Air Compressor

Post by **colouredFunk** » 05 Sep 2006, 20:07

I'm going to be giving myself a crash course in body restoring soon....time to get rid of all those rusty spots. So my plan is to get some new panels, get my friend to weld them on then I'm going to respray them. (luckily I've got quite a few old panels from my honda I can play around with first)

I've seen a WOLF AIR 24Ltr 2HP Compressor (£60)-

2HP Motor
Air Displacement 7.3 cfm
Mx. working pressure 116psi 8bar
24Ltr Air Receiver
Fitted Air Outlet Pressure Regulator

Can anyone tell me if this is suitable for what I need?

Post by **purplechugster** » 06 Sep 2006, 09:06

That's at about the very very minimum you could use.

Dont be fooled by the 2HP bit, which is what a lot of compressors are at. The important points are
24ltr - you'd be better of with 50ltr.
7.3 cfm - thats okay (just) for running an air spray gun, but will be no good whatsoever for sanding tools etc. Again, dont be fooled by what the compressor and/or the tools claim. The random orbital sander I have, for instance, claims to work at 2HP and 8cfm, but it runs for about 30 seconds then stops while the compressor catches up, despite the fact my compressor is more powerful than 2 and 8.

If you're doing relatively small sections (rust repair etc) then that compressor will be (just about) okay. If you plan on doing larger areas or whole panels, then I'd spend quite a lot more or try and get one secondhand.

I speak as an experienced idiot who is still utterly rubbish at spraying etc, but Ive made enough mistakes that I feel qualified to pass on my knowledge so others dont need to make the same ones!

Post by **colouredFunk** » 06 Sep 2006, 19:05

ahh I see..

Hmm probably not worth it then, as I'm probabaly going to replace my tail gate door aswell.

I;ve seen this one on ebay

Seally HP 2.00
50 litre capacity
8 Bar pressure.

Is the main thing I should look out for ltr and HP? How do you tell how long it will run for?

Post by **DiscoDave** » 06 Sep 2006, 19:57

think long and hard about this one!! i have had these little types and they are crap in comparrison, get the most powerful you can afford with the largest reciever, you can afford. (easily said) if you are doing alot of work you may want to add air tools and you'll be needing more power for those! you might be best off lookin on ebay, for something old and ugly, industrial type thing, cheap and most likely just as good!! most have a pressure switch, cuts out at 10 bar, in again at about 7ish! so the more air you use the longer it will run!

Website · Post by **CovKid** » 06 Sep 2006, 20:06

Yup the guys are right. Much better to find a larger second hand one otherwise you'll be standing there whistling between each pass of the gun - that really DOES suck.

Spray if you really want to but check out the bug on this page: http://www.club80-90.co.uk/forum/viewto ... m&start=15

It was done with a roller!!!! The paint used is as hard as nails, doesn't fade, doesn't need primer and only smells of white spirit while drying. You don't need a place to spray or even a compressor. Rollers used are available in B&Q (high density foam type). Doing mine this way as soon as I have a weekend free!

Post by **"WEAZLECHIN"** » 07 Sep 2006, 10:55

bloody rollers again covkid ! lol. have you done your choachpainting yet, it will end up lookin like hammonds floating t25, they stopped doin all that 50 yrs back when canal transport died out !!!!

Post by **colouredFunk** » 08 Sep 2006, 17:00

hmmm and there was me thinking I was convinced.....

hammonds floating t25???

Post by **Kermit** » 08 Sep 2006, 18:16

The first compressor you mentioned will just about do the job, although you will find yourself getting frustrated with it.

The second one you saw on ebay, 50LTR 2hp, not much difference really, you will still find yourself waiting for it to catch up once the receiver has emtpied

I have a 3hp 9cfm 50Ltr, this just about keeps up with me when spraying panels, I don't generally use it for much else apart from blowing up tyres and using as a blow gun.

Much bigger than 3hp (2.2kw) you may need a 16amp socket as it will be too large a current for a standard 13a plug

What is your budget?

Kerr

Post by **silverfoxfintry** » 08 Sep 2006, 21:45

Don`t be taken in by piston displacement. The only true figure to quote is F A D (Free Air Delivered). Piston displacement can be up to 20% more than FAD. Also 25L only refers to the size of the air receiver and 25L is small.
Ask your supplier to quote you the FAD for the Wolf compressor and remember you only get what you pay for.

Silverfoxfintry
No 458 Central Scotland

Website · Post by **CovKid** » 10 Sep 2006, 00:43

"WEAZLECHIN" wrote:bloody rollers again covkid ! lol. have you done your choachpainting yet, it will end up lookin like hammonds floating t25, they stopped doin all that 50 yrs back when canal transport died out !!!!

We all have older vehicles and a lot has changed in the UK with respect to work carried out on vehicles. Since earlier this year it has become illegal to work on your vehicle in the street (call your local council if you don't believe me) and it is anticipated that EU influence will come down harder on anyone contemplating work on vehicles at home. Two-pack in a garden shed for instance is almost certainly illegal now and even cellulose isn't good for either the sprayer, pets, wildlife or people in the near vicinity. Its within the remit of local councils to request you cease doing so if it is regarded as a nuisance.

There are environmental factors as well as practical ones. Coachpainting certainly has had its day but there are new paints evolving all the time that don't need a spraygun, give off less harmful chemical vapours and with careful prep can produce finishes equalling that obtainable from spraying - without all the mess that spray creates. We are now faced with (as began to happen in Germany ten years ago), vehicles dumped on the side of the road because it costs money to scrap a vehicle with removal of brake fluids, oil etc becoming essential in the process of disposing of vehicles. Trabans in trees - been like that in Germany for a LONG while. I'm saying all this because I was recently lectured by someone who worked for my local council after I began rubbing some filler down outside my house. I soon ceased doing so although its arguable what IS or ISN'T repairs.

I have done a great deal of spraying as well as airbrushing in my time but you really MUST have proper breathing equipment if you value your health (a dust mask is NOT sufficient) and with so much regulation being enforced on us by the EU, you're better off putting your vehicle in a proper spray shop with a pro or considering other ways to paint your vehicle. I'm trying not to sound negative (we all want to save money) but there are good reasons why spraying vehicles at home is discouraged. If you read the safety regulations that vehicle finishers have to adhere to, its staggering just what is required to meet those regulations.

Its a misconception that spraying is the only way. If you follow the links to the US site that demonstrates roller applied paint, you'll see just what incredible finishes those guys are getting. The sad thing is, all this EU regulation will create havoc for us v-dub owners. In any event I think home spraying (or at the least the death of it) will come long before we see the end of narrow boats on our waterways. Curiously I recently got the opportunity to board a narrow boat - not far removed from a camper interior. Certainly more bouyant than Hammond's attempts at a life on the ocean wave.

Website · Post by **CovKid** » 11 Sep 2006, 18:23

Sorry about this but I had a stack of email today asking what this 'coach enamel' (which it isn't) is called. So heres the info for those that asked where you get it and how you use it:

----------------------------------------------------

Rustoleum Combicolor, the enamel that can be applied with a roller is available from http://www.lawson-his.co.uk Best deal I found as they said they offered full range. They mailed me with the following info:

Combicolor is available in the full range of RAL, BS4800, & BS381C colours along with many OEM colours.

This tint range is available as follows:

1 Lt - £ 10.00 each

2.5Lt - £ 22.40 each

This paint is seriously good. Basically you mix it down like thin custard, roller it on (thin coat) with high density sponge rollers (B&Q sell them cheap), let dry then flat with wet and dry. Repeat three times. Advantages are that you don't need primer, it will even (allegedly) go over rust and its a VERY tough non-fade paint available in any colour if you ask for it to be mixed.

I do get flack for mentioning rollered paint on 80/90 but when you see what finish is possible, forget spraying!

Suggest you work your way carefully through this thread: http://www.volkszone.com/VZi/showthread ... ge=1&pp=10

Also look at this: http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d13/6 ... C00194.jpg

You'll need 5ltrs for a T25 plus a gallon of white spirit. Smell is no worse than working with gloss. Outside the drying time may be a pig with respect to insects but indoors no prob and you can drive van around between layers if need be. Do all the prep and take your time. I found an excellent rust stopper recommended by the military called Vactan:

http://www.paco-systems.co.uk/vactan.html

I can get you a 15% discount on this stuff cos I gave them a good write up a while back. Kills rust stone dead and leaves all the other stuff in motor accessory shops standing. Nice and watery - ideal for painting in seams too and dries very fast - ready for painting. Happy to send the the discount voucher to anyone on 80/90 that wants it.

Post by **"WEAZLECHIN"** » 12 Sep 2006, 06:35

"embrace technology" liberate mankind from rollers and brushes !!

Website · Post by **CovKid** » 12 Sep 2006, 18:47

Hey Weazlechin you could start a crusade here ya know. What I miss most of all is that with beetles you could unbolt wings and just spray panels as separate items but with campers you're always dealing with big areas.

That said, you CAN spray this paint. Somewhere amongst the links I gave is a bay window camper sprayed with combicolour - interesting choice of "mucky mauve" but it did look pretty good.

Website · Post by **CovKid** » 25 Mar 2007, 23:36

Right,

I'm resurrecting this thread as the weather has become bearable enough to start work doing the wedge with 'rollered' combicolor and for anyone who wants to go this route it might prove useful to learn from any mistakes I make. For those who prefer to spray, combicolor can be sprayed too.

Anyway, the paint has arrived. A friend rather unkindly called the colour 'council blue' and ok its a shade brighter than the two-tone blue it was originally painted, but I rather like it.

I'm a proficient sprayer but I'm impressed by the finish with a roller and polish-out as shown elsewhere:

Anyway, I figure some areas like guttering and awkward recesses are better done with a foam brush first - likewise the lower sills to get a good coat in these areas for added protection before I even start but I'll try to post pictures of progress once I'm well underway.

First job though will be the roof! It'll be a couple of weeks before I've prepped it, but watch this space. What I do like about the roller method is the fact I don't have to be off the road for anymore than a day at any given time and theoretically theres less mess. [/img]

Post by **"WEAZLECHIN"** » 26 Mar 2007, 21:47

does that vactan actually do what it says on the tin,i started sanding my van for paint today(bit of sunshine), as usual the seams are showing rot...

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