I’m thinking about getting a compressor. Amongst uses I would be wanting to run a sander/polisher and paint spray gun. Can anyone suggest what sort of power/tank capacity would be ideal. Oh and money is an issue aswell!!
If you’re looking to run an 8" sander-polisher, you’re looking at something like 6 cubic feet a minute and up x 90 PSI ( refer to http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=1724 ) , which is gonna outrun any of the small compressors. Figure around 8 CFM x 90 PSI ( those are standard ratings- don’t pay any attention to how many ‘horsepower’ they claim ) so the thing isn’t running constantly, as that will kill it in short order. Closed gas stations are your best bet, figure 220V motors ( beware of getting a 3 phase motor if you are not in an industrial building ) The sprayer, by comparison, doesn’t use a whole lot of air, especially if you’re just doing something like spraying a coating. What I might do is, rather than spending the $500 and up for a heavy duty compressor plus extra for air tools, get an electric sander-grinder-polisher ( under $200 US) and then look into an HVLP spraying setup ( also something you can find cheap - http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=44677 for one ) and it’s all set. Hope that’s of use doc…