Afternoon all,

I am just starting to paint. What is the difference between a regulator on my compressor and a gauge on my gun? Wouldn't the gun have what the regulator is allowing to pass? Do I need one on my gun? Should I have a moisture trap on or near the compressor or near the gun? Any particular types and I need to stay mobile. Where I am in this house, nothing can be permanent. I need to be able to take it with me when I go.

Thanks

Sid

You need a reg at the gun for a true reading. You lose psi through the hose. You also need a water filter at the gun, they are about $2 at HF... thats's all I use and haven't had any problems... drain your comp tank before every spray session

Thank you.

Should I have a regulator at the compressor as well?

Thanks

Sid

I do... I set that one to about 90-100 psi. How big is your compressor?

NOVAFREEK6872 wrote:You need a reg at the gun for a true reading. You lose psi through the hose. You also need a water filter at the gun, they are about $2 at HF... thats's all I use and haven't had any problems... drain your comp tank before every spray session

All you use is a $2 filter at the gun? If that is truly all you use you have gotten very lucky. I have seen your work and it looks real nice. I also do auto body all day for a living and I have several filters in my set up and still occasionally on a real hot day have issues. You really need to slant your lines and use a water trap somewhere before you run your lines to your gun at minimum.

mmooney84 wrote:

NOVAFREEK6872 wrote:You need a reg at the gun for a true reading. You lose psi through the hose. You also need a water filter at the gun, they are about $2 at HF... thats's all I use and haven't had any problems... drain your comp tank before every spray session

All you use is a $2 filter at the gun? If that is truly all you use you have gotten very lucky. I have seen your work and it looks real nice. I also do auto body all day for a living and I have several filters in my set up and still occasionally on a real hot day have issues. You really need to slant your lines and use a water trap somewhere before you run your lines to your gun at minimum.

I have a lowes 60 gallon comp, I run 20' of airhose straight up and then down to a 20 gallon reserve tank and then 80' more hose to the gun and the $2 filter. I drain both tanks before I spray topcoats... no high flow fittings, cheap 1/2" HF air hose... never had a problem. I change the $2 filter out for each new car.

Yeah, you have gotten lucky running only that 1 filter. Even with running the hose up and down the wall into a 2nd tank, it still doesn't remove all of the moisture... Just helps it cool and condense in the 2nd tank or somewhere along the 80 foot of hose.
I used to have a pretty basic setup like that, but I also ran into moisture issues, especially on cool humid days.

I would use at least 2 water traps. 1 heavy trap towards the end of a 25 - 50 foot section, and then a 2nd finer trap after the first. The 1st trap catches the bulk of the water/oil and the 2nd trap catches the remaining. If you still use the bubble filter at the gun, it would be pretty close to a poor man's 3 stage setup

The setup I use now is 60 gal compressor -> 1" copper up the wall 4 feet, over 20 feet on a slope, and back down the wall on a 4 foot section where it meets the traps and regulator. I built drip legs with drains into bottom of each 4 foot leg. I drain the compressor, the legs, and the traps before spraying.

I used to have a bunch of junk hanging off my gun... A bubble filter, a regulator, etc. but have since switched to having NO regulator or filter at the gun. I was tired of having to maneuver all that crap around a dash board, engine compartment or tight areas and having it bump into things. It also causes a slight pressure drop that you can hear when you pull the trigger (sounds like 'TSSS--ssssss') as you watch the needle move to the PSI you set.

Now I use a regulator on the wall (after traps) going into a 25 foot air hose directly to the gun. I set the wall regulator up around 60 - 80PSI and make fine adjustments with the bleeder screw at the base of my guns. I have no detectable pressure drop and its a lot easier to dial in the atomization I am looking for.

Probably helps that my compressor is in a garage that stays almost as cool as my house all the time as long as I keep the door closed. I don't attempt any painting when it's very humid. I'll invest in a better setup when I move to the next house...probably a year or so from now

NOVAFREEK6872 wrote:I do... I set that one to about 90-100 psi. How big is your compressor?

Thank you for the reply sir. My situation is that I'm renting where I am so I cannot install permanent hard lines. My 60 gallon compressor with a 1 1/2 HP is on wheels. I have 25ft of 3/8 rubber line. I can get approximately 4 to 5 cfm out of the compressor at 30 psi continuously. I've been told I need to use one of the low cfm guns such as the Eastwood Concours guns.
I was told by the compressor mfg . to get the http://www.grainger.com/product/SPEEDAI ... ConfigId=1

Then get the http://www.grainger.com/product/GRAINGE ... uery=4flz8

I just didn't know if I needed a gauge or regulator at the gun also.

Question also; if the gun calls for 4 cfm to work optimally, how do you know you are getting that if you are looking at psi on your gauges? Is there some sort of conversion or formula?

Thanks everyone and I apologize for the newb questions.

Sid

Sid, buy the regulator it will work as a regulator should and you'll be much happier. the little air valves for the gun aren't true regulators they control pressure by restricting volume . you also need a good water trap, with these you won't need to put that stuff on your gun. you should be able to set your air pressure at the regulator add 4-5 pounds for the hose drop. set to your gun specification and go from there. you'll need to learn to adjust your air pressure for the best spray for the material your using. also that air compressor is not going to work for large projects with a full sized gun. you might check the Starting Line small gun, I have one and use it a lot on motorcycle parts and other small items. it would work good for your tanks and that air compressor you have.
Jay D.