texturing walls

[WHoME?]

i had a "friend" retexture one of my bedroom walls and ceiling ( i had a blown in popcorn ceiling from when i first bought my house 25 yrs ago, but i stripped it off so he could redo that also), the problem is, is that he did a crappy job ( i was told he was good, yeah right lol )... i had never done this before (that's why i hired him), but from helping him out, i could see how it should be done and know i could do a good job myself. i am experienced with cement work and don't find this much different as far as texturing goes. my question though, is what kind of machine do you suggest i buy? ( and about how $$$ am i looking at?)... i eventually want to do my whole house, but i'll have to do one room at a time. i don't want to spend a bundle, but i don't want a piece of junk either. would Home Depot carry something that would be decent?

thanks for any suggestions and help :-)

[SQLit]

I am crappy at it as well. When popcorn is blown on ceilings the tapers tend not to do a great job on the joints. I removed a wall and created a great room. I taped and putzed until I was completely pissed. I hired a contractor to come out and make the ceiling flat along with the entry way and the hall to the bedrooms. It took 4 guys 3 days. Then they sprayed on the texture. I wrote a check for $1800. Painted, 2 coats and I could still see the joints. Hired a pro to paint the whole home just before the sale. He put on 3 more coats of paint and the ceilings were fantastic. I signed the check for $1500. The spray rig will cost you a couple of thousand dollars. Or you can check out Harbor Freight for a low pressure high volume gun. Practice a lot out side before you go inside. Make sure your air compressor has water and oil filters so you are not putting that on your ceilings. Have fun. Me....... I write checks for stuff I am not good at.

[dbird]

if you want the pop corn ceiling then get a texture gun from either home depot for $75.00 or from

for about $29.00 they both work.. they also can be used to blow on texture paints..... you gonna need an air compressor to use it....

[WHoME?]

would you happen to know what size compressor i'd need?

[George E. Cawthon]

[Chuck Yerkes]

George E. Cawthon wrote: >>>if you want the pop corn ceiling then get a texture gun from either home >>>depot for $75.00 or from

for about $29.00 they >>>both work.. they also can be used to blow on texture paints..... >>>you gonna need an air compressor to use it.... >>

This is relevant.

A friend of ours is getting a large compressor and has a 2.5HP/12Gallon one that he want to sell for ~$100. Not used much.

Direct drive, which I'm told is unideal.

Now, on one hand, I barely need a compressor. I'm sort of reaching for why I "need one". I *did* like the 1/4 of clearance that the shop's needs to take bolts of the motorcycles. I suppose blowing clear the spraypaint nozzles. Scare the cat and... what?

Is a compressor useful to paint? (house needs painting). Is this big enough to run a nailgun/bradnailer?

My brother, who's been restoring a pair of houses, suggests a porter cable pancake compressor that comes with 3/4"-3" nailers for ~$300. "If you can't pick it up and carry it and want it for anything but sitting the garage doing garage work, then you want a pancake compressor."

(I'm not a tool newbie, give me tables saws and drill presses and lathes and I'm fine. Just never really dealt with air tools.)

Discussion? Thoughts?

What can I do with air tools? Why would it be on a list of "tools to own"?

[Greg]

Ignore "HP" numbers on compressors. They lie. Look at CFM at a given pressure and you can get a general idea by looking at the plug. If it uses a standard 120v plug it will really be a HP or less. The FLA on the motor plate will usually be right but the "HP rating" is usually blank or has some ambiguous word.

[Greg]

As for air tools, once you get started you may wonder why you ever used corded tools. Air is safer around water, you don't lug the motor around so they are lighter and you have tons of power if your compressor is big enough. I have piped air all over and I have air chucks available in 6 places, inside and out.

[Chuck Yerkes]

Well, first I see it as used for wrenches and things that work fine UNDER water. There aren't "air routers" or "air saws" out there.

I thought the chisel would be nice to dig plant holes, but that was the only use I could come up with for it (and that took a little bit).

Useful info on the HP. Thanks.

To make myself sound stupid: the motor compresses the tank and then you use it while the motor just keeps the pressure in the tank up? Or does it turn off until it reaches some threshold?

I. dont. use. chucks. nozzles, sure. never chucks.

don't make me greg you. :)

[Greg]

I wouldn't bet there aren't air saws, I know there are air drills. Dock builders use them and an air drill with a body the size of the smallest 1/4" drill you have will turn a 1" ship auger through southern yellow pine PT posts.. It does have big handles. Other than the normal auto stuff air chisels are generally used for they are handy for chipping out concrete if you want a pretty hole. They make installing an electric box in a block wall very easy.

Yup, it has a pressure switch with a cut in and cut out pressure so the base pressure in the tank is at a fairly high range (140-150 or so). Then you have a regulator that controls the pressure at the outlet.

[George E. Cawthon]

Lots of questions. First 2.5 hp 12 gallon isn't very big, but is sufficient for a lot of stuff. First you need to realize that their are oil and oil-less compressors. Oil are quieter (usually belt driven), more expensive, last longer and probably heavier. Oil-less are cheaper, little maintenance, last a shorter time (but forever for the part time user), and much noiser. For the small time user, oil-less is just fine.

A nail gun takes very little air, a wrench somewhat more, a regular pressure paint gun take very little air, but HVLP conversion guns take a lot. A tank with wheels is a lot easier to move than picking up a pancake type. Beyond the obvious use for tires, air compressors are handy for painting and staining fences, painting houses, applying finishes to furniture and cabinets, applying texture to walls, nailing (brads, construction, roofing) running an impact wrench, cleaning tools and machines, and lots more.

[George E. Cawthon]

Saws, sanders, and grinders or anything that requires a continuous stream of air requires a fairly large tank and/or compressor. For example if a tool requires 10 cfm at 80 psi, but your system is rated at 8 cfm at 80 psi, you can still use the tool for a little bit then you stop, e.g., grind for 20 seconds, wait, and grind some more. The capacity is dependent on the motor/compressor capability and the size of the tank. A small compressor/motor with a large tank can provide a large flow of air, but only for a short period while a large compressor/motor may provide the same amount of air continuously.

[Bonehenge]

Actually, there are.

Barry