Car owners know that maintaining sleek and shiny paint is fundamental in caring for cars. One of the best ways of maintaining this sleek look is to repaint the car or change its color occasionally. It is possible to cover up paint scratches and change your car color at home.
An air compressor is an appliance that powers air tools such as paint guns and air hammers by releasing its stored pressurized air into the attached tool. Air compressors are of variant sizes and models hence before painting, find an air compressor that can adequately power your paint gun.
Can You Paint A Car With A 30-Gallon Air Compressor?
A 30-gallon air compressor can paint a car however, the air compressor must match the paint gun you will use for the painting. The number of gallons of the air compressor is not relevant compared to the paint gun. The paint gun controls the air used for the painting and determines the air capacity required to paint the car.
High-end professional guns expel more air than regular paint guns that utilize about 5-7 cubic feet per meter (CFM). A 30-gallon air compressor is fine, but it is crucial to ensure that it is compatible with the paint gun you will be using to paint.
How To Paint A Car With A 30-Gallon Air Compressor
If you do not know how to match the ratings on your air compressor with the ratings of the spray gun, you can purchase a compressor that comes as a complete kit (with the spray gun) on Amazon or any automotive store. Purchasing these complete kits is more expensive than buying the compressor and spray gun separately.
The painting process incorporates four main steps:
Step One- The Preliminary Stage
This stage involves the selection of the paint and thinner, readying the painting area, preparing your safety gear, and obtaining a primer. Add the thinner to the paint to reduce its density and enable it to go through the siphon tube and nozzle without complications.
Cover the floor of the work area to avoid stains on the floor, afterward, protect the painting surface from overspray by using masking tape. Ensure that the work area is protected from the breeze that may redirect the paint while spraying.
Furthermore, certain safety gear should be available before you start painting because car paint contains fumes that can erode your respiratory system, cause skin diseases and deteriorate your health. This safety equipment includes safety glasses, gloves, respirators, and a mask.
Prepare the car surface by sanding off any rust and dirt, then apply a primer layer if necessary.
Step Two- Prepare Your Air Compressor
Preparing the air compressor is easy to do. First, turn on the air compressor and let the pressure build up, then regulate the pressure to match the limit required by the paint gun. Afterward, connect the hose to the sprayer and pour the thinner into the spraying cup. Test the spray on another surface and analyze its consistency.
Step Three- Paint The Car
The painting itself is not difficult, start by mixing an adequate amount of car paint in a container and then apply a proper thinner that will make the paint dense. While painting, keep the nozzle at a distance of 6-10 inches away from the spraying surface, and do not spray the car at a 90-degree angle. Instead, spray sideways at a nearly parallel position to the car surface.
Overlap the paint to make the layers thicker and do a recoat after you finish the painting to provide an extra layer that will improve the durability of the paint. In case you need to take a break while painting, remember to take out the paint cup before you stop.
Step Four- Clean The Work Area
After a successful painting, quickly tidy up the work environment and keep the remaining paint appropriately. Clean up the floor before the paint splashes get dried and tidy up all equipment used in the task.
How many CFM is a 30-gallon air compressor?
An air compressor with a 30-gallon tank is portable and single-staged with 10.7CFM, 3.7HP, and 1 Phase.
Final Words
The CFM rating is much more important than the gallon size of the air compressor. A 30-gallon air compressor will do a good job as long as the spray gun uses a lesser amount of output power than the compressor.
However, using a larger gallon such as a 60-gallon air compressor is advantageous as you wouldn’t need to refill while painting the whole car.