Would this be a reasonably good compressor to get for our hobby.. I understand that to paint camouflages, you have to have air pressure control to lower the pressure. I have a cery basic one now with no pressure control.. and I only use it to paint basic one color paint jobs

On Amazon site

If you have any better suggestions - preferably not more than $100 - I'd appreciate any thoughts

Hisham

Hisham: You should be able to add a pressure regulator to your compressor. I have a Badger and picked up a pressure regulator from my local hardware store. Don't buy the cheapest. You get what you pay for. However, you can look forward to saving $100 by only buying the pressure regulator. Something you may want to do is increase the diameter of the valve. This will allow for finer adjustment. Just epoxy a slat of metal to the knob.

Take a look at the next one up with the small tank for $89.00,thats the same specs for the one I use.I find it sufficient for the hobby.

Matt.. the one I have I bought from an art store here in Egypt.. I bought a regulator for it online (looks just like the one fitted to the one in the link) plus a bunch of adapters.. but I just couldn't get it to work

Anthony.. that one looks good and the price is good, but that tank looks pretty big and it probably cost an arm and a leg for shipping.

I found some compressors here, but they are sold for inflating car tires and workshops and stuff like that.. can those be used with airbrushes if I can find the right adapters to fit the hose and all that, or are those types of compressors set up to be too powerful for our needs?

Hisham

AFAIK compressors for workshops are feasible. Without being able to see the ones for inflating car tires, I can't advise you.

Anything can be done , it's just how much trouble and money are you willing to go through . Post some pictures so we can see this monster .

Hisham,
Garage and home compressors should do fine, as long as you have a pressure regulator to control the air pressure. I use a tank that has a pressure regulator attached and fill it with the big compressor I have in the garage. I have used the big compressor as well when I paint in the garage. I like the tank as it lasts awhile and is silent, I usually am painting in the middle of the night because of my work hours.

Cheers Rob.

This is one example of the ones they sell for inflating tires in emergencies.. they are 12 volts and you can connect them to the car lighter socket.. I can get a current transformer for it.. but I'm not sure it would the job

Egyptian online store

Hisham

You might also like one of these little units for on-the-fly air pressure control and quick-disconnect airbrush changes (Grex Micro Air Control Valve). Well worth the money.

http://www.chicagoairbrushsupply.com/grmiaircova.html

—mike

Hisham,
I don't think you will have much luck with that one, too small and looks to be a diaphragm type so the air comes in pulses.

Cheers Rob.

Let's come back to this... Can you explain it 'not working'? Maybe provide some photos.

I use a garage style air compressor with an 8 gallon tank that looks exactly like this: http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_21666.jpg

It's loud while it's working, but with an 8 gallon tank, I can get through almost any painting session on a single tank of air, so it's relatively silent.

That said, I also have an old (~15+ year) specific airbrush compressor that I use from time to time.

What I've done is connected quick-disconnects on both, so my regulator and hose transfers between either compressor in seconds. They look like the top 2 bits in this picture: http://www.automationdirect.com/images/overviews/nitra_3-8_fittings_disconnect_300.jpg

Hi,
I agree with all above...
- for a small difference, it will be better if you have a tank for the air
- the 12v car compressor will deliver air in pulses, which will affect the paint flow
- the big garage compressors are fine for the hobby as well... except for the noise

I have been using a 24 liter garage compressor for years, the only problems are the size and the noise during the one or two minutes it takes to load. If you have room and do not care about noise, they are an affordable and easy to get option.

Lately I have thought about replacing mine because of said inconvenients, but some reviews of the smaller ones say it gets hot after some use. And the really silent and good ones go over $250... so I will keep it for the moment

Hope it helps,

Carlos

My small compressor definitely gets hot after continuous use. It also doesn't like to pump against a wall, so I have a bleed screw to let 'some' air out to reduce the work it's doing. That's before the regulator though, so I can still maintain pressure.

You are haft way around the globe , that makes it hard to recommend anything , and whatever we suggest might not be there or will take a long time or you might have to pay tax on when you get it . . How about something second hand ? Have you considered that , maybe a builder or contractor who is retire ring ? What about that route .

Hi Hisham

My advice as follows.

1. don't buy the car tyre inflating compressor. It'll be lightly built for occasional use and as such is going to wear out quickly. Plus as already mentioned it will not give a good flow of air, pulsing away which isn't a problem when filling tyres

2. Go for a model with a tank if you can. They are not that much more expensive than the ones without.

3. Look around for possible second hand ones. The market for airbrushes and compressors dipped considerable when many graphic designers switched over to using Mac's and PC's to do their artwork but just lately the rise in "nail art" for ladies has increased trade considerably. So I'd say look around, I bet there are a few people purchased the equipment thinking it a great business idea only to give it up a short while later with the equipment hardly used. It's the same as we use for modelling.

Do you have Ebay in Eygpt? Loads on the UK one, both secondhand and new.

regards

Alan

While I don't know anything about that particular compressor, it certainly looks the part. It is apparently made for the hobbiest and will provide higher pressure than you will ever need. (I am a firm believer in making sure you have more than you will use. That way you will always have enough.) It does have a regulator, gauge, & water trap built into it. That water trap is all you need to solve the "pulse" problem - it acts as a buffer to the pulses. It also has an automatic on/off switch which will also help.

I say, go for it.

Carlos,
Rather than replacing your compressor, look for something like this:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mintcraft-AT1003L-10-Gallon-Portable-Air-Tank/22587738

I use a setup like that and just fill the tank with my compressor and I have a nice silent air supply.

Cheers Rob.

Thanks for all your input and advice, guys. I don't really know much about air compressors, so you've all been a lot of help

I just have one more question before I go ahead and buy one.. the one with an air tank will cost me a lot more - not with the price itself - but with shipping and handling, and probably with extra charges they'd make me pay here simply because it's larger in size.. so my question is, does the air tank make a huge difference as far as the compressor's performance? I mean, will it be worth all the extra money I'd have to pay to get it, or will the regular one without the air tank do the required job? Mind you, I'm just kind of a "weekend modeller", and I only work on models every so often because of my work schedule.

Thanks again
Hisham

in my opinion air tank is indispensable
In any working condition he allows to have a stabilized air pressure and the correct air flow.
Another advantage is minor engine use and consequential more affidability of the whole system.
I suggest you this company

http://www.mgsc.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=featured&Itemid=101

In Italy the best modellers have his products, not very cheap but at top of quality.
Personally i have M1 model since 2010 and i haven't any kind of problems.

I agree on the importance of an air tank as I added a small 5 gallon tank to my compressor for volume. Cost me about $30 in US new from the hardware store plus fittings. The more constant airflow makes a big difference in control of the paint. I have a water trap as well as the regulator on the compressor. Using Paasche airbrush at higher end pressures with enamels seems to work okay. Shop room has dehumidifier, paint booth, and air conditioning and lighting so no idea how much is really invested over the years. I tell my wife it is all needed stuff, right?

Hisham,

Maybe you could find a local construction contractor and find where they get their compressors.

Cheers Rob.