For small, minor issues that require much less painting, you can get away with using a smaller air compressor that has 4 to 6 CFM of air flow.ĬFM is as important as tank size when it comes to painting a car because if you have a large tank and a low CFM, you still won’t be able to paint an entire car in a single pass. This requires quite a heavy-duty air compressor, but that is what is needed to paint an entire vehicle.
This will manifest itself by some areas having a different finish than others.įor the absolute best car painting results, make sure to get an air compressor that has a rating of 15 to 19 CFM. If you get an air compressor with too low of a CFM rating, it will result in an asymmetrical and inconsistent application of paint. Remember, getting an air compressor with a high enough CFM rating will allow you to paint your car in a single pass. The higher a CFM rating is, the more air can be pushed through the compressor for a given PSI. So, always make sure to look for an air compressor’s CFM rating when you are comparing different models. CFM RatingĬFM, or Cubic Feet per Minute, is the measure of how much air volume is traveling through the air compressor system. So, if you get your paint gun first, you will be prepared for buying the air compressor.
#Compressor for car professional#
The paint gun is what determines the amount of CFM and PSI your air compressor will need to deliver.Įntry-level paint guns generally require around 5 CFM of airflow, while higher-end professional sprayers can need as much as 10 to 15 CFM to paint a car. The paint gun is the first place to start when setting out to paint a car. Get The Paint Gun Before You Get The Air Compressor CFM and PSI are also critical properties to consider. The size of the tank, however, is not the only important aspect of an air compressor for painting a car. A tank that size will let you paint an entire vehicle evenly in one shot. Painting a car is a big job, so an air compressor with a 50 gallon tank or larger is ideal. Or, if you don’t know what size air compressor you need to paint a car, you may over-buy and end up with a tank far larger than is necessary, which would be a waste of money. So, if your air compressor has a tank that is too small, you will more than likely end up with an uneven application paint, resulting in a poorly finished paint job.Īn air compressor with a small tank will leave you having to wait for the tank to refill, which can affect the quality of your paint by slowing down its application. This is because it’s important to get the painting process done in a single pass.
Tank size is one of the most important aspects of any air compressor, but it is of particular importance when it comes to what size air compressor to paint a car.
In this article, we will take a look at some fundamental aspects of air compressors and we will help you find the best air compressor size to paint a car. If you are looking to buy an air compressor to paint a car, then it’s important to know what size air compressor to get. If you are using an HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) sprayer, you can use an air compressor with as little as 20 PSI, but if you are using an older-style paint sprayer, you could need air pressures in excess of 90 PSI. To paint an entire car, it’s best to have an air compressor that has at least a 50 gallon tank and can provide 15 to 19 CFM of air flow. Performing a professional car painting job at home has become much more possible recently thanks to how-to videos and the internet making paint guns so easily available. An air compressor utilizes pressurized air to power tools such as ratchets and paint sprayers.
0 kommentar(er)
