Hi everyone! I'm pretty new to this but I am going to be painting motorcycles as a hobby (Probably one every few weeks) I currently have a 30 gallon compressor running at 120 PSI and 7 cfm. I looked into LVLP guns but it seems that they don't get the job done quite as well and it's difficult to find a good one for under $500. I read that I have the option of attaching a spare compressor to add about 4cfm. I am hoping that because the parts I'm painting are so small I can run a HVLP without having a problem with the lag of the air compressor. So with that in mind, what are my best options for guns? My other question is, do I need more than one gun for primer/top coat/clearcoat or if I wash my gun in between and switch the tip out, is one gun acceptable? There seems to be mixed reviews on this. Thanks for any help

Melissa, you can certainly use a single gun...it's just that if painting a lot, you will find it nice to have a dedicated primer gun. Also, primer is slightly abrasive and can wear out a gun faster than base or clear does -- but again you need to be painting a LOT for that to be a concern.

I've done plenty of complete car refinishes from metal all the way to clear with a single gun and a 1.4 tip.

Thank you so much. If you happen to have spare time (or anyone else who sees this) would you mind giving a complete list of all the supplies needed from start to finish? I will list what I have found so far:
Well ventilated Paint booth
Sealed motor exhaust fan
Respirator
Paint suit
Gloves
Bondo or Putty
Epoxy primer
Thinner
Automotive paint
Clear Coat
Base coat/Clear coat reducer (are these 2 different products?)
Mixing stick
Quart paint cans
Polish (very confused on how many and which I need)
Sandpaper (200, 400, 600, 800, 1200, 1500, and 2000 grit)
Masking tape
Metal polish
Cotton rags
Florescent Lights
Varsol (Is this for cleaning the gun?)
And of course the gun (Any suggestions?)

Thank you for any time spent to help

From this page: http://www.autobody101.com/content/auto ... -articles/

take a look at these two links:

http://www.autobody101.com/content/arti ... ould-know/

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=16694

...among other articles there. Also if you go to the advanced search link up near the top right of any page in the forum you can use the integrated Google search engine to find threads about supplies, first time painting, etc.

On the gun...I'm the guy selling guns so certainly continue to research, but for a beginner or occasional painter this gun seems to make a lot of people happy. I've sold dozens (maybe hundreds?) of this gun over the last couple of years - not a single complaint.

http://www.autobody101.com/store/spray- ... -34oz-cup/