@jonhodgson

🤔😆👍

@mattbeels A blow gun is invaluable. 

@boo, yeah I forgot that one... I saw some small machines for a couple hundred bucks but I’m not really in the market for one yet.

I think my next big purchase will be a dust extractor for the bandsaw. Or maybe I’ll try building a YouTube special version first... 🤔 

I think my next big purchase will be a dust extractor for the bandsaw. Or maybe I’ll try building a YouTube special version first... 🤔 

@mattbeels Yeah you should definitely get extraction for your tools first, it’s essential. Buying things in order of relevance is the way to go. 👍

Yeah you should definitely get extraction for your tools first, it’s essential. Buying things in order of relevance is the way to go. 👍

Absolutely @boo

Around five years ago I bought a inexpensive Metabo random orbital sander for home use without really knowing anything about them. The part where the filter attaches is rectangular and so that doesn’t really work with the vacuum now that I’m using it in the shop 🤦‍♂️ but then I thought that maybe there’s a vacuum attachment? Well, fortunately there was (whew) and it only cost 13 bucks (d’oh!) but now I can actually sand in the shop and the extraction is totally excellent! Now only if I had a sander that didn’t try to vibrate my arm off in two and a half minutes I’d be stoked.

I think my next big purchase will be a dust extractor for

You'll just have to buy many tools so you can save as much money and feel good about it as many times as possible.

@jonhodgson Pure man science in action

You say a "big compressor", but if someone didn't have room/budget for the biggest, what would you say would do the job for most people? i.e. enough to spray one guitar at a time, and run a reasonable selection of tools (mirka sander being an obvious one).

@jonhodgson This is my SIP Airstream AS 3HP 150

I’ve had it maybe 25 years and it’s been good for every air tool I’ve used with it. Air sanders are quite greedy for air so anything less than this size compressor would probably struggle to keep up. Back when I sprayed cars, I could do a full respray using a standard conventional full sized spray gun and this compressor would keep up. If I used an HVLP full sized spray gun for such a task, it may struggle because these types of gun demand more air to work at optimum pressure. I’ve used air ratchets for dismantling and rebuilding car bodywork and if some of it is too smashed in, I’ve used an air nibbler for cutting through panels like I’m opening a tin of baked beans. It will drive a wheel nut gun, although the nuts should always be tightened by hand (insert your own joke here) using a large bar and socket. It’s been a good all round workhorse but I will be upgrading at some point, I certainly wouldn’t be settling for anything less for my needs. It’s better to have a larger compressor that can easily handle things than a smaller one that is being constantly red-lined, putting it under intense strain. 

If you use this spec as a baseline, you can see what is out there and what options there are. There are motors that are straight, motors that are in V format (these are faster than the straight) and motors that are much quieter than a standard one but these are obviously more expensive.

It will take some looking into but I’ll have a look as well.

When I do get a new one, I’m going to house it outside of my workshop, whether that is in another room or in a purpose built cabinet outside the workshop. The airline will come through a hole in the wall where a regulator and water/oil trap will be mounted on the interior wall of the workshop. The main reason for me to have it outside the workshop is so I can use an air fed mask when I’m spraying paint so I’m always breathing clean, fresh air. If the compressor was in the same room as where I am spraying then it would draw in the paint fumes and pump them straight into my air fed mask, that’s no good. 

I hope this rambling has been of some help and I will start looking into the current compressor market to see what is what. 👍

@jonhodgson I forgot the pictures. 🤣 

Fun fact, I bought the air compressor Mirka over Christmas and only when it arrived did I notice it was the air compressor version and I don't have a compressor. That's what happens when you have amazon on your phone and too many Christmas beers. Anyway, I sent it back after looking at prices or rather after trying to decipher which compressor I'd need which I couldn't so I gave up and sent it back. I almost mentioned it here but for the embarrassment. 

A quick google of that models is coming in at about 5-600, if you factor in saving of what about 380 on the air comp Mirka alone against the electric it's not that crazy an idea. Thanks @boo all ramblings are really helpful.

I got a pair of platforms from the 70s that still fit me despite other clothing getting smaller...I could spray them

looks proper that - nice one 👍 

I got a pair of platforms from the 70s that still fit me despite other clothing getting smaller...I could spray them

@irishwhiskeycoke Yeah they would look great sprayed up in metal flake and candy paints. ✨✨✨✨

Posted by: @boo

↑

When I start to use my auto colours, they will require a spirit based “solvent” so I will use thinners/reducer as the “solvent”.

Apologies for resurrecting this old thread, but I’m considering falling off my wallet for a similar set up with the Bench Vent.

Have you been using it for guitar (re-)finishing, or is it just for detail work?

Also, are you spraying using auto colours using this set up, or am I conflating the two things incorrectly? (I know the Bench Vent booth can handle aerosols, etc. but I’m guessing auto paint would be well beyond its capabilities?)

Thanks in advance. 👍

Posted by: @middaparka

↑

Posted by: @boo

↑

When I start to use my auto colours, they will require a spirit based “solvent” so I will use thinners/reducer as the “solvent”.

Apologies for resurrecting this old thread, but I’m considering falling off my wallet for a similar set up with the Bench Vent.

Have you been using it for guitar (re-)finishing, or is it just for detail work?

Also, are you spraying using auto colours using this set up, or am I conflating the two things incorrectly? (I know the Bench Vent booth can handle aerosols, etc. but I’m guessing auto paint would be well beyond its capabilities?)

Thanks in advance. 👍

 

I wouldn’t spray a whole guitar with this setup, I use a much bigger compressor for that. I also use full size spray guns for covering large areas, such as a whole spray job on a guitar. The compressor featured in this thread is an airbrush compressor, not a spray gun compressor. 
It is possible to thin some auto paints to spray through an air brush but not to do a whole guitar, it’s for detailed work really. Candy colours are used with both setups, air brushes and full size guns. Everything through an airbrush has to be thinned more due to the much smaller nozzles and air caps. With a full size gun, the paint can be sprayed in a more viscous mix (thicker and gets to opacity quicker).
I think there might be some more explanation of candy paints being sprayed through an airbrush on another thread I did with some metal flake. 
https://guitarmaking.co.uk/community/finishing/metal-flake-large-silver-flake/

I always keep the two systems separate, big compressor and guns for full paint jobs (with auto paints and more), and small compressor and air brushes for small or detailed work (possible to spray some auto paints but not ideal for full guitars, just detailed work). 

Hope this helps.

If you want more info, just ask. 👍

@boo Many thanks for the info. 👍

I was guessing pretty much along these lines - I just wondered if I was seriously underestimating the capabilities of your (damn nice) airbrush set up.

I’m guessing it would be theoretically possible to airbrush a guitar a solid colour using acrylics - it would just be a lot more tedious than using a proper LVLP spray gun set up?

@middaparka There are actually larger airbrushes available, they are like a hybrid of an airbrush and a mini spray gun. I’ll see if I can find one. It would be possible with one of those and definitely easier than with an airbrush, that would take ages and you wouldn’t really get a good finish. I doubt you would get the clear coat through the nozzle of an airbrush. You could thin the clear but then it would just be too thin and cause it to run and ruin your paint job.

Here you go. 
https://airbrushes.com/product_info.php?cPath=400_403_1_9_34&products_id=23907

@boo Very good point about the clear coating. 👍

Yeah, it’s interesting seeing the products that exist in the overlap between airbrushing and spraying, although I’m guessing you’d ideally have a proper spray booth and a “real” compressor once you start using the spray guns.

It’s a pity there’s nothing in the space between the BenchVents and full-blown spray booths, although understandable as far as the health and environmental issues are concerned.