Spray equipment question

[George Carion]

What is the smallest compressor you can successfully use with common spray gear this days? I'm about to finish a larger piece and I know if I do it by hand it's not going to come out the way I need it to look. I'm trying to match the finish of another store-bought piece of furniture.

If I were to go with spray I'd apply dye mixtures,stain, shellac, poly. Maybe latex paint at some point, but it's not necessary now. Today I only own a small 2 gallon compressor. Is HPLV the way to go and can I get away with not purchasing a new compressor? I'm a little hesitant to dump $500 bucks on a real compressor because it won't see a great deal of use.

Sorry for the simple, none too detailed questions, but this area is totally new to me.

Thanks!

[Larry Fox]

I would advise asking this question over on Homesteadfinishing.com's forums. They have a forum specifically dedicated to spray equipment. However, I doubt that you compressor will be able to devlier the CFM necessary at the pressure required to pull it off (The HV in HVLP stands for high-volume and I think this is where you will have the problem). Another option is a turbine-based gun. Maybe buy a used Capspray or Apollo unit on eBay, use it for your project and sell it - certainly a viable option.