Harbor Freight Compressor for Duracoat

[exMSgt]

I think I'm ready to enter the world of Duracoat for my 1911. I saw this Harbor Freight Compressor on sale

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95275

Will this work for the application or should I just go with the canned air?

Any thoughts or suggestions?

[pa_guns]

Hi

The main issue with any compressor for paint is water in the air. A good sized tank *and* frequent flushing are both good ideas. There are also things you can get to dry the air, but they often cost more than the compressor. If you can find a larger tank that would be nice.

Bob

[Hawkmoon]

That's really more compressor than you need, but that price is (I think) lower than their price for a dedicated air brush compressor. Will you be using an air brush, or an automotive touch-up gun? If you're using an automotive gun, be sure to check the CFM consumption to verify that the compressor puts out enough air.

And get a filter/drier for the air line.

[pa_guns]

Hi

The dryers you can afford to buy have a chemical cartridge to dry the air. They can produce a bit of dust, so do indeed get the kind with a filter after the drying cartridge.

Bob

[rodinal220]

Thats way bigger than you need for air brush work.If your going the HF route(I did and no complaints) here is what I use for Dura-Coat.Stay away from the air cans,they get too cold too fast and the cost is too high.

COMPRESSORS:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92403
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=34843
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93657


Adapter for large hose to small:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=47986

AIR BRUSHES:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95810

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=47791

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93506

AIR BRUSH HOSE:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95813

HF used to sell/carry small disposable in line filters and a reusable in line desiccant filter,but I do not see them online.They help filter out any oil/dirt and water.

The mini desiccant dryer is made by Motor Guard Corp #DD1008.

[Cap]

That compressor will work for an airbrush.

It will take forever to fill the tank at the tiny CFM it's rated

Looks like the airbrush comps Rodinal mentioned have a higher CFM rating

If you don't have a compressor now, think I'd spend a few bucks more and get one that's similar size with higher output compressor pump.
There's generally one or three on sale at HF.



"HF used to sell/carry small disposable in line filters

They still do, Rod.
I saw them last week

..L.T.A.

[pa_guns]

Hi

If you go for one of the "no tank" compressors it will not accumulate water. You simply will have a little bit in the air all the time.

Bob

[czdj]

How much gear is required to shoot the 120 grit aluminium oxide to prepare the surface for duracoat? I sure don't envision using little pieces of sandpaper and hand sanding...

[shuwtist]

If you are interested - I have used the canned Gun-Kote product from Brownells - frames on 2 1911's one stainless one carbon steel and all the parts - also did a 1911, Glock and Sig slide. I think this bake-on stuff is great if you prepare your parts properly, use latex gloves, etc... I have a big compressor and do a lot of sand blasting with it, but didn't want to get air brushes, etc.. I thought I'd give the cans a try and have really been happy with the results.

[chud]

I always recommend going to a pawn shop for a compressor, you can probably get a higher quality air compressor than you will get at HF, for the money.
I have a small airbrush compressor you can HAVE for all the trouble it has caused me. It gets hot and after a few minutes of painting it might as well be a water pistol.
I currently use my 6 gallon Bostich when it isn't driving finish nails or staples!
It doesn't hurt that I run the airbrush off a 50' reel which is fed from the compressor by another 25' line. All that line effectively increases my compressor capacity.
As an aside, I have had great Duracoat results with an HF airbrush, but others have not.

[exMSgt]

I appreciate everyone's input. I've just got to sort it all out and decide what to do next.

[Hill]

Use an airbrush for the painting. I have this one: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=34843
and it's a great driver for airbrush work.

I've also got an automotive painting setup with five different guns, an 80 gal 35 cfi compressor, and on and on. Once I bought a little guy for an airbrush project I'd never go back for a small job.

Blasting is another thing. Sand, beads, walnut, aluminum, whatever eats tons of air to do well.

Without the airbrush I think I'd just use the aerosol from Brownell's. I emailed the GunKote guy to ask about the effect of the propellants and he said that he no longer sells his paint in spraycans because of issues that sometimes arose because of the propellants used. I think I'd take a chance on it anyway before buying a compressor that was inadequate for either blasting or painting small objects.

Brownell's has excellent instructions for the whole process in their website.

[pa_guns]

Hi

A sand blaster or bead blaster can use a lot of air. The amount depends on what kind of head you are running. The industrial ones use significantly more air than an air brush.

Bob

[chud]

Again with the Harbor Freight stuff here! I use the hand held HF sand blaster, the one with the reservoir on top, and aside from the terrible stinging on exposed skin, it roughs up shiny metal nicely.

[Hawkmoon]

Again with the Harbor Freight stuff here! I use the hand held HF sand blaster, the one with the reservoir on top, and aside from the terrible stinging on exposed skin, it roughs up shiny metal nicely.
I have one of those and I have not been happy with it. I run it with an old Sears 3 Hp, 2-cylinder compressor, and I just don't think even the 2-cylinder puts out enough air to make the blaster work. The results are uneven, and using clean, dry, bagged sand from Lowe's I still get a lot of clogging at the nozzle.

Lessons in life: You can't possibly buy too much compressor. When I bought the thing, many years ago, I thought it was massive overkill.

It's barely adequate for the smallest jobs.

[pa_guns]

Hi

I have a tough time getting things done with a tankless compressor. With a reasonable sized tank you can blast for a bit and then stop while the machine catches up.

Be careful about horsepower ratings on some of these things. There are a couple of ways to rate motors. A specific number of CFM at a rated pressure (20 CFM at 150 psi) is a better way to know what the beast will really do.

Bob

[Hill]

Hi

Be careful about horsepower ratings on some of these things. There are a couple of ways to rate motors. A specific number of CFM at a rated pressure (20 CFM at 150 psi) is a better way to know what the beast will really do.

Bob

Right, and the CFM output is the one spec that doesn't appear in large lettered decals all over the compressors in the massmarket outlets like Home Depot, Sears, and others.

For some informational explanations of the ins and outs of compressors I like these guy's style: http://www.eatoncompressor.com/page/page/504413.htm

[rodinal220]

Yup,for sandblasting bigger is better.The small 20-30 gallon tank style compressors are too small,you will kill it in short order.I have a 5hp 60 gallon vertical tank single stage and it is the minimum I would get.If I had to do it over again I would get an 80 gallon tank double stage with the biggest motor possible for blasting.Sand blasters consume a tremendous amount of air.

While you can "get away" with the small compressors their lifespans will be short.The constant cycling produces more moisture and you need a good water separator and desiccant system to provide clean dry air.For blasting GO BIG.

[pa_guns]

Hi

A big stationary compressor is pretty much a "one time buy" sort of thing if you go big enough. The price difference isn't all that great when you figure that it will essentially last 20+ years. That's if you dump the water out often enough to keep it from rusting .....

Bob

[Hill]

Sand, like the bags sold in large outlets, is maybe the worst abrasive to use for blasting. It takes and holds moisture and is hard to dry out. That moist sand with a little bit of wet compressed air will cause the stuff to bridge across blaster nozzles and bring your efforts to a screeching halt over and over, and over again.Maybe it's tied to the humidity levels you have but up here nothing used to frustrate me like trying to blast car parts with sand. Even with a couple hundred in air filters and dryers it happens.

Harbor freight has killer deals on walnut shells and glass beads AND you can buy 75 or more pounds of the stuff and they'll still ship it for $9.95. Really an awesome overall bargain but watch out for your Fedex guy - he's gonna' be unhappy with you for a while.

I need to go in there soon to see if they have aluminum oxide in bigger than 1 lb quantities.

[msjdgman]

Hi

A big stationary compressor is pretty much a "one time buy" sort of thing if you go big enough. The price difference isn't all that great when you figure that it will essentially last 20+ years. That's if you dump the water out often enough to keep it from rusting .....

Bob

+1 on that. I have a 30 yr old Campbell Hausfeld 5 horse on a twin cylinder cast iron 2 stage compressor with a 60 gal tank that works as good today as it did when new. Also, unless you`re doing LARGE items with the sandblaster....get an adjustable regulator if the compressor set isn`t already equipped with one. An outfit of this capacity doesn`t need 175 psi feeding material to small items.

[pa_guns]

.. It takes and holds moisture and is hard to dry out. ....

Hi

You need a garage sale toaster oven. You can pre-cook the sand just before you use it. It's tough to over cook sand :D :D :D

Bob

[Hill]

Hi

You need a garage sale toaster oven. You can pre-cook the sand just before you use it. It's tough to over cook sand :D :D :D

Bob

I'd bet my wife knows how to burn it. She burns most everything else. :D

[pa_guns]

I'd bet my wife knows how to burn it. She burns most everything else. :D

Hi

You can indeed burn your fingers getting the stuff out of the toaster....

Bob

[Rumblebee]

What kind of oven do you guys use?

[pa_guns]

What kind of oven do you guys use?

Hi

It's just a junk toaster oven. I think it was $4 at a garage sale. I found a metal cake tin that fits inside it. It'll hold a reasonable amount of sand.

Bob

[Rumblebee]

Can you use the same thing to bake the finish on the gun?

[pa_guns]

Hi

If you get a big enough one you could bake a lot of things in it. The one I have would be a tight fit for a frame. I'm also not sure how much I would trust the temperature control on it.

Bob

[David Rose]

Just a few minor thoughts along with what has been suggested...

If you are going to blast, oversize your compressor by at least 30%. My blaster is suppose to require 12 cfm. My 8 HP (actual by amps), 2-stage, 22 cfm, 80 gallon tank unit will get pretty hot with very continuous use. That is a lot of air when you calculate it. I burned up a little (rated at 2HP about 30 years ago... I don't know the amps) portable Sears unit before buying the bigger one. I could blast about 15 seconds before it would kick on. It would trip the motor's breaker in about 5 cycles. It was dumb of me to even try it.

If you desire to do any long guns, don't settle on a cabinet that "seems" big enough. DAMHIKT The cabinet is where I skrimped. I think it measures 44". That appears to be larger than needed. And yes, most barreled receivers will fit. But getting to the muzzles and back end of things with the blast gun is an exercise in contortions. And some things still won't fit. And watch bumping the bore plugs!

And as has been said, dryness of the sand, air to the blast gun, and to the paint gun/brush cannot be overstated. A little tiny bit of moisture will wreck havoc. Don't play with air lines before you get the desicant or dryer equipment. Lines are really hard to dry out afterward. Another DAMHIKT

I haven't used Duracoat, but Gun Kote is very sensitive to nozzle size on the gun/brush. I think Duracoat is thicker, so it might not be as critical. If you try Gun Kote, apply it very thinly. This is what makes a gun look painted or just "colored". The durability will really not suffer.

One thing that I've never seen mentioned is that Gun Kote (and possibly other bake-on finishes) gets much harder with time after it is baked. I ran a few sample pieces when I first started. The difference in blasting off a freshly baked finish and one that was a couple of months old was incredible. Bluing and light rust will be barely removed with one slow pass over the work. Fresh Gun Kote will take may three or four times as much. After sitting a couple of months, parts take more like 10 or 15 times as much to get to steel.

David

[pa_guns]

Hi

Most compressor motors are rated for low duty cycle operation (lots of time off). Compressing air gets it *hot* and heat is what kills motors and most machines.

If you take a look at larger compressors, they have a fan mounted on them that blows air over the compressor head. If your compressor does not have one of these, get a cheap fan at Walmart and set it up so it blows on the head. The compressor will last a *lot* longer.

Bob

[Hill]

Just a few minor thoughts along with what has been suggested...

One thing that I've never seen mentioned is that Gun Kote (and possibly other bake-on finishes) gets much harder with time after it is baked. I ran a few sample pieces when I first started. The difference in blasting off a freshly baked finish and one that was a couple of months old was incredible. Bluing and light rust will be barely removed with one slow pass over the work. Fresh Gun Kote will take may three or four times as much. After sitting a couple of months, parts take more like 10 or 15 times as much to get to steel.

David

Thanks David, that's really an encouraging bit of info.

[pa_guns]

Hi

If you go with any of the "paint like" coatings, surface condition can matter a *lot* when it comes to adhesion.

Bob

[AR-Techguy]

Harbor Freight is a great place to buy 'Chinese' tools with the typical 'Chinese' quality and lifespan... :butthead:

I would strongly suggest spending a little more on a brand name compressor that does NOT come from china if you plan to have a compressor that will last for a long time. (or you could spend a little less for a smaller capacity brand name compressor that would last much longer) :)

I would advise not buying ANY air compressor that is the 'oil free' type as well. The typical 'Oil Less or Oil Free' compressors will not hold up worth a darn if used with any regularity. If you can't change out the oil in your compressor it is likely a piece of junk not worthy of having in your shop and it will never be able to outlast the normal compressors that you can change the oil in... The 'Oil Free' compressors are designed for 'Harry Homeowner' and NOT the professional. I have personnaly seen quite a few of these burn up shortly after purchase if pushed the least bit...


I have been dogging on my little 2hp Hitachi (made in Italy) air compressor for a little over 12 yrs now and it still runs like new. The ONLY thing I have ever had to do was to occasionally change out the oil with some fresh 5w50 synthetic or clean the air filter and then continue to rock on. I abuse this compressor daily as a carpenter and then at home as well doing automotive/hobby work with it as well. (Story time: Heard my compressor kick on one day while leaving job for lunch, got back an hour and a half later and compressor was still running (because the connect fitting had come off the end of my airline). It ran the entire time and got so hot you couldn't touch it. After I fixed the hose and fitting I changed the oil in the compressor. I had to repair or replace NO parts on the compressor itself. That was well over 5 yrs ago that that took place and I have yet to experience a mechanical failure of any kind with this compressor...)


A good 'quality' compressor will take whatever you throw at and continue on... A 'chinese' compressor is not even close to 2nd best IMO. If you even try to push it for any length of time it will fail you and you will need a replacement or a possibly costly repair. :)


Best of luck with your purchase friend! :)

[pa_guns]

Hi

Not to start a cat fight or anything. :D

There are a number of levels of quality on stuff made on the Pacific Rim. You can have pretty good stuff, and you can have stuff that may not last long enough to get it out of the box.

If you spend enough time doing research, you often can find some pretty good stuff at a reasonable price. Rarely do you find something that's absolutely great for the lowest price around.

Buyer beware ...

Bob