WTF did I do wrong this time....
Had to take a few week break on this project due to other things coming up but now i'm back at it and well... crap.
I took all the advice (I thought); I got the correct 2k primer (Finish One FP415 DTM) dialed my compressor down to right at 40PSI or so, mixed and sprayed. And this is the awful result I got. I checked first that I was getting what I thought to be a good spray pattern and such on some cardboard. Messed with pressure until it seemed right and then went for it.
It looks to me like it just let out WAY too much paint though it's also got the texture going on still/again. Is the pressure still too high?

Since I'm so new at this I thought I'd also provide some info that... I dunno might be relevant?

I'm using a DevilBiss Starting line gun with their DeKups system (I got it all as a gift). 3/8 air line, a 20 gallon compressor (that I know doesn't produce enough CFM technically but I got through the whole panel once before it even kicked on and I just waited a bit until it shut back off so I don't think I'm running out of air) and for what it's worth I'm at about 6000 ft elevation (dunno if that matters?)

A compressor either has enough CFM to run the gun or it doesn't. It's that simple.

You are making the same mistake that myself and many others have made. Starting the project before being adequately educated and prepared.

Before you waste anymore time and labor I would suggest spending some time reading the Sticky Posts and the Articles on the INFO CENTER page. Get a decent compressor that will run your gun properly, learn how to adjust the gun's spray pattern, know how to read a tech sheet and follow flash times, etc.

With 2k primer you can get by with a crappy looking finish because you will be sanding most of it off. However that will not be true of the color coat and base is too expensive to be sanding off mistakes.

As I said, I've done a lot of reading, taken a lot of advice. I disagree with the idea that there either is or isn't enough cfm, you're talking about long term sustained. I don't fancy spending 1500 dollars (minimum) on an air compressor that will run 15 cfm sustained. The tank holds enough to run the gun wide open for about 10 minutes. Same as with my sander, it will run at full pressure until it uses too much volume of air and then the compressor can't keep the pressure up. It's not that the compressor can't run the sander becaue it doesn't rate enough cfm. It just can't run it indefinitely.
I followed flash times from the tech sheet, which I do know how to read. I'm thinking I may not have waited ong enough between coats though, it calls for "apply 2-3 full wet coats... allow each coat to flash to a dull finish" I thought it was dull enough and possibly it wasn't?

'68 Coronet R/T wrote:A compressor either has enough CFM to run the gun or it doesn't. It's that simple.

You are making the same mistake that myself and many others have made. Starting the project before being adequately educated and prepared.

Before you waste anymore time and labor I would suggest spending some time reading the Sticky Posts and the Articles on the INFO CENTER page. Get a decent compressor that will run your gun properly, learn how to adjust the gun's spray pattern, know how to read a tech sheet and follow flash times, etc.

With 2k primer you can get by with a crappy looking finish because you will be sanding most of it off. However that will not be true of the color coat and base is too expensive to be sanding off mistakes.

You've tried twice my friend, Some threads your just better off staying out of.
Some people think they know it all and have to learn the Hard way, Its just that simple.

I'm certainly not trying to come off as a know it all by any means. That's why I'm here, asking, because I don't know what I'm doing. Coronet's other post in this thread I read and followed and I have a lot more information about the plastic panels as he suggested (definitely would have done that ALL wrong). I did find that I missed some suggestions about how to dial in the gun that I need to try out after I sand this down again.
Hooray for learning process.

Pyrannha wrote:WTF did I do wrong this time....
I'm using a DevilBiss Starting line gun with their DeKups system a 20 gallon compressor (that I know doesn't produce enough CFM technically but I got through the whole panel once before it even kicked on and I just waited a bit until it shut back off so I don't think I'm running out of air)

Your failures are from not doing enough research! Not reading the Sticky's on first page not following all printed instruction in your research and not aggressively following advice given and suggested from experienced Tech's!

1, First off Like it or not Your compressor is JUNK! It is Way to small for the Job your trying to use it for. I don't care what size the Tank is Its the Pump that matters and any Pump that comes on a 20 Gal tank Isn't big enough to Paint with the exception of an Airbrush! Don't argue I have been fighting the too small of Compressor war for over 30 years listen to experience!

By the way depending on where you live I am selling Two used 5hp 18CFM single stage Air compressors now for $400 each so don't cry you cant afford to buy a decent air compressor. They are out there Used. just don't expect to find one every single day on Craigslist but they do Pop up.

2. You state you have a Starting line Gun, Which One???? The Finish coat gun? The Primer gun? or the Detail Gun???? The three have different Fluid tip sizes available that come with the gun and different Air caps are sometimes available as well!
I am not 100% sure a different size air cap is available for that particular model you have you need to Call Devilbiss. they are very friendly and eager to sell there wares Depending on which model gun you have in the Startingline models you could have a 1.0, 1.3, 1.5 or a 1.8 Fluid tip in your gun you need to know which one you are using and when to use which size when for what you are spraying.

https://www.autorefinishdevilbiss.com/D ... &TabId=285

You are Painting at way to hi of air pressure by what you said compounded by Fluctuating air pressure and air Volume problems from trying to use to small of a compressor and I am willing to bet Too big of a fluid tip to boot.

The following chart is a Fluid tip,Air Cap and air pressure suggestions from Devilbiss for Martinsoyer paints The Starting line of guns are not listed BUT the Finish line is listed and is similar the FLG3 and FLG4 in the Finishline.
https://www.autorefinishdevilbiss.com/D ... PortalId=0

If you look at the chart it suggests a very small fluid tip and a Very low Air pressure setting at the Gun.

Again you need to call Devilbiss to see what air caps are available if any at all? there may not be another for that gun which will by the way will increase you needed Air supply or REDUCE IT Air-caps Do that along with making the Spray pattern bigger or smaller atomizing the paint reducing or increasing over spay ect.

Pyrannha wrote:As I said, I've done a lot of reading, taken a lot of advice. I disagree with the idea that there either is or isn't enough cfm, you're talking about long term sustained. I don't fancy spending 1500 dollars (minimum) on an air compressor that will run 15 cfm sustained. The tank holds enough to run the gun wide open for about 10 minutes. Same as with my sander, it will run at full pressure until it uses too much volume of air and then the compressor can't keep the pressure up. It's not that the compressor can't run the sander because it doesn't rate enough cfm. It just can't run it indefinitely.

Just because the Gun is Spraying or your Sander is running Doesn't mean there is enough available air FLOW, Air flow and Air pressure are different.
Any tool requires a steady CFM (Flow) to perform at a Required steady Pressure to perform as rated,
A Paint gun requires X amount of CFM at a Steady Pressure and Flow it needs to remain constant and rock Steady!
As soon as you fire up any tool it starts bleeding off the Tank and the Pressure drops rapidly if your compressor Pump is not putting out more CFM than your tool uses Your loosing pressure and Volume in your tank, This is bad.

Think of your Air Tank as a Shock absorber ONLY its not meant to drive your tools its meant to eliminate Pressure drops and Pressure spikes ONLY The Pump drives your tools.

A cheap 5hp 60 gal compressor with a 11-18 CFM rating is in reality too small in my opinion but is generally accepted as the Minimum that you can get away with.

Air compressors are one of the most over rated tools on the market

It sounds less to me like you're actually asking questions to offer advice and just trying to be condescending. That said I'm still looking for advice and I'm happy to answer questions that might be relevant.
This is the gun kit that I have https://www.eastwood.com/devilbiss-auto ... ystem.html I'm using the included 1.8 tip for the primer. Interestingly by the chart you gave, that is too big of a tip, which is odd because the included literature in the kit says that the sized tip to use for primer, even though they both come from DevilBiss. Regardless, I definitely need to swap that out.
As for the compressor, after finding a site talking about this topic, it's rating of 4CFM at 90PSI roughly equates 10 CFM at 30 PSI by a couple of different math equations they give out. So, not QUITE the needed 13CFM but again, CFM is a rating of sustainability and for my current application - spraying a small panel - judging by compressor duty time and tank pressure, it is able to sustain the required CFM for the time period needed, if not indefinitely. Again, the line pressure never dropped below even twice the guns rated need.
On top of that, considering the first time I did this with the wrong primer I was told I used too much air and still didn't have issues with air delivery I'm going to guess that compressor is at very least not the entire problem. I'm not running a shop, i'm not painting the whole vehicle and I'm going to guess, from what the results look like, that buying a new compressor won't magically fix everything wrong here.
I'm not interested in buying your used compressor. Thanks for the offer.
The shock comparison is an interesting way to look at it and I appreciate that as well. I understand what you're saying about tank pressure drop. What doesn't make sense to me is that you're saying that if the compressor can't produce more than the required CFM it doesn't matter if said compressor even runs when spraying. My compressor kicks on when the tank pressure drops below 90, when it kicked on, I finished that single pass and gave it the minute or so it needed to build back up and shut off. The CFM production of the compressor at that point shouldn't matter since I'm utilizing only the stored air from the tank and the ability to deliver an amount of CFM from a stored tank at 150PSI would be limited only by the size of the outlet from the tank.
So in summary its sounding like too high of inlet air pressure coupled with a gun that's not properly dialed in and shooting too much material and too big of a tip. I do see the points on the compressor, I agree it's not ideal for doing a big job, I really have a hard time seeing that as my issue here though.
Thanks for the help so far, i'm learning a good bit and I'm sure I'll be back with another screw up before long.

Pyrannha wrote: . . . As for the compressor, after finding a site talking about this topic, it's rating of 4CFM at 90PSI roughly equates 10 CFM at 30 PSI by a couple of different math equations they give out. So, not QUITE the needed 13CFM but again, CFM is a rating of sustainability and for my current application - spraying a small panel - judging by compressor duty time and tank pressure, it is able to sustain the required CFM for the time period needed, if not indefinitely. Again, the line pressure never dropped below even twice the guns rated need. . .

Not sure what your sources are but this simply isn't the case. Your 20 gallon tank cannot sustain the gun either since it only holds about 2.6 cubic feet of air.

CFM is a volume measurement and should not be confused with the pressure measurement.

If you had 5 gallons of water and you applied 100 psi of pressure to it, how many gallons of water to you have? It is the same concept with air.

We are trying to help you by pointing out the causes of your problems. Whether you accept the advice or not is entirely up to you. If these other sources are correct then you shouldn't have any more issues - right?

I have numerous completed projects that you can see in the Member's Projects Section to bear witness of my methods and results. My only reason in pointing this out is that many guys offer advice but you never see their actual work, I put mine in pictures and tutorial form in order to help other beginners benefit from my experiences.

Personally I could care less if you want to listen to what I am trying to tell you or not.
I am not trying to be condescending, I am just trying to point out your errors in your practice and in your beliefs. Seriously what do I have to gain from you buying a Bigger compressor??????
I am trying to help you as is Jim, You are not listening or heading are advice or experience!!!! and that's fine it's ok? it really is! I could care less as I am sure Jim feels the same. There your problems 100% yours!.
I want to help you, Jim wants to help you! and so do others in this thread BUT no one is gonna come out right and say Yes you can do this correctly with a compressor you have as stated in this thread, It's too small. If what you are saying is true.

I personally don't have your problems your having as a Automotive Restoration person, Try to wonder why please?

Please do a search about compressors I am sure you will come up with a wealth of reading material. all pointing to bigger compressors and again we have nothing to gain by pointing you to a bigger compressor. We do not get kick backs or sales from doing so. Do you see a bunch of adds for bigger compressors on this web sight??????
So what does Jim or I have to gain from pointing you to a newer bigger compressor? seriously???