Choosing the right air compressor for spray painting is very important and can greatly impact the finished product. The quality of a paint sprayer beats out a brush and roller in almost any painting project. When we are talking about custom automotive paint, there is no question a sprayer is the right choice. Whether you need to touch up a few minor paint dings or chips or even a total custom paint job, a compressed air system is the best way to be certain an even coat has been applied over the entire vehicle.

The Advantages of Painting With Compressed Air

Although it is possible to use a paint spray gun that does not rely on compressed air, most seasoned painters would agree compressed air is the best and most efficient way to power a paint gun for automotive projects.

Painting with compressed air makes the most detailed custom paint jobs much simpler. When compressed air is used, one will notice that the paint goes on much smoother than you are generally able to otherwise. Your overall paint job can be finished in a fraction of the time it would take to do it other ways.

Choosing the Correct Air Compressor for Your Custom Painting Project

The main factors to consider as you select the best compressed air system for your next project:

• Pressure: Although paint spray guns do not require a lot of pressure to operate, you will still need to consider whether you have an HVLP (high volume, low pressure) sprayer or one that is LVLP (low volume, low pressure).
• Cubic feet per minute (CFM): This refers to the amount of air that is produced by the air compressor. Most spray guns list the requirements it’s important to choose an air compressor that produces a higher CFM measurement than the spray gun itself.
• Tank size: A paint sprayer works by a continuous stream of air, so make sure to choose a tank that is appropriate in size. A 50 gallon tank is a good size to shoot for to achieve the best results.

We commonly see the following air compressor products used for powering paint sprayers:

• PC5x2/500, Panther Oil Free Mini Air Compressor, 130 Gallon Tank, 55 CFM, 208-240-460V/3Phase

• PC5/200, Panther Oil Free Mini Air Compressor, 52 Gallon Tank, 27.5 CFM, 208-240-460V/3Phase

• FIAC Silver 5.5/300 Rotary Screw Air Compressor, 5.5 hp, 19.7 CFM, 80 Gallon Tank Mounted, 208/240/3/60

• FIAC Silver 7.5/300 Rotary Screw Air Compressor, 7.5 hp, 28.9 CFM, 80 Gallon Tank Mounted, 208/240/3/60

• FIAC Silver 10/300 Rotary Screw Air Compressor, 10 hp, 33 CFM, 80 Gallon Tank Mounted, 208/240/460, 3 Phase, 60 Hz

Trust the Experts

At AVP, we know a thing or two about air compressors. Call us for an expert recommendation at (281) 866-9700 or check out our store at shop.airvacuumprocess.com.