A good compressor is often an indispensable helper for painting. Applying paint with a spray gun driven by a compressor is advantageous in speed and also quality, because even on larger surfaces you avoid the visible traces left behind by e.g. a brush. That is thus usable rather for smaller surfaces.
For the larger ones precisely the spray gun is more suitable. You will use it when applying paint to doors and also as an alternative to painting walls. Practically indispensable it is, however, mainly for spraying coating materials when painting cars.
How to choose the right compressor for painting?
If you are going to paint, choose a piston compressor with an air receiver. The air receiver is a pressure vessel in which the produced compressed air accumulates, and the compressor therefore does not have to work constantly. In order for it to be usable when painting, it should have a volume of at least 50 l. A compressor for more continuous work on medium-sized surfaces (the bonnet of a car) is ideal with an output of at least 250 l/min. For a smaller spray gun and smaller surfaces an output up to 200 l/min is enough.
Especially with larger surfaces it is good not to underestimate the output of the compressor – the higher it is, the fewer pauses for re-pressurising you will have to make during the work. Precisely when spraying paint such forced breaks are not always exactly pleasing. In the worst case you can completely destroy a device of low output. Small hobby compressors are practically unusable for painting on a larger scale.
For the workshop and the car workshop, oil-lubricated compressors are rather suitable for common work, which are more powerful, have a longer service life and less wear. In addition they do not have to be lubricated additionally. Oil-free compressors are on the other hand cheaper and when painting no oil gets into the paint.
A corresponding spray gun
The compressed air consumption of the spray gun [l/min] and the maximum permitted overpressure [bar] are stated by the manufacturer in litres per minute. A spray gun suitable for painting ideally has rather a smaller consumption, generally it should, however, mainly correspond to the size of the compressor. A small compressor unnecessarily reduces the quality of performance of a large gun. With a large compressor pressurising a small gun you conversely waste superfluous expenditure of air.
What else may come in handy?
With the mere application of the lacquer – whether the primer or the top coat – it of course neither begins nor ends for the painter. The compressor can also be used for the other painting work. You will grind off old lacquer and unevenness with a pneumatic grinder, a tool driven by a compressor for cleaning surfaces (e.g. removing rust or stickers from bodywork) may also come in handy.
Also with air tools watch, however, the average air consumption stated by the manufacturer, so that your compressor is sufficient for the specific work.