Airbrush compresser ?

G

Guy Cowen

Sr Member
I'm about to endevour into the airbrush world. I Have decided on an Iwata Eclipse HP-CS brush but am hitting a brick wall with the compresser? It cant be too large & I have been put off buying a diafram type. What size tank would you recomend for SW model work, My largest task will be an MR Falcon, prob not a complete respray though. Is 3ltr too small. i want it to be quiet without a huge cost. There's a drink in it for the winning talked me into one type situation :). My budget is around £100-130 ish, & im in the UK. Thanks for any help you can give
 
Honestly, I suggest getting a regular tank compressor, like this one http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00915310000P?vName=Tools&keyword=air+compressor I have this exact one and I love it.

It's only noisy when you fill it up, but with the tank, it's only 2 minutes every few days. I fill it up and then turn it off. Then it runs completely silent. It only takes 2 minutes or so to fill from empty and you can get quite a bit of spraying time from a single fill.

Just see if Sears ships over there or if you can find an equivalent compressor.

Dedicated airbrush compressors are nice and quiet, but they're expensive and they run continuously because they have no storage tank.

Just something to consider.

-Fred
 
Gigatron said:
Honestly, I suggest getting a regular tank compressor, like this one http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00915310000P?vName=Tools&keyword=air+compressor I have this exact one and I love it.

It's only noisy when you fill it up, but with the tank, it's only 2 minutes every few days. I fill it up and then turn it off. Then it runs completely silent. It only takes 2 minutes or so to fill from empty and you can get quite a bit of spraying time from a single fill.

Just see if Sears ships over there or if you can find an equivalent compressor.

Dedicated airbrush compressors are nice and quiet, but they're expensive and they run continuously because they have no storage tank.

Just something to consider.

-Fred
Click to expand...

Thanks Gigatron, it is very helpfull but may be more cost effective to buy in the UK. I think I may have found one but just need to know the maximame PSI it should run at. I have found a Comp with a 3Ltr tank piston that runs at 32 psi , no oil, filter & water trap inc???? £85 any good
 
If you've gt a link to the compressor you're interested in, I'll be more than happy to lend an impression of it.

-Fred
 
Looks pretty decent. I wish there was a brand attached to it so you could look up independent reviews.

But when all is said and done, it looks like it should work well for most airbrushing apps.

A 32psi output is more than enough. I usually brush between 8 and 15psi.

-Fred
 
Gigatron is right. I have a craftsman 1.5HP pancake compressor which is perfect.

The Iwata Silent Compressors are great but pricey!!

If you get a compressor like the ones above, you need a regulator/moisture trap. The Iwata I have came with a mini moisture trap also.

FB
 
I'm a little confused as to which one it is. The ebay listing shows two different compressors; a twin piston compressor and a single piston with a tank. Which one did you win?

Personally, I prefer compressors with storage tanks because you can turn it off between fills and you don't have to worry about air pulses.

-Fred
 
Gigatron said:
I'm a little confused as to which one it is. The ebay listing shows two different compressors; a twin piston compressor and a single piston with a tank. Which one did you win?

Personally, I prefer compressors with storage tanks because you can turn it off between fills and you don't have to worry about air pulses.

-Fred
Click to expand...
Ahhh but you DO have to worry about moisture buildup in your tank then Gig, ESPECIALLY if you live in a humid environment.
personally I've never had problems with any type of air surges/pulses because proper airbrush use eliminates the problem. Or if you're referring to a pulse from the movement of the pistons themselves then proper maintenance on the compressor keeps something like this at a bare minimum (I've personally never had this as a problem with any diaphram compressor... and I've ran some into the ground!! hehehe if my old D500 could talk!! ).

DEFINATELY keep the moisture trap and pressure regulator on the compressor if it's the same as the double piston model in the picture. By using the pressure regulator you can get some interesting misting and spattering effects without having to mess with your paint mixture ratios...
 
Guy,It sounds like it's too late, but I have used a different method for the last decade. A CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) tank. You can get one from any welding shop, and it's only about $15 to refill, and a tank lasts a long, long time. The benefit to this is twofold, no moisture trap/worries and no sound, ever. You can get a pressure regulator for it, I generally run at about 6-10psi depending on the application. Just another option if the compressor doesn't work out for ya!-Sean
 
Aegis159 said:
Ahhh but you DO have to worry about moisture buildup in your tank then Gig, ESPECIALLY if you live in a humid environment.
personally I've never had problems with any type of air surges/pulses because proper airbrush use eliminates the problem. Or if you're referring to a pulse from the movement of the pistons themselves then proper maintenance on the compressor keeps something like this at a bare minimum (I've personally never had this as a problem with any diaphram compressor... and I've ran some into the ground!! hehehe if my old D500 could talk!! ).

DEFINATELY keep the moisture trap and pressure regulator on the compressor if it's the same as the double piston model in the picture. By using the pressure regulator you can get some interesting misting and spattering effects without having to mess with your paint mixture ratios...
Click to expand...


I didn't think anybody ever airbrushed without a moisture trap. I have a pistol grip trap that screws right into my brush. Never had an issue with vapor in the paint. Even when I ran one of those tankless compressors, I had a moisture trap.


As fas CO2 tanks are concerned, I don't know if they never have moisture issues. I used to run CO2 on my paintball markers and as soon as the temperature dropped below 60*, we'd start shooting frost. Then everyone would go to remote packs and expansion chambers to allow the CO2 to warm back up. All I'm getting at is that moisture is always a possibility.

-Fred
 
Another member here told me a trick Rick Sternbach has used for many, many years:
He bought a scuba tank. Fills are free or like $1-$2!
 
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