Compressor Question

Here I am, 2 weeks away from painting my campershell with smooth Durabak liner and I keep looking for paint compressors online. But then I'm thinking... I have a perfectly good

$180 Smittybilt 2781 SmittyBilt AIR COMPRESSOR 5.65CFM - SB2781

Smittybilt 2781 5.65 CFM Universal Air Compressor sitting in my truck, so why spend more $ I don't have on another compressor.

Can I use the Smittybilt and just buy a paint gun nozzle for it? I can't seem to find an answer anywhere - wondering if anyone here might know

 

. They are often on sale for $9.99.

ETA:

 

The biggest concern is CFM for the product you’re using and the gun your spraying it through. If your compressor can keep up with those requirements then I’d say go for it. If it’s close, I’d run a test panel before committing to the actual camper. If the durabak requires more CFMs than your compressor can put out Or close to maxing it out, the end result will be a globby application or a rough texture to the finish.

 

Dang, can’t beat that price. Thanks!

Good points, thank you!

The last thing I want is to blow up my compressor and mess up my camper with one wrong move.

 

You won't blow it up but you will get it hot. Maybe too hot.

It says 6 cfm "average" in the specs. That means they're assuming you're not holding the trigger non-stop. The big question is are they assuming you let off the trigger more than you will (or need to). Your compressor may have trouble keeping up. In my experience, that gun performs best at the high end of the pressure range. If the pressure drops too low, the gun won't get the paint particles fine enough and the paint won't flatten out well. If they're trying to make the air requirement fit many compressors, they may be specing it at the lowest pressure with a lot of "trigger off" time.

Years ago I had this problem, but I don't recall the specs on the compressor I used at that time.

If dust is manageable, try to spray it at low temp, and use a low temp reducer. You're trying to slow down the dry time so you can compensate for the for compressor speed if needed.

disclaimer: I'm not a paint pro, just a backyard guy.

 

I appreciate the information, I’m definitely a newbie to legit paint spray guns so your input and experience makes a huge difference.

I’m making notes and I’ll be sure to do a few test runs with scraps before jumping right in with the shell. Maybe I can do that this weekend...

 

Round up an extra tank give you spray time then let the compressor catch up .

some compressors have a thermal shutoff

Painting you want really dry air moisture makes the paint a mess

 

Great point, OP get and put it at the spray gun.

 

Ooh, good call guys, ty

 

That compressor says "5.65 CFM" but not at what pressure. Given it's for inflating tires, it probably only puts out that CFM at either 0 PSI or something really low like 2 or 30 PSI. Most spray guns are going to want 6-8CFM @ 40-60PSI, depending on what you are spraying. You also aren't going to be able to control the pressure very well as the compressor only has on/off. You'll end up pressuring the hose when you are not spraying, and have a 150PSI burst of air when you start spraying again. So it may not work at all, or if it does it's going to be close and a real pain. You can always add another air tank ( ) inline between the compressor and the gun. Let the compress fill up the tank as high as it will go (150PSI) and use a regulator on the tank output to get the pressure right for what you need at the gun. This will give you a more consistent pressure and deliver virtually any CFM you need for the gun, but you'll have to use a pretty low duty cycle -- a lot of waiting for the tank to be refilled as pressure drops.

 

So there’s “the catch” I was suspecting - air pressure control. I see I see....

So I think the final verdict in this case would be that yes, technically I probably could use the tire pressure compressor - BUT I could be straining it pretty hard and I have no idea what kind of pressure flow I’ll be stuck with (unless I buy add ons). In other words, this should only probably be used as a last resort, or, for a super small project where quality isn’t really a priority.

Thanks everyone! You’ve answered my question well enough for me to make a final decision. Seeing as this is a high-visibility item and I do want a consistent, quality end result, I’ll skip using the tire compressor as a lazy way to save $. (I thought I was being clever but in the end I would’ve just been frustrated and disappointed.)

Thanks again!!