# Compressor for pressure pot: Makita or Rigid?



## paddydaddy (Sep 29, 2010)

Planning to spray out some doors, casings and baseboards with waterbournes (mostly latex and some stain)
I got a Lemmer 2.25 quart pressure pot with a couple of tips (including the 2.0 recommended to do waterbournes). The gun specs say 4-10 cfm (@ 60 psi)
I am considering two different compressors (unless a bunch of you tell me I'm out of my mind):
1. Makita 2.5 HP Air Compressor - 4.2 Gallon (4.2 SCFM @ 90 PSI)
or
2. RIDGID 5-Gallon Mini Wheelbarrow Air Compressor (claimed 4.4 SCFM @ 90 PSI, even though it's only 1.5 HP)

It did not escape me that both of these units are at the low end of meeting the specs of the gun. Is this going to be an issue? Anyone have experience with this kind of set up?
thanks!


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## VanDamme (Feb 13, 2010)

For air compressors, I would recommend purchasing double what you think you might need. At the very least 1.5 times what you need.

One of my compressors is the Maxus EX8000










Rated at 7.6 CFM @ 40 PSI and 6.2 CFM @ 90 PSI

When I use a conventional gun, I hook two twin stack compressors together or use my RolAir wheelbarrow compressor.

There's not much more frustrating than running low on air when shooting w/a conventional.


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## LOSTinDETAILS (Jun 17, 2009)

Neither one of those, choose Rol-Air. 

VanDamme is right. Get more compressor than you think you need.


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## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

I have an old style piston oil upright compressor. Heavier than the oil-less, but easy to move due to it being on wheels, "dolly style". Maintaining a constant, steady, pressure is important to me.


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## TDTD (Jun 10, 2010)

VanDamme said:


> For air compressors, I would recommend purchasing double what you think you might need. At the very least 1.5 times what you need.
> 
> When I use a conventional gun, I hook two twin stack compressors together or use my RolAir wheelbarrow compressor.
> 
> There's not much more frustrating than running low on air when shooting w/a conventional.


Along the lines of VD's comments, I run my Makita in series with a 5 gallon receiver tank at max pressure (about 130 psi), then reg down to working pressure from there. Less than ideal but for the amount of spraying I'm doing adding the reservoir gives me a lot more time before I'm out of air and have to stop for a minute for the pump to catch up.

The other thing the receiver is good for is when I need a little air to fire a few brads into some trim I don't have to drag my heavy compressor or a mile of hose up several flights of stairs.:thumbup:


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## mr.fixit (Aug 16, 2009)

from a service center perspective be advised that most Ridgid air compressors are made by a company called Campbell Hausfeld. They have a one year warranty but if they find out you are using it in a commercial application they knock the warranty down to 90 days and you dont know until it is to late. I agree with all get more than you need and I especially agree with "lostinthedetails" rol-air is #1


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## paddydaddy (Sep 29, 2010)

thanks you guys! Of course it never feels good to learn I have dish out more money than I thought, but heck of a lot better at this stage than halfway through a door.


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## VanDamme (Feb 13, 2010)

mr.fixit said:


> from a service center perspective be advised that most Ridgid air compressors are made by a company called Campbell Hausfeld. They have a one year warranty but if they find out you are using it in a commercial application they knock the warranty down to 90 days and you dont know until it is to late. I agree with all get more than you need and I especially agree with "lostinthedetails" rol-air is #1


I believe the Maxus is also made by Campbell Hausfeld? Can you confirm that?


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## paddydaddy (Sep 29, 2010)

*Change of direction!*

Ok, so I've scrapped the compressor idea, returned the pot and got myself a t90 HVLP 4 turbine unit from Lemmer. Swapped out the metal pot for a 950 ml bladder pot to get more mobility. Then later if I'm really impressed, I'll get the cart for it with the 2.5 gallon pot (which will hold the paint can inside nice and snug) and the mini compressor to feed the pot. Maybe also a whip hose extension to cool that air down if I want to do some waterbourne laquers.
tried it out in the yard this evening with a P&L semi-gloss latex (about 15% water) on cardboard and was duly impressed. It's so friggin quiet! cleanup took about 5 minutes max and the footprint is about 1 cubic foot.


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## Retired (Jul 27, 2010)

paddydaddy said:


> Ok, so I've scrapped the compressor idea, returned the pot and got myself a t90 HVLP 4 turbine unit from Lemmer. Swapped out the metal pot for a 950 ml bladder pot to get more mobility. Then later if I'm really impressed, I'll get the cart for it with the 2.5 gallon pot (which will hold the paint can inside nice and snug) and the mini compressor to feed the pot. Maybe also a whip hose extension to cool that air down if I want to do some waterbourne laquers.
> tried it out in the yard this evening with a P&L semi-gloss latex (about 15% water) on cardboard and was duly impressed. It's so friggin quiet! cleanup took about 5 minutes max and the footprint is about 1 cubic foot.


Nice rig! Is that a package deal with the visc funnel, extra projection set and pint cup? 

A whip is a really great thing to have on any HVLP rig. One will increase the range of motion and take the strain off wrists and forearm muscles. They do not cool the air. If there was one that was maybe 60' long it might..

IMO either of those compressors you posted have sufficient capacity to work just fine with the materials you listed. Increasing the capacity of a given compressor by half or double would mean lots of bucks and probably a sore back hauling one around.


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## [email protected] (Mar 1, 2008)

I am with Retired. I haven't spray with a cup in years unless it is a little touch up gun. 
David


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## paddydaddy (Sep 29, 2010)

Retired said:


> Nice rig! Is that a package deal with the visc funnel, extra projection set and pint cup?
> Yup. 1,198 bucks, plus GST. (that's with the 50 bucks add on for swapping out the regular pot with a 3M bladder pot. well worth it IMO)


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

Do people still "time" paint?


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## Retired (Jul 27, 2010)

NCPaint1 said:


> Do people still "time" paint?


Amateurs usually don't. Professionals usually do. 

Then again some amateurs do and some professionals don't OTOH some professionals and some amateurs don't and some professionals and amateurs do. Semi-pros and semi-amateurs are a tossup and a good subject for a poll. (IMO) 

I hope my answer covers all the bases and the middle of the road so no one gets all pissy about information that is usually on the paint can, in the tech sheets and in the instructions for use of HVLP and conventional rigs. 

Beats guessing IMO, but I never did care much for callbacks.


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## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

^lol..


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