Best paint sprayer

I am looking to do a lot of painting when this ice age is over. Basically I am painting everything that came unpainted. (flares, grill surround, mirrors, handles, and front bumper)...Also repainting an ARE cap. I have done a fair amount of rattle can here and there and know some basics but I am looking to get a good sprayer, one that won't clog up or give me a crap spray pattern.

Just a few questions:
Any recommendations on a sprayer?
Any recommendations on how much paint I will need and where to get it?
What type of clear coat is best?
Any other advice is always welcome!

 

What kind of money you looking to spend?
The best question, you're going to get peoples preferences.

Paint guns. Sata Jet, Iwata, and DeVilbiss. Are some of your top paint guns. Most guys are using gravity fed (where the paint cup is on top), a lot of old schoolers use syphon fed (cup on bottom). Go with Gravity. Then there's conventional and HVLP type. Conventional uses more air pressure and paint. HVLP (High volume low Pressure) Use less air pressure and paint. If you have a small compressor you may wana go HVLP route, plus a little less over spray. I recommend Sata. But the others are good too.

Top paint companys. Dupont which also has a cheaper line called "Nason",PPG,and there's others. But for what your wanting I may go with Nason, it's good stuff, especially for what you're wanting.
You're gona need to use some self etching primer on bare metal pieces before regular primer. Then a base (color) then clear.


What you should do, is go to a local Body Shop Supply Store. To find one you could call a couple of body shops and ask where they get there supplys.
Go in and talk to some people there. They should help answer all your questions and point you in the right direction.

 

Fire'

Few questions:
What kind of compressor are you running? How many CFMs? Where's it located (in the same area as where you'll be spaying? What type of water/oil separator will you be using? Where will you be spraying? Is this area attached to the house? Have you ever sprayed before?

Need those before any recommendations as the type of gun is really dependent on the CFM.

For paint, I use PPG Deltron base and clear. Dupont also have a great line of paint too. It basically whatever you can get locally. For the novice, stick with the same brand and line of paint from primer to sealer to base to clear.

If this is your first time spraying paint, get "How to Paint Your Car" DVD by Kevin Tetz. It'll give you an idea of what's involved and the basic process. It's really not hard but due to the cost of material is expensive to learn how to do well.

Have you considered getting those parts painted at a local technical school? You'll have to wait a bit but the results are usually quite good and your helping kids learn a trade while not paying bodyshop rates.

Finally, some automotive paints have isocyanates which are really, really bad. A single exposure can cause quite a bit of health problems. You not only need a good respirator, but a tyvek coverall and gloves to be safe. My experience is purely as a novice but this is what I've picked up so far. I break a rule by spraying in my attached garage but I do remove the top panel from the door and add 3 fans so that I'm negatively pressurizing the area to not allow fumes to enter the house. If my garage was under the house, I wouldn't even try. Not the best way but that's what I've got.

 

I don't mind spending what is necessary. I am not opening up a paint shop but I do want to make it look better than rattle can. I want to keep it under $300 for supplies, whole idea is that I'm not spending a fortune to have someone else do it. Great advice thank you.

I am gonna sound like a noob but I don't know anything about water/oil seperators. However, I plan on painting at my pops detached garage which has a large air compressor I think like a 60 gallon (it's fixed to the floor in the corner). I think its like 12 cfm if that sounds right. The garage is detached from the house and has 2 garage doors that can be left open so ventilation is not much of a concern. I also have an old SCOTT firefighting mask that I have bought respirator filter attachments for.

I'm still learning so I will look into the DVD. Not trying to do anything perfect, just don't want it to look like crap or empty my pockets. Bringing the parts to a school is a good idea. I know some guys that can probably hook me up. Thanks for the advice.

 

vssman has some good pointers.

Well I think, first things first. It's gona be a good idea for you to find the local body shop supply store like I said. That's where you going to find all the materials you'll need.

Not knowing anymore than what you mentioned about your pops setup. I'll say for what your wanting to do, you should be fine. I would make sure before painting to drain the compressor tank and drain it often, and also get a in line water filter for your paint gun, when you get one. And wet the floors down well, it will help keep down dirt etc, from getting in your paint. Keep anything with silicone and crap like that away from where your painting, far away. Believe it or not you can turn out show car finishes in a garage, you just gotta know what you're doing.

Yeah and sometimes, if there's is a local Tech that teaches auto body, you may be able to go and talk to some people there, and a lot of times they get awesome deals on paint guns etc. So if you hooked up with somebody there that would help $.


You can develop a good spraying technique with spray cans (the kind that has a flat pattern). Altho it's hard to try and teach you thru typing it all on here. One thing you'll want to do is start spraying before you come over what you're painting, then once you're off stop, then start again, and don't stop over what you're painting. Over lap your pattern by 50%. There's a rythm in painting. There's a lot to try and explain. But to be a good painter, you need to understand the paints your spraying and how they react at different temps, and how your spraying them. One paint might go on looking a little orange peely but flow out, and at the same temp another might dry how you spray it.
Do test panels to experiment.

Also I would recommend you get a good "paint" respirator. The things vssman mentioned are no joke.

Anyway, find the supply store. Some Body shops call them paint jobbers.


Good luck

 

Thanks! I'll find a good shop. I've been using paint cans for a while with the flat tip. I got that rhythm down so this doesn't sound too different which is good.