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Air Compressor for my Dura-coat???

tr fox
OK, I have located a supplier for Dura-coat kits in almost any color you could want. Costs are around $18.00 per kit. Of course does not include airbrush, etc.:

http://www.houtsenterprises.net/

But I will need an airbrush (a reasonably good one, unlike the poor quality ones I read about as being shipped if you buy a complete Dura-coat kit including airbrush). One poster recommended the Harbor Freight $24.00 item #47016 as being an excellent value for the money. Does anyone know if that airbrush is suitable for Dura-coating a handgun? You can see it at:

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/itemdisplay/displayItem.do?itemid=47016&submit2=find+it

But I still would need an air compressor. If I bought one just for the gun Dura-coat air brush, it would cost at least about $150.00. But wife and me a few years ago bought a Porter-Cable air compressor for using in building construction work. Suitable for nail guns, building paint sprayers, air wrenches, etc. But the air pressure regulator control valve of course starts at zero but then basically jumps up from 0-20 pounds, in 20 pound increments, and then tops at I believe 200 pounds. I don't know much about this, but SURELY this Porter-Cable air compressor is, even at it's lowest setting, much too powerful for an air brush suitable for Dura-coating a handgun. Is that correct and if so is my only choice to buy a new, smaller air compressor? Or how about if I buy a new Porter-Cable air pressure regulator that is designed to allow much smaller increments of compressed air to power the air brush?

Or Just use the air compressor as it is and just BARELY turn on the air pressure control value and make sure I keep it well below the 20 pound mark.

Any help is appreciated. Sorry for not knowing much about anything.

5-14-10 6:30 PM Update. Man, I am seeing some good advice posted below. Thanks everybody. I am going to check out each and every idea. Hope I can be of such help to others on some other subject.
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Comments

11 comments

Date Votes
  • lhicks76
    Or Just use the air compressor as it is and just BARELY turn on the air pressure control value and make sure I keep it well below the 20 pound mark

    NO...You will need to use regulater...
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  • ogree
    Just get a regulator to use with your current compressor, that will solve your problem.

    I use a Paasch airbrush.

    http://www.paascheairbrush.com/store/search.html
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  • geeguy
    Harbor air brush works fine. Use a pressure reg.

    Another consideration:

    Preval spray gun.

    This has an air pressure can on top. One can of this should work for your gun and then just throw it away, cheap to use.
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  • asphalt cowboy
    I use to buy the canned air from the hobby shop to use with my Badger. Then I rigged up an adaptor and regulator to hook up to the valve stem of a tire. 33x12.50x15 at forty psi will spray a Lot of paint.
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  • oneoldsap
    I looked at your Habor Freight page and didn't see an airbrush , I saw a touchup gun . I don't know about Dura Coat , but the bake on finishes don't work with gravity feed guns . If these finishes are in your future , you want a siphon type finish gun (paint jar on the bottom ) . They will spray everything well ! Your Porter Cable roofing compressor will work just fine . Have fun .
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  • Nwcid
    That is not the kind of airbrush you want to use for what you are trying to do.

    Something more like this (about $15), http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/itemdisplay/displayItem.do?itemid=95810&CategoryName=&SubCategoryName= It is what I started with when practicing on cheep stuff. It worked ok and is a great practice piece before you decide how much you are going to use it. I ended up buying a Iwata Eclipse airbrush which is a low end pro brush and it makes a HUGE difference in how it performs.

    As for the compressor I use (about $50), http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/itemdisplay/displayItem.do?itemid=93657&CategoryName=&SubCategoryName=

    Make sure to get a flexable hose to use with the airbrush as the coil one will make it hard to use (under $10), http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/itemdisplay/displayItem.do?itemid=95813&CategoryName=&SubCategoryName=

    I know I walked out of HF for under $100 for all the stuff I needed to try Duracoating.


    One of the best things I have found for mixing up the paint (hardener needs mixed in) is medical style syringes in the 10-15cc size. You wont get much use out of them as not all of the hardener makes it out and so the get crusted up and dried out. I am not sure where a person would buy them though. Since I work in the medial field I get them from my boss.
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  • vicg1
    I use this one, usually $10:

    http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/itemdisplay/displayItem.do?itemid=92126&CategoryName=&SubCategoryName=

    works great, usually my air regulator is about 40 lbs with finer control done by regulator on spray gun...
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  • victorj19
    You got me interested. I believe I have all the equipment on hand, except the flexible hose.

    If I order the duracoat what will I receive beside the "paint"? Does it come with a thinner like auto paint? Hardening agent?

    Does it require baking like Brownell's gunkote?

    How does it compare to parkerizing (ease of application and durability)? I'm not concerned with the big choice of colors.
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  • Nwcid
    quote:Originally posted by victorj19
    You got me interested. I believe I have all the equipment on hand, except the flexible hose.

    If I order the duracoat what will I receive beside the "paint"? Does it come with a thinner like auto paint? Hardening agent?

    Paint and hardener.


    quote:
    Does it require baking like Brownell's gunkote?


    There is a bake on kind that comes in a spray can. It comes in limited colors. I actually think it is a bit better then spray on Duracoat. Problem is item must fit in the oven. Never tried Gunkote so I can not comment.

    quote:How does it compare to parkerizing (ease of application and durability)? I'm not concerned with the big choice of colors.


    Easier then park unless you are all set up with the tanks. I park is more durable.

    They have a good FAQ, http://lauerweaponry.com/duracoat_faqs.cfm
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  • vicg1
    quote:Originally posted by victorj19
    You got me interested. I believe I have all the equipment on hand, except the flexible hose.

    If I order the duracoat what will I receive beside the "paint"? Does it come with a thinner like auto paint? Hardening agent?

    Does it require baking like Brownell's gunkote?

    How does it compare to parkerizing (ease of application and durability)? I'm not concerned with the big choice of colors.



    Duracoat comes with hardener. No thinner used.

    It is a much easier to live with finish than parkerizing, IMO.
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  • TRAP55
    http://www.lauerweaponry.com/item-detail.cfm?ID=D500&storeid=1&image=aircompre110.gif&CFID=45385961&CFTOKEN=68580437
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