Cowboy you mentioned desicant dryers, well this is what I added to my very basic set up when I painted my truck. In addition all I had was another water trap at the compressor and the disposable filters that go onto your gun. I chose to change desiccant after a each day. I had no moisture issues using this from Eastwood, its a combo water trap and desiccant dryer.

 

I stopped using the plastic can type filters on my paint guns after I caught the hose on something and snapped off the plastic filter. The loose end of the now unattached hose whipped around beating on the car I was painting causing a real mess. Just not worth it.
Besides they make the paint guns much harder to use.....proper inline traps are the way to go.

Just my opinion of course

 

You can get rid of 60% of the water in your air with the use of an aftercooler. An old condenser from a car will suffice for most home users. Mount the condenser in front of the compressors flywheel so the fan will suck air through the condenser. Pipe your compressors discharge to the top of the condenser and from the bottom connection attach a filter with an auto drain valve. Then from there to your check valve in the receiver.

Cooling the air is the key. The colder you can get it the dryer it is going to be. Even if you choose a desiccant dryer or a refrigerated dryer you should use an aftercooler. Just make sure you drain the accumulated water regularly.

I don't know what kind of a climate you live in or how big your compressor is but an automotive condenser will provide enough cooling for the average 3 peak HP big box store outfit.

 

The beauty of a system like that is that it keeps the water out of your receiver, too. Sounds like a good winter project!

 

The "homemade" cooler I was talking about is just to cool the air. It does not introduce moisture into the air line, simply helps to cool the air by dipping the copper coil into water. Any dryer works better the further away from the pump it is because the air cools and condensates less. Of course you should keep your tank drained. I drain mine at the end of every day that I use air, which is often in my woodshop. I never get any noticeable moisture in my guns - either paint guns or nail guns.

 

I rarely have to drain my receiver. Where I live the humidity averages less than 20% and if I drain my receiver once a month I'd be lucky to get 3 ounces of water out. I do not have an aftercooler either.

By the way aussicowboy, common copper tubing has a burst pressure of around 300 PSIG. I wouldn't worry about using it on your air compressor. It will more than handle what you have.

 

Yes, I'm liking the aftercooler idea a lot. If I combine that with a steel or copper pipe setup with a drain and water trap at the other end I think I'll improve things a great deal.

 

I wouldn't use steel, even galvanized. Too much potential for rust.

 

That thought occured to me also Ross, luckily my next door neighbour runs a stainless fabrication business and I fix his 79 Ford Fairmont on a fairly regular basis....

 

Wow. That's a lot of $$$ Ax for a system that I can't see anyway to regulate the pressure down to like 40 PSI.
I have a 60 gal, 220 6HP Napa compressor. And two rigs that I want to paint. Isn't there a system that has this and the regulator combined? Back in the day I payed close to that for the regulator/filters with out any dryer. We did several paint jobs with little or no moister. And it is very humid here but the shop and compressor system held the same temp pretty much 24/7. The one thing I can think of that I did that has not been mentioned here is we never turned the compressor off. So it really never had to run for a long time and heat up. (Unless we where doing brakes or tires on a 10 bud truck). This was not the compressor I now have. But very simpler. The air was also ran through 3/4 copper manifolds through out the shop with the paint booth at the end of the line with a 33 gallon water trap tank there as well.
My ? is does anyone have a used regulator or know where I can maybe get an inexpensive one? I will only be painting once or twice a year. Is a regulator like we need for this something that an Equipment Rental place would have? I just thought of that.

 

If you only want to use it once or twice a year for painting you could put a mini regulator on the gun, like this

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DEVILBISS-HAV-501-AIR-VALVE-REGULATOR-w-GAUGE-Hvlp-Auto-Paint-Spray-Gun-Hose-/390643643458?pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&hash=item5af42cf442&vxp=mtr
A good quality gun can be regulated pretty well with the air adjustment screw though, you just don't have a gauge then.

 

I have always used two valves to get the pressure down. With this then I am using the valve on the gun and this one?. I have an old Bink's gun. I also need to kit it before I try and use it. Prolly been at least 15 years since I did the FJ40 in rustolium red.

 

If you have this one then you can leave the valve on the gun wide open and just use this one, no need to use two valves. I haven't used Binks guns but a good quality gun is a worthwhile investment, I bought a high end DeVilbiss and my paint finish improved greatly.

 

Back in my day Binks was the best. I prolly have it spelled wrong. But that was before gravity feed upright or what ever they call them. Even before I had ever heard about clear coat or any two stage. We just applied lacquer sanding every coat than buffing most of the 8 or ten coats back off to try and get a shine. Heck I may never even find a kit for it know. Used to be able to get them anytime from Napa. I think it is the same as what Napa had as the parts would interchange.
"Only the name was changed to protect the innocent".

 

Binks was the Gold Standard thru the '70's or so. Almost all chinese ripoffs used to tout "Binks compatible" nozzles.