn't easy to work out what you need. You might find that spraying at 50psi will work your compressor hard so go for one with more capacity. This would be a better option and will be quieter than a direct drive https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wolf-Dakota-14cfm-Cylinder-Compressor/dp/B00HU4ZN10/ref=sr_1_3?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1526249088&sr=1-3&refinements=p_4:Wolf Aldi also sell cheap 14.5cfm direct drive compressors if you don't mind the noise. You can always add another compressor later if you need more capacity but you should be fine with the Wolf. It will work better if you take the air dieect from the cyclinder, have a search on here, there's threads on how to do this to get significant better air flow.

Thanks for reply, couple of things concern me after spending couple hours looking at the Wolf, it seems big and I appreciate it has wheels but but is it easily movable as I would need to move it myself, and a few of the reviews says it’s blows the fuses in there house and now we have another message saying go for a 350 litre 5 horse power I would only be using this for around 10 mins at a time maybe 3 times a day

 

[steveo3002]

what are you spraying?

one shoe box size item or a production line of wardrobe size jobs?

 

[addjunkie]

A 3 hp (2.2kw) will electrically require the full 13 amps of your standard plug. But will possibly pull more for a very short perieod on initial start up.

Tripping breakers in garages is probably quite common as many folks dont wire their garage properly.

If you are spraying you will also need to consider water filters / traps in the air line to the gun.

 

[Sandra bellew]

what are you spraying?

one shoe box size item or a production line of wardrobe size jobs?

Hi Steve

I generally paint chests of drawers, sideboards, coffee tables , chairs the odd wardrobe

 

[Sandra bellew]

A 3 hp (2.2kw) will electrically require the full 13 amps of your standard plug. But will possibly pull more for a very short perieod on initial start up.

Tripping breakers in garages is probably quite common as many folks dont wire their garage properly.

If you are spraying you will also need to consider water filters / traps in the air line to the gun.

Hi addjunkIe

I won’t be running it from the garage but from my house, currently looking to rent a workshop but until I find one I will run it from house and spray in a makeshift shelter thing in the garden, I figured I would need a water filter and oil filter attached to gun that will be another mine field to figure out which one when I get to it . Appreciate your advice though thanks

 

[cumbriasteve]

I use a gravity gun and also smaller detail guns on my Aldi cheapo compressor that costs now about £70 ish.

It happily sprays a 6ft x 6ft fence panel with preservative and after a couple of minutes building pressure back up is ready to go again, the only fault is they are noisy.

Very easy to wheel about though.

 

[gaz1]

from reading your info i presume that you have been told that you can use a spray gun at 50 litres compressor with no problems whilst spraying things

which is true to a degree on the first few compressions of air after this you start getting water in your lines as the system starts to heat up

however most air appliances are air hungry and will chew through compressed air in no time

belt driven vs direct drive always go for belt driven much quieter the sound does get to you after a bit

the wolf is a better option and so are a few others more time to spray and get whats needed done

 

[angellonewolf]

my compresser tank is a bout 2.5 poss 3 foot long and very easy to wheel about

 

[Sandra bellew]

from reading your info i presume that you have been told that you can use a spray gun at 50 litres compressor with no problems whilst spraying things

which is true to a degree on the first few compressions of air after this you start getting water in your lines as the system starts to heat up

however most air appliances are air hungry and will chew through compressed air in no time

belt driven vs direct drive always go for belt driven much quieter the sound does get to you after a bit

the wolf is a better option and so are a few others more time to spray and get whats needed done

Hi gaz
No I haven’t been told I can use a 50 litre compressor that was just me trying to figure out whether that would be powerful enough but from the general consensus it would seem I need something bigger just didn’t realise I’d need to pay so much for one but I guess if that what it takes, do you know if this is ok to just run off your home electric as I few people say it blows your fuses

 

[dobbslc]

Hi Sandra, it's the big 3HP compressors that can sometimes blow a breaker out, I've got one that does it sometimes .
(I'm an electrician btw) its when they start it takes more power for a few seconds to get the thing going.
I'm no expert on painting but I reckon you'd be fine with a 2HP one for painting what you want as I don't think you'll be spraying for long periods of time.
Belt drive are a bit quieter than direct drive but more expensive. Those Wolf ones seem pretty decent and I'm sure they do a 2HP one.
Try not to run it on a long extenson lead if possible.

 

[henry Kadzielski]

^^^ This is getting confusing and I know a bit about compressors and painting. Best you put up a pic of the spray gun you are thinking of, with details and the type of material you are expecting to spray. Just because a spray gun can go up to 50psi dosen't mean you need to. A smaller compressor will do what you want, it depend upon the amount that you have to do. Belt drive compressors are much quieter so as stated above won't drive you insane or give the neighbors something to complain about. Spray guns (not all) have tip sizes options. This allows thicker or thinner materials to be sprayed. I have a 12cfm single phase compressor (which will put out about 8cfm free air) and does my smaller spraying just fine. However I have a belt drive compressor, but it keeps up again just fine. Unless you have a specific requirement of spraying thicker materials with more pressure, then you may run short of air. All that is required is to stop and let the compressor catch up

Just to clarify 12cfm with 50liter tank 2hp. Some form of water trap or refrigerated dryer is a must

 

[Sandra bellew]

^^^ This is getting confusing and I know a bit about compressors and painting. Best you put up a pic of the spray gun you are thinking of, with details and the type of material you are expecting to spray. Just because a spray gun can go up to 50psi dosen't mean you need to. A smaller compressor will do what you want, it depend upon the amount that you have to do. Belt drive compressors are much quieter so as stated above won't drive you insane or give the neighbors something to complain about. Spray guns (not all) have tip sizes options. This allows thicker or thinner materials to be sprayed. I have a 12cfm single phase compressor (which will put out about 8cfm free air) and does my smaller spraying just fine. However I have a belt drive compressor, but it keeps up again just fine. Unless you have a specific requirement of spraying thicker materials with more pressure, then you may run short of air. All that is required is to stop and let the compressor catch up

Hi Henry thanks for your (non confusing reply , man a lot of this info just gets too technical for me! I just want to spray paint with a hvlp gun and a compressor that is suitable. It won’t let me upload a picture of the gun as picture is too big but the gun is a Sealey ssg501 don’t suppose I could push my luck and ask you to look it up for me and let me know what your thoughts are regarding compressor as you seem to be clued up , not that everyone else isn’t I’ve been so grateful that anyone even responded

 

[Sandra bellew]

^^^ This is getting confusing and I know a bit about compressors and painting. Best you put up a pic of the spray gun you are thinking of, with details and the type of material you are expecting to spray. Just because a spray gun can go up to 50psi dosen't mean you need to. A smaller compressor will do what you want, it depend upon the amount that you have to do. Belt drive compressors are much quieter so as stated above won't drive you insane or give the neighbors something to complain about. Spray guns (not all) have tip sizes options. This allows thicker or thinner materials to be sprayed. I have a 12cfm single phase compressor (which will put out about 8cfm free air) and does my smaller spraying just fine. However I have a belt drive compressor, but it keeps up again just fine. Unless you have a specific requirement of spraying thicker materials with more pressure, then you may run short of air. All that is required is to stop and let the compressor catch up

Just to clarify 12cfm with 50liter tank 2hp. Some form of water trap or refrigerated dryer is a must

Although I’m thinking maybe just buy the wolf Dakota that burdekin recommended in the first response although his sub name is chief bodger so that worries me haha

 

[carbon]

From the instructions it looks like max air consumption is 8cfm Sealey ssg501 so would have thought a compressor with at least 12 cfm would be required

 

[gaz1]

Hi gaz
No I haven’t been told I can use a 50 litre compressor that was just me trying to figure out whether that would be powerful enough but from the general consensus it would seem I need something bigger just didn’t realise I’d need to pay so much for one but I guess if that what it takes, do you know if this is ok to just run off your home electric as I few people say it blows your fuses

alot of people don't when they are going into air compressors

query here what are you spraying ?

as ive seen the 90s and 100 litre air compressors able o spray a car or underbody Shultz with no problems at all
with your air bleeder one on the compressor is fine all depends on the run of tubing that you have after that to long its best to use another air/water bleeded before the gun and another length of air hose

the compressor can run I believe it to be without much problems 5/10 metre air hose without the need for another water air spliter in its line

 

[addjunkie]

Although I’m thinking maybe just buy the wolf Dakota that burdekin recommended in the first response although his sub name is chief bodger so that worries me haha

Burdekin as a chief bodger wouldnt last lng in the world he works in. Its just a forum name thingy. The wolf is like many if the far eastern compressors of different colours and different names.

The paint you intend to spray will dictate the nozzle size and therefore the air consumption. I have to confess to having done some absoloutly awful spray painting, its not as easy as the pros make it look.

If your compressor is too small all that happens is the compressor cant keep up with your usage and the pressure drops till it stops atomising the paint. You stop till the pressure builds back up. Ideally you want a compressor and tank volume that is large enough so the compressor cuts in and out allowing things to cool in between.

What paint do you intend to use?