Today I want to talk about air compressors. As I started to look at what I needed to paint the 1966 Impala sitting in the garage, I realized just how much air a HVLP spray gun takes.
 
So as I started looking more at air compressors, I learned some things.
 
First of all, what I have in my garage currently for an air compressor is pretty much good for filling tires, and a little bit of use with a blow gun.
 
It is just a little 6 gallon air compressor rated for 2.9 CFM at 90 PSI. It is a direct drive oiled air compressor.
 
Sp what the heck does that mean?
 
Starting from the top, 6 gallon is the size of the tank that holds the compressed air. The larger the tank, the more air it holds and the less often the compressor needs to run. The draw back is that it will then take longer for the compressor to refill the tank. That is why usually larger tanks also have a lager CFM compressor.
 
CFM is the main thing you need to look at when shopping for a compressor.
For more notes and example of what I talk about go to www.themusclecarguy.net/33