Auto body repair & detailing: CFMs, air filtration systems, air filtration system

Question
Hi William, I have been painting cars in my garage at home recently, just mainly for friends. I noticed I had some orange when I sprayed, in return I had alot of sanding to do. So I read up on the gun I have been using and the compressor. The gun needs 14.CFM, My compressor only puts out 8.2CFM @60 PSI. How important is this and should I spend the $300. on the compressor that puts out that amount.Thanks.

Answer
Many things can cause orange peel, such as under reduction of the paint, improper thinner/hardener temperature range, low quality paint/clears, poor air filtration systems, lack of air flow through the spray area, too low/ high air temp, and high humidity. I would start with air supply filtration. When you compress air, the by product is oil and water. I highly recommend a desiccant dryer, but be warned- it's very expensive. A quality air filtration system can run in excess of 400.00, and every professional spray booth has one. Some shops even add refrigerated air units to cool the air coming to the gun. If you haven't spent at least 150 bucks on air filtration, you are causing your own problems. Couple that with painter inexperience and an air compressor not rated to paint an entire car with, and you have the makings of your particular problem. I suggest at least an 80 gallon two stage compressor if you plan to continue painting cars. A cheap one will run about 750 bucks at Quality farm and Country stores. See now why it costs so much to paint cars? just the cost of equipment is ridiculous. Keep that in mind next time you price a paint job. Bill