Would this Air Compressor work?

radiofrog · Post by **radiofrog** » Fri Oct 08, 2010 1:45 pm

I want to get started using an airbrush, but I have zero experience with one. So, ignorant question #1: would THIS compressor be okay to use?

USS Atlantis · Post by **USS Atlantis** » Fri Oct 08, 2010 2:11 pm

That's the exact one I use

Be sure to get two things

Regulator - yes it comes with one, but it's not all that great

Filter - this keeps water out of the air-line

HF has an all-in-one unit HERE that will do the job

You'll also need fittings to reduce the 1/4" outlet on the regulator to the in on the airbrush - any hobby shop with a decent airbrush selection and accessories should have that

Leif_G · Post by **Leif_G** » Fri Oct 08, 2010 2:30 pm

Looks a lot better than my air compressor. Mine's an elephant. No foolin'.

http://www.accesstattoo.com/Portable-Ta ... phant.html

Leif

radiofrog · Post by **radiofrog** » Fri Oct 08, 2010 2:52 pm

Thanks for the quick responses!

USS Atlantis wrote:That's the exact one I use

Be sure to get two things

HF has an all-in-one unit HERE that will do the job

You'll also need fittings to reduce the 1/4" outlet on the regulator to the in on the airbrush - any hobby shop with a decent airbrush selection and accessories should have that

Okay, good to know. However, that starts bringing the price up. Might I be better off just getting something like THIS?

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Fri Oct 08, 2010 3:03 pm

IIRC the pancake compressor is quieter.

radiofrog · Post by **radiofrog** » Fri Oct 08, 2010 5:58 pm

Thanks, Kylwell. As I'm in an apartment now, that's VERY significant.

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Fri Oct 08, 2010 6:32 pm

If you've got a Harbor Fright near you it usually doesn't take much to get them to plug them in for you to see how they sound.

ExarKun77 · Post by **ExarKun77** » Sat Oct 09, 2010 9:20 am

Same pb here with the noise.
They could add an indication of the product's loudness in the technical details.

@ radiofrog: if you really want a quiet compressor, you have to look for compressors with oil, but we're not talking the same prices AT ALL, and the maintenance is heavier on these.

JasonJDF · Post by **JasonJDF** » Wed Nov 17, 2010 4:45 pm

If you are really concerned about sound levels you might want to consider CO2. Last month at my local IPMS meeting we had an airbrush demonstration and a CO2 tank was used instead of a compressor. HF sells a 20-pound tank for around $90US. You still have to get the manifold/regulators and air hose adapters which I found locally for around $60US and refills are about $20US. The initial investment is probably more but the guy doing the demo said there are considerable benefits:
It is quiet. It is completely dry so no filter/moisture trap is needed. One tank lasts both him and his wife over a year, and he and his wife are heavy modelers doing about two models per month each. He also said he has used it with all types and manufacturers of paints and airbrushes with no issues in compatibility or performance.

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Wed Nov 17, 2010 5:32 pm

When I got my first a/b I had no compressor. Just an air tank. I'd drive down to the gas station and fill it up.

I do not miss doing that.

Then there's the joy of finding a gasses store open on a weekend when you need to fill your CO2 tank up.

gg_duce · Post by **gg_duce** » Wed Nov 17, 2010 5:59 pm

What about those cans of air (and I don't mean Perri-Air like in Spaceballs)?

Probably don't get much out of those, huh?

kenlilly106 · Post by **kenlilly106** » Wed Nov 17, 2010 7:09 pm

gg_duce wrote:What about those cans of air (and I don't mean Perri-Air like in Spaceballs)?

Probably don't get much out of those, huh?

No, plus they can get expensive quickly.

Ken

Wug · Post by **Wug** » Thu Nov 18, 2010 3:05 am

Hi radiofrog,

I bought one of those last week after my old compressor threw a rod. So far, I've airbrushed with the HF pancake once and I'm happy with it.

First, read the instructions pdf on the HF web site. They're different than the instructions that ship with the compressor. The web instructions recommend a 30 minute break-in period. Open the regulator all the way and run it at zero pressure for 30 minutes.

Second, Find an HF coupon. With the coupon the compressor is 39.99. Check your newspaper and automobile magazines. Mine was in the September or October issue of Automobile magazine. If you can't find a magazine with the compressor coupon, the HF ad should have a 20% off coupon too.

I don't like noise so I put the compressor in a different room behind a closed door and ran an air hose to my old air tank and regulator. This worked great.

Mike

eeun · Post by **eeun** » Thu Nov 18, 2010 12:35 pm

radiofrog wrote:Okay, good to know. However, that starts bringing the price up. Might I be better off just getting something like THIS?

Nice thing about your first choice is the tank. I've got a 5-gallon tank on mine, and I let it fill up, shut the power off, and airbrush in silence until I have to fill the tank again. When you're airbrushing at 10-ish PSI, 5 gallons of 100 PSI air lasts a long time!

Another advantage of the tanks is I've never had a moisture problem.
It was a real issue with my previous tankless compressor, thanks to my work area being in the basement.

...and I can use air tools with it.