Fan size

[Cesar Vega]

Hi,

I'm new to spray finishes, but I have sprayed a few projects already with good results.
I have a 6gal compressor that supposedly gives like 7.5 SCFM with 2.5HP, the made in china type.

My spray gun says it's LVLP, with a consumption of 3.5 SCFM, a 1.3mm nozzle, the made in china type.

Since I have no other experiences in neither compressors or spray gun, I don't know if this is correct, but the max fan size of my spray gun is about 4", at 8" distance from the painting surface.

Well, I think it is small, I've seen videos of people applying finishes and the fan size looks like 12".

My questions:

1) Is this small fan size normal for a LVLP spray gun?
I suspect that in order to get wider fan I need an spray gun with bigger air consumption to start with, right?

2) With these tools, when I paint continously, the compressor turns on after just about 30 seconds, when the tank pressure is down to 90psi (max is 130psi).
It catches up, but never surpass the gun consumption.
As far as I continue painting, the tank starts to empty slowly, very slowly until I finish the piece, than it refills completely while I rest. I keep the gun pressure at around 15-20psi all the time and seems enough to get a nice fine mist.

Well, I think the compressor label is lying, don't you think?
Or the spray gun...?

I mean, with that numbers, being that the spray gun consumes only the half the compressor can produce, it would have to catch up and totally refill at some point, even if I'm continuosly painting.... or not?

[ray hampton]

I know nothing about your spray gun but a 12" fan will require a greater distance from the surface that you are painting

[Cesar Vega]

Yes, I supposed that too.
But with my spray gun, if I go too far from the object the spray mist doesn't have enough power to sit in there. It has to be 6" to 8" distance in order to work fine, may be 10".

The guns I've seen in video, were being used at about 12" to 15" from the object, and the fan was very wide.

[ray hampton]

for your gun to spray a 12"fan if this is possible with your gun, you need 3 things , enough psi/cfm, enough paint,