How to make a paint gun from a car compressor

11th April 2022

Paint sprayer from a car compressor with his own hands

Painting a car. a difficult and expensive task. It is necessary to take into account the quality of paint application, it is necessary to use the most technologically advanced equipment. Homemade paint sprayer has become a certain dream of many car owners who want to save money on painting services. If you turn to a professional camera, the painting of your car will cost several times more than your expectations. In this case, most motorists start watching video lessons and prepare to work with their own hands.

Perform the necessary work at home is difficult, but nothing is impossible. The design of homemade devices for painting cars has become one of the most popular topics on all forums on this topic. It is interesting that many people manage to assemble with their own hands even a paint gun, which quite well performs household tasks. Let’s warn you right away that it is extremely difficult to perform quality work and make a good car painting with homemade tools. For most people without experience it will be impossible.

What types of homemade variants of spray guns exist?

If you have wondered how to make a paint sprayer with your own hands, you should immediately understand the technical points. Look at what equipment you can use for this task. It is a bold and ambitious goal to create with your own hands a device for painting works with cars. There are several options for paint sprayers, which you can make yourself. Let’s take a brief look at the options of sprayers with a simple design:

Homemade tool from a ballpoint pen and foam plastic. You can find a number of videos and instructions on making such a tool. But it is better not to waste time, as you can paint with it only approximately.
Paint sprayer with their own hands from a can of aerosol material. It is desirable to take a cylinder of expensive paint, drill a hole in it for pouring paint, as well as to connect the compressor. This is a working, but non-professional tool.
Equipment from an old vacuum cleaner. Of course, for the car, such a solution will not be suitable, but in the home you can perform certain painting work, perform household tasks.
A version of a homemade device from an old non-working paint gun, which can be restored. In this case you can get quite workable equipment with a long list of benefits.
Using freely available parts to create a quality paint sprayer. It is quite a decent option, if you have the technical wit and understanding of how you can make such a device.

Today we will talk more about the latter option, as only such a homemade paint sprayer can determine the possibility of auto body repair. In order to paint with your own hands more or less quality, do not use popular and disclosed in dozens of videos ways to create devices from a ballpoint pen and a piece of Styrofoam. Such a device is definitely not able to serve for a long time and give normal results.

Preparing the equipment for painting your car with your own hands

Before you decide how to make a paint sprayer with your own hands, it is worth thinking about the rest of the set of devices. It can be a minimal paint supply kit, but it is better to organize a good chamber, albeit homemade. With their own hands to paint the car will be impossible with an even layer of paintwork, if the painting is done in the street, and the pressure from the compressor comes uneven.

Therefore, to carry out the painting work, you will definitely need a room that can be dried. It should not have a lot of dust, and you can also come up with homemade equipment to pressurize a high temperature. So the camera will allow to dry the car after painting. But with your own hands you can not perform all the actions to achieve professional quality.

Where to get a compressor if you have no ideas?

One idea for making a homemade simple compressor is a spare from the trunk of your car. Pump with a foot or electric pump pressure of 3 atmospheres, treat the hose to connect the paint sprayer so that it is screwed on the wheel and push the lever inside the device to release the pressure. As long as the air flows down to 2 atmospheres, you will have a certain amount of time to apply the paint.

Anyone can do this with his own hands. But you should also understand that the quality of painting your car in this case will be very low. It is better to not resort to such perversions and use standard spray cans. If you have nothing else to paint, it is better to go to the station and order all the necessary work.

Equipment selection criteria

When choosing a model one should pay attention to the diameter of the nozzle. It should be such a size to form a torch with a diameter of up to 80 cm. The bigger diameter is found at professional models, but they consume much paint. 200-500 ml/min. Non-professionals are advised to make a choice in favor of a device with a lower flow rate, the power of such devices is 400-1000 watts.

Important features of spray guns include the ability to spray a paint material of an acceptable viscosity. For water-based mixtures, this figure is 50-80 Din.

No less important for the convenience of use are the following criteria:

Apparatuses that meet the above requirements, show themselves well in carrying out repair and construction work.

Tools and materials needed

In most cases, self-made construction is created to work with water-based paint. As a rule, to create them requires a standard set of tools, as well as a welding device. As a basis are used:

The choice of materials and tools is carried out depending on the features of the created construction. The scheme is selected taking into account what kind of work will be carried out, what productivity should be the equipment.

Principle of operation

Before you start making your own tool, it is important to understand how it works and what parts of the mechanism make the paint burst out of the tank and quickly transferred to the surface. As the object of the analysis is only sprayer, we will not consider the device of the air source (compressor or turbine), and take it as a given, coming by default. Let’s focus on the design of sprayers.

Any air sprayer (both pneumatic and electric), has a housing, where the needle and the nozzle (nozzle) are placed. An air head with side holes is screwed on top of this case to give the torch an elongated shape. In addition, the body has a trigger for opening the air valve and a tank with the sprayed mixture. Pneumatic guns have regulators for torch size, material flow and sometimes air. Electric models have an air flow regulator on the body and material with a torch on the air head.

The first thing you encounter when air enters the channels of the sprayer is the valve connected to the trigger. A gentle squeeze opens the path and the flow passes inside the casing and out of the air cap. In this case the material is not sprayed, because its path blocking the cone needle resting against the back of the nozzle. A heavier pressure on the trigger pushes the needle away from the nozzle opening a passage through which the paint is caught by the air current and explodes outward in a cloud of fine particles. If the tank is set from below (as at the majority of electric models), the mixture is displaced through a tube by the same air which gets into a container through the second opening open for it. According to this principle can be made quite decent self-made spray gun for painting cars without a compressor, based on an old home vacuum cleaner.

The air head, screwed onto the nozzle, is only found on factory models. Making the spray gun with their own hands, even the most skilled craftsmen usually do not try to repeat the complicated design of this part, and use a less productive, but simpler principle of spraying. It is about this technology we will tell further.

Makeshift mini oral spray gun

The simplest version of a breath-activated liquid atomizer. The capacity of such a device, for the most part, depends on the volume of the lungs. The diameter of tubes defines quantity of paint you can transfer, but it must not be too big.

The essence of the device is to draw mixture from a container through a tube, due to the airflow above the tube. Small doses of mixture, break under pressure into tiny drops, flying forward. The task is to fix the two ends of the tubes in a certain position on a frame made of wood, foam plastic, metal or any other available material. Let’s describe in more detail, in order.

The first thing to do is to disassemble the handle into two tubes: the body and the rod. The air will go through the first one, and the paint will come out of the second one. The tapered spout of the rod, from which the writing ball usually sticks out, needs to be enlarged to a diameter of about 3 mm. To prepare the rod, you need to take the ball out of its metal ending. To do this, deform the balloon by rubbing it against an abrasive stone or sandpaper until it falls out. Do not forget to remove ink from the rod.
The tubes are prepared and placed perpendicularly to each other so that the ends meet at one point. It is possible to fix them on any element the size of a matchbox. Air tube from the pen body, placed horizontally and paint supply rod vertically. The location of the outlets may require small adjustments, so do not immediately fasten the elements firmly, and put them on tape or duct tape and check the quality of the atomization. It is better to place the paint outlet exactly in the center of the air tube.

It is better to see a device once than to imagine it by description. For a more detailed disclosure topic, we present you a video, how to make a mini pulverizer with his own hands with a detailed explanation and demonstration of each stage of the assembly process.

Refrigerator as source material

Such a variant is characterized by great reliability and performance, it will work for a long time and be useful in the household. But on the other hand, its production will require a lot of effort and energy, as well as time. It’s worth it, though, as you can end up with a very nice machine.

To make a pulverizer from the elements of the refrigerator, you need to prepare the appropriate materials and tools:

A large container for the paint;
one hose 45 centimeters long and two 15 centimeters long;
A few clamps;
machine gasoline filter;
steel wire;
screws;
board.

Before you start, you need to find a thing that will act as a receiver. For this purpose, a fire extinguisher, a canister or any container that can be hermetically sealed can be suitable.

Using the pre-prepared board, it is necessary to fix the compressor from the refrigerator on it. Further it is necessary to understand in what direction the device works, where the air leaves and where it enters. To do this, you need to connect it to the mains and start. The one socket, from which the air will escape, will serve as the outlet. The second tube will be the inlet, and the third on such compressors is closed.

To an input and an output hole it is necessary to connect hoses which closely will clamp tubes, and places of joints will be in addition clamped by collars.

As for the third closed tube, it serves for lubrication of the compressor itself and until the first faults occur, it is not recommended to touch it.

It is necessary to drill two holes in the receiver. A large hose is connected to one, which, in turn, is connected on the other side to the inlet of the compressor. The smaller hose is fastened to the second hole in the receiver and to the compressor‘s outlet pipe from the opposite side.

To control the pressure in the system it is necessary to install a pressure gauge. Only after that you should connect the atomizer. For mobility of the device it is possible to attach wheels to it.

Making a sprayer at home is not too difficult, if you apply a little effort.

From a ballpoint pen

Paint sprayer with your own hands at home can be made from a ballpoint pen. This is the most primitive version of such a device with low pressure. Of course, this version is no substitute for factory models or homemade automated, but it can be used for small jobs, for example, in the garage. The construction time of the mini paint sprayer is no more than half an hour.

A person blows into the pen, and the paint comes out through the rod. You can even adjust the intensity of the paint sprayer this way, but it is recommended to practice on a small area first. Since the use of such a device can lead to ingestion of liquid in the mouth, it is not recommended to do whitewashing.

To produce it, you need to prepare such materials:

Thus, a paint sprayer for painting cars, walls or other needs can be made easily, and the process is not very complicated. For more demanding work and room repairs, it is better to make a sprayer from a compressor. It is in no way inferior to the factory models in terms of its technical characteristics. For simple work in the garage, a spray can apparatus or pen will suffice.

Principle of operation

Before you start making your own tool it’s important to understand how it works and what parts of the mechanism make the paint to burst out of the tank and quickly transferred to the surface. Since the object of the analysis is only a paint sprayer, we will not consider the device air sources (compressor or turbine), and take it as a given, going by default. Let’s focus on the construction of sprayers.

Any air sprayer (both pneumatic and electric), has a housing where the needle and nozzle (nozzle) are placed. On top of this case, an air head with side holes is swirled to give the torch an elongated shape. In addition, there is a trigger on the body to open the air valve and a tank with the sprayed mixture. Controllers for torch size, material delivery and sometimes air are installed on air guns. Electric models have an air flow regulator on the body and a material with a torch on the air head.

The first thing that the air encounters when getting into the atomizer channels is the valve connected to the trigger. When lightly pressed, the path opens, the flow passes inside the housing and flies out of the air head. Material is not atomized because its path is blocked by the tip cone resting against the back wall of the nozzle. pressure on the trigger pushes the needle away from the nozzle, opening a passage for the paint, through which it is picked up by the air stream and is quickly thrown forward in a cloud of fine particles. If the tank is set at the bottom (as in most electric models), the mixture is displaced through the tube with the same air entering the container through the second, open hole for him. According to this principle you can make quite a decent self-made spray gun for painting cars without a compressor, based on an old household vacuum cleaner.

The air head, screwed onto the nozzle, is inherent only in the factory models of tools. Making a bulletizer with their own hands, even the most skilled craftsmen usually do not try to repeat the complex design of this part, and use a less productive, but simpler principle of spraying. It is about this technology we will tell further.

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Purpose and types of sprayers

Depending on the degree of difficulty, a sprayhead variant can be used for a specific purpose. In addition, it is important to know how to work the “gun” even for a non-professional.

When considering the airless variety, the following types are usually distinguished:

The manual paint spraying system is good, because even a person without any experience can cope with it. The quality is poor, of course. But it is possible to paint a fence or a barn, and at the same time to practice.

The electric kit is also suitable for work at home (for beginners). Thanks to the electric pump, the process of spraying paint substances takes place.

Pneumatic systems are used in plants with a single air supply network. Network is connected to a single compressor and used as intended: presses, spray guns, pneumatic hammers.

In contrast to the pneumatic airless system does not use air pressure, and the difference in pressure at the outlet of the “gun. The air flow slows down and helps to apply the coating faster and easier, while saving the consumable more than in the first method of painting. The disadvantages include too thin a layer of coating.

The combined version of how to make a flare at home, embodied both of the named methods. It is used in aviation, wagon construction and the furniture industry.

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Purpose and types of sprayers

Depending on the degree of difficulty, a variety of machines can be used for a specific purpose. In addition, it is important to know how to work with a “gun” even a non-professional.

When considering the sprayer variety, the following types are usually distinguished:

Handheld spraying system is good because it can handle even a person who has no experience. The quality, of course, turns out to be low. But you can paint a fence or a barn, and at the same time to practice.

The electric set is also suitable for work at home (for beginners). An electric pump accomplishes the spraying process.

Pneumatic systems are used in plants where there is a common network of air supply pipes. The network is connected to a single compressor and is used as intended: presses, spray guns, pneumatic hammers.

Unlike pneumatics, the airless system does not use air pressure, but the difference in pressure at the “gun” outlet. The air flow is slowed down and helps to apply the coating faster and easier, saving more paint than the first method. The disadvantages are that the coating layer is too thin.

The combined version of how to make a flare at home, embodied both of the named methods. It is used in the aviation, automotive, and furniture industries.

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How to make a spray gun with your own hands from a ballpoint pen?

We’re not kidding at all. a paint gun can be made from an ordinary ballpoint pen in a matter of minutes. The mini-purifier will work from a small capacity glass or plastic bottle. The big amount of work you can paint with this tool is too long, but for small crafts or painting small details the device justifies itself completely, moreover, it has even some advantages. So, you will need a square piece of plastic, rubber or foam plastic and, of course, a ballpoint pen. In principle any piece will do, both collapsible and solid, from which only the tip can be unscrewed.

To begin with the handle you need to disassemble. take out the paste and unscrew or cut off the end part. In a word, you should have a hollow tube through which you can freely blow. We want to warn you beforehand that this device will work on your “pull”, however, below we will consider automated options, the main thing is to understand the principle! The cone-shaped tip (the one at the bottom of the handle) must be cut slightly to make a wider opening. You can experiment with its diameter. you find scribbled ballpoint pens more often than writing pens at home, don’t you??

The removed rod must also be disassembled and cleaned of paste residue with alcohol. We do not need the writing ball, you can throw it away. Now let’s deal with the “body”: from a piece of plastic (rubber, foam plastic) it is necessary to cut a corner. In both walls of the corner you need to carefully drill or puncture holes for the rod and the tube. They should fit in the holes firmly. If they are a bit too big, it makes sense to glue them down.

Come to the most important. the rod, which is from the paste, should go slightly over the hole of the tube, only 2-3 millimeters. When you put the rods in the correct position, you will have in your hands actually ready paint sprayer, created by your own hands. Try it in action by dipping the rod into a bottle of paint diluted to a liquid state and blowing into the tube. At the junction of the rods a vortex of air is formed, which lifts and sprays the paint. If the paint does not rise, then it is too thick.

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Spray gun from a vacuum cleaner

As a rule, an old vacuum cleaner is used. In the first step, the direction of air flow is reversed in it. Sometimes it is enough to change the terminals of rotor and stator.

The steps of making a paint sprayer from a vacuum cleaner are done in the following order:

A plastic or glass bottle of 2 liters with a 5 cm diameter neck is chosen.
A mushroom-shaped plug is cut out of foam plastic. The bottom part must fit tightly into the bottle.
At the top of the plug, holes are made: one vertical, the other horizontal. The tubes are inserted into them.
Another hole is drilled next to it for the air outlet.
To combine the spray gun and the vacuum cleaner hose, another plug is cut out of Styrofoam.

Refrigerator for the jointer

For this purpose, a compressor from a refrigerator is used. Such a homemade paint sprayer works much quieter than the one made from a vacuum cleaner, but the work performed differs in complexity.

Choose a tightly closing container under the air receiver. It can be a fire extinguisher, canister or cylinder.
In the cooler, use pliers to bite off the tubing and remove the receiver and relay.
It is necessary to bring voltage to the compressor to know from which tube air is supplied.
A strainer is placed over the suction tube to prevent debris from getting into it.
The tube for pressurizing air is connected to the receiver with 2 gasoline hoses. Connectors are used as adapters. The joints must be sealed.
A filter is inserted into the air outlet of the air reservoir. It is necessary to remove excessive moisture from the paint sprayer. This stabilizes the appliance.
At the last stage is the mounting of the receiver and paint gun on a solid base. A board can be used for this purpose.
The device is ready to work.

During the operation of such a paint sprayer, the compressor must be set in the same position as in the refrigerator. Otherwise, it will not work. The oil in it is changed periodically. The tube, which is inserted into the body, serves for this purpose. Such a device can be used for both water-based emulsion work and whitewashing with lime.

A device made of a car camera

If you plan to paint a small area, such as the body of a car, you can build the sprayer from an old car camera. It will serve as a receiver, that is, a vessel for the accumulation of air.

This device for spraying paint, except for a car camera, is assembled from:

Car camera, taken to create a spray gun, must be intact, without holes. This is important because it will be under strong air pressure.

When making a paint sprayer from a car camera, the following steps must be performed:

Check for punctures in the chamber by pumping it up. If there is air coming out of the chamber at any point, the rubber part is repaired;

The main nuances of using the atomizer

In order to be able to properly use the atomizer itself, it is necessary to heed the basic recommendations of experts:

When spraying paint or lime mortar, do not linger in one place. You could create a thicker coat than necessary. It is better to maintain consistent time intervals to ensure an even coating.
Place the rod from which the paint comes should be strictly perpendicular to the painted surface.
Alternatively, using a circular motion with the spray gun will allow the paint to spread evenly over the surface.
If the paint is applied in several layers, then each subsequent layer must be applied after the previous one has dried completely.
The important role is played by the preliminary preparation of the painted surface.

The process of making a sprayer with their own hands is quite time consuming, which should be approached with great responsibility. Self-made sprayer will save a lot of money and get a quality painted surface, and, not least, to save on paint solutions. After all, when working with a sprayer, the material consumption is significantly reduced.