# LuxAir Compressor Info



## mjamesd013 (11 mo ago)

Hey everyone. I was offered this compressor. I can't find any info on this brand anywhere. I am hopeful somebody can help me out. I would be using it for liquid paint gun. I have never sprayed before so just as a beginner. Can anyone help me if this will work or if anybody has any info on these things? Replacement parts available? Good buy for 200$? I would appreciate any info.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

it would be a hard pass at any price over $50.00...
low cost compressor at best...

$50.00 would be the scrap price...


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## mjamesd013 (11 mo ago)

i see. Thank you for your input!


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

you might look in to the modern hplv paint setups.


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## mjamesd013 (11 mo ago)

Yeah I have been reading a lot about painting. We had a brand new compressor that was just sitting but we are buying another Trumpf laser so that will be used for that. But this kind of fell into my hands so before purchasing figured I would see what it was all about. Looks like I will be looking into something else though.


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## stevon (Mar 5, 2019)

mjamesd013,

$200 is OK if it works without problems. Looks like a 3HP (actual not the advertised 5HP) compressor. Nice separated cylinders that run cooler than side by side cyl. If there is a little (not allot) of oil in the water when you drain the tank you should be OK to spray with this as long as:

The spray gun does not draw more than 10 CFM
The compressor actually is in good shape and produces more than 10 CFM
You have a good system of water/oil removal from compressed air
Possibly some "fish eye" additive for automotive style paints if used.
What will you be painting and what type of paint? Practice on scrap piece before your project piece, good luck!

Stephen 



mjamesd013 said:


> Yeah I have been reading a lot about painting. We had a brand new compressor that was just sitting but we are buying another Trumpf laser so that will be used for that. But this kind of fell into my hands so before purchasing figured I would see what it was all about. Looks like I will be looking into something else though.


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## mjamesd013 (11 mo ago)

stevon said:


> mjamesd013,
> 
> $200 is OK if it works without problems. Looks like a 3HP (actual not the advertised 5HP) compressor. Nice separated cylinders that run cooler than side by side cyl. If there is a little (not allot) of oil in the water when you drain the tank you should be OK to spray with this as long as:
> 
> ...


I really appreciate your input! 

So we do powdercoating here so we know all about the "test first" rule haha. I have a jet ski I want to paint white and actually am in the process of buying another one which will probably end up white as well. I have NO clue as to what type of paint I will be using yet. Haven't looked too deep into that yet as I just started looking into this project 2 weeks ago when I got a quote for $3500 to have it painted white. I figure I could be in less than $1k and hopefully make it look "good enough". Plus I get to learn a new skill and have fun with it. Thank you for the good luck!


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

good clean dry air is needed for painting for sure....
those HPLV units are trick for sure.

kinda like the powder coating units..
there are tricks on that stuff...
but it gets back to the prep and the equipment used to do the job..


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## stevon (Mar 5, 2019)

iowagold,

It's hard to beat powder coating, it is so far engineered, it's hard to get a bad result! but putting a jet ski in an oven can be a problem lol!

Stephen


iowagold said:


> good clean dry air is needed for painting for sure....
> those HPLV units are trick for sure.
> 
> kinda like the powder coating units..
> ...


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## stevon (Mar 5, 2019)

mjamesd013,

I personally would use a 2 stage automotive paint product. Even with runs in the clear, you can file or sand them out and polish to the glossy finish. The European paints are the best Sickens, or







for example, but they are not cheap and you have to follow their process (prep) and buy all the products from them (polyester putty, primer, etc.) for under the finish for them to warranty the finish coat, so much for a Mercedes or Bimmers lol. There are many American companies like PPG, Sherwin Williams automotive paints, Dupont to name a few. Dupont IMRON polyester paint was developed for aircraft but is sold for cars too. Nice product, very shiney but a serious health hazard if not handled correctly. The finish will depend how well the preparation is done on your project. 90% prep, 10% painting. The down side of base coat, clear coat finish is that the clear will magnify imperfections like 360 grit sanded primer will look like 80 grit scratches in the finish coat, also body waves will also be _ exagerrated with a clearcoat. So with basecoat/clearcoat paint scheme you need the finished surface is at 400 grit level using a "guide coat" to confirm that the surface is at that surface level of preparation. For a single stage paint (Urethane, Polyurethane, Acrylic enamel) scheme, 320 grit is good enough for satisfactory results._* Note: *






m_ake sure your spray gun can handle the urethanes_

_Stephen_ 




mjamesd013 said:


> I really appreciate your input!
> 
> So we do powdercoating here so we know all about the "test first" rule haha. I have a jet ski I want to paint white and actually am in the process of buying another one which will probably end up white as well. I have NO clue as to what type of paint I will be using yet. Haven't looked too deep into that yet as I just started looking into this project 2 weeks ago when I got a quote for $3500 to have it painted white. I figure I could be in less than $1k and hopefully make it look "good enough". Plus I get to learn a new skill and have fun with it. Thank you for the good luck!


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## mjamesd013 (11 mo ago)

stevon said:


> mjamesd013,
> 
> I personally would use a 2 stage automotive paint product. Even with runs in the clear, you can file or sand them out and polish to the glossy finish. The European paints are the best Sickens, or
> View attachment 11052
> ...


Great info! Thank you! I have heard prep is the biggest factor in a quality look. As for the paint options I will definitely take all of that into factor and will look at those brands. Still need to figure out which gun to go with. Heard the harbor freight specials are a pretty good beginner gun. But I am the kind of person to go big right out of the gate at times lol. We will see with that I guess. Still need to learn a few more details. Any forums, fb pages, threads, or websites you could point me to in regards to that stuff by chance?


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

stick with the name branded good guns...
go to the local ppg industrial paint guys and shop a bit 
and compare to amazon on the exact models.

the low cost HF guns are just blob it on stuff...
not for a pro finish.

and remember to get you PPE gear mask and gloves moon suit etc to stay safe from chems.
paint fumes will get your lungs.. and eyes and skin!
even from spray can stuff.


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## stevon (Mar 5, 2019)

mjamesd013,

I personally use an Iwata spray gun because it is designed for smaller people (made in Japan) and dumps out less paint and is easier to use for a beginner. The best deal I could get was about $400 a few years ago. Most of their guns are definitely designed to handle Urethanes and Polyurethanes. Now if you want a production paint gun a SATA (German) gun is your best choice, wide spray pattern and floods your project with paint. It is only for production painting that you do every day. For a hobbyist it is a nightmare because the skill you need requires daily practice/production use for painting without causing massive runs. They are a little more expensive but preferred by professionals because it saves time in a production shop. I have used Harbor Freight spray equipment 20 years ago and they seemed OK/forgiving of amateur use. Not bad to start and I achieved satisfactory results at that time. Google/youtube the versions sold at HF. If possible I would borrow one of the better guns to see if you can handle them, especially the SATA. For a one off project I don't recommend spending all that money on an Iwata or SATA gun unless your last name is Rockefeller lol.

Stephen



mjamesd013 said:


> Great info! Thank you! I have heard prep is the biggest factor in a quality look. As for the paint options I will definitely take all of that into factor and will look at those brands. Still need to figure out which gun to go with. Heard the harbor freight specials are a pretty good beginner gun. But I am the kind of person to go big right out of the gate at times lol. We will see with that I guess. Still need to learn a few more details. Any forums, fb pages, threads, or websites you could point me to in regards to that stuff by chance?


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