I have been looking into doing my own painting recently. I suggest you also consider an inline filter to keep the line a bit more dry. Water in the air line is the worst problem you can have.
www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=1118
I picked this up from looking at a message forum devoted to autobody and paint:
autobody101.com/forums/
They also recommend a HF gun but recommend one that costs about $69. Honestly, the gun and compressor are the two MAIN topics on this board. I was surprised that there was little discussion of actual paints but I have found that acrylic enamel / clearcoat seems to be the way to go for the most durable and prettiest paint job. The acrylic lacquer seems to be coming back but seems to be NOT as durable. The site also has a tutorial on mixing, reduing and priming, etc. that is helpful.
The paint doesn't last on the shelf so if you can find a local place to sell you paint by the pint, it would be best. Then find an old fender or barrel or something and practice a few stokes before shooting bike parts. An eBay seller sells paint by the gallon for under $50 but they don't get high marks for quality. They are
www.paintforcars.com -
This is a VERY interesting site as this is water based paint that doesn't have to be mixed unless you reduce it for use in an airbrush gun:
www.autoaircolors.com/
There was a long discussion on the message forum about these products which last forever on the shelf as well.
