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Can any compressor be used for airbrushing models?


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Hi, By any I am mainly referring to non-specialty compressors (Paasche, Badger, Iwata, etc.)  Am I correct that as long as a compressor maintain a constant 10-15 psi it will work?  There are many quieter air compressors at Lowe's and Home Depot.  I've read some on the forums here and there.  I would like to be able to use a nail gun too.

 

Can a moisture trap be put on any air compressor?  From what I can tell they all have some kind of pressure regulator, but I don't know what or how to put on a moisture trap on a non-airbrush-air-compressor.  Thanks.

 

Edit:  After more reading, I think the answer is yes, but I don't know how to do the moisture trap on a non-airbrush compressor.

Edited by PlasticMan
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You can certainly use an airbrush with a larger compressor. 

 

It is just a matter of getting the right fittings. You could get an aibrush regulator, and make it easy removable by using a quick disconnect fitting, for example.  With quick disconnects, you can quickly attach a different hose for inflating tires, using a nail gun, whatever. 

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I used to use a nail gun compressor, but I got tired of the noise. There's no incentive to make a tool gun compressor quiet. I now have an Iwata Power Jet and it's so much quieter, and I'm so much happier.

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1 minute ago, PlasticMan said:

Is the airbrush regulator different from the pressure regulator that comes stick on the compressor?

 

It will allow for more precise adjustment, and the gauge is more precise.  An airbrush will require a bit more finesse than an impact wrench. that being said, you can start with the built in regulator, and if it works for you, then you can forego an additional regulator. 

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9 hours ago, Kurt H. said:

You can certainly use an airbrush with a larger compressor. 

 

It is just a matter of getting the right fittings. You could get an aibrush regulator, and make it easy removable by using a quick disconnect fitting, for example.  With quick disconnects, you can quickly attach a different hose for inflating tires, using a nail gun, whatever. 

Like Kurt said, it is a matter of getting the right fittings/hoses.  I run one of these quiet California air tools compressors for both garage work and basement air brushing.  I have a dedicated airbrush hose with appropriate fitting in basement, going to a regulator/water trap coincidentally mounted with iwatas spray out pot on iwata's dual AB holder. 

 

The aluminum tanked compressor is light enough to carry around as needed.  it might be on the hairy edge of professional use for nailing, but for a home hobbyist, I feel it is well rounded for a nice price.  

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I've got a 60gal upright compressor I got from Lowes. I run a lot of airtools that are not modeling related. It's noisy but I never have to run it while I'm airbrushing. The sixty gal tank @ 125psi is a heck of a lot of stored air. I just regulate down for the airbrush.

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1 hour ago, ytsejam87 said:

Like Kurt said, it is a matter of getting the right fittings/hoses.  I run one of these quiet California air tools compressors for both garage work and basement air brushing.  I have a dedicated airbrush hose with appropriate fitting in basement, going to a regulator/water trap coincidentally mounted with iwatas spray out pot on iwata's dual AB holder. 

 

The aluminum tanked compressor is light enough to carry around as needed.  it might be on the hairy edge of professional use for nailing, but for a home hobbyist, I feel it is well rounded for a nice price.  

 

Does this mean the regulator is attached to the hose inline?  I wasn't sure what you meant.  Maybe one day you could post a picture?  I was looking at that same compressor.  

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Indeed it does. 

Attached to the Compressor QD, I have a QD adapter on a iwata braided AB hose. 

This hose is then connected to the input of the regulator/trap (similar to this one).    

From there, the output is then connected to another iwata hose with the eventual end terminated with a AB QD.  

 

if you go down the route of a regulator/trap, get one that includes a mounting bracket (like the linked above.)  I had a bear of a time finding a bracket that would work with my regulator.    

 

I will try to post a pic sometime this weekend.  I haven't ever post pics anywhere on the intertubes, so it will be a good chance for me to learn!

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On ‎1‎/‎3‎/‎2019 at 8:42 PM, PlasticMan said:

Hi, By any I am mainly referring to non-specialty compressors (Paasche, Badger, Iwata, etc.)  Am I correct that as long as a compressor maintain a constant 10-15 psi it will work?  There are many quieter air compressors at Lowe's and Home Depot.  I've read some on the forums here and there.  I would like to be able to use a nail gun too.

 

Can a moisture trap be put on any air compressor?  From what I can tell they all have some kind of pressure regulator, but I don't know what or how to put on a moisture trap on a non-airbrush-air-compressor.  Thanks.

 

Edit:  After more reading, I think the answer is yes, but I don't know how to do the moisture trap on a non-airbrush compressor.

In theory, yes, you can use just about anything. But you would want an ultra quiet compressor to be productive and keep family harmony. Ultra quiet compressor used to cost hundred of dollars. But you can now find ultra quiet compressor in regular hardware store that is quite good for just a little over $100. Do not get the cheap compressor whose noise can bring down a house. "California Air Tools" was a good brand a few years ago and may still be. Google "ultra quiet compressor" to see what people say now.

 

The California Air Tools CAT-1P1060S Light & Quiet Portable Air Compressor is a good compromise among quietness, performance and cost.

Edited by Kei Lau
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I used to have a Sears compressor with an 8 Gal tank. Noisy as hell, but the tank was big enough that it didn't run too often when in use for airbrushing. Other than the noise, it was fine for airbrushing, and it powered my pneumatic tools.

Now I have an Iwata Power Jet Pro. Expensive, but quiet and it has two connectors with separate pressure regulators. It was worth every penny I spent on it. Have had it about 7 years and it is as quiet as the day I bought it. You get what you pay for. 

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On 1/4/2019 at 5:42 AM, PlasticMan said:

Am I correct that as long as a compressor maintain a constant 10-15 psi it will work?

I use an Iwata Ninja Jet (the simplest compressor) that’s works at 1-15 psi - the pressure regulator stays in middle position and an airflow is well and suitable for all my needs.

 

On 1/4/2019 at 5:42 AM, PlasticMan said:

Can a moisture trap be put on any air compressor?

The compressors without an air storage tanks don’t needs the moisture trap at all.

 

Cheers! 🙂

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On 1/14/2019 at 12:10 AM, Nikolay Polyakov said:

The compressors without an air storage tanks don’t needs the moisture trap at all.

 

I don't know that that is necessarily true. I think you can still get condensation in the line between the compressor and the airbrush. Experts may know more about this. I would play it safe and at least have an inline moister trap.

Edited by Mstor
correct spelling error
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6 hours ago, Mstor said:

I don't know that that is necessarily true. I think you can still can condensation in the line between the compressor and the airbrush.

Yes, probably I can. But after a short (15-20 minutes) sessions it’s doesn’t appeared. Also, the trigger on my double-action airbrush is pressed when the compressor is on, because a compressor hasn’t an automatic switch-off feature.

 

4 hours ago, dnl42 said:

You should have a water trap. I live in usually dry Southern Cal, and my Iwata compressor, which doesn't have a tank, has water in the trap after most sessions.

I think it’s depends on humidity. Anyway, I don’t say that have a moisture trap is the bad idea, so I can consider buying it.

 

Thanks guys! 🤝

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  • 2 months later...
On 1/15/2019 at 11:22 AM, Mstor said:

 

I don't know that that is necessarily true. I think you can still get condensation in the line between the compressor and the airbrush. Experts may know more about this. I would play it safe and at least have an inline moister trap.

Any time you compress air, moisture is created. The only way to avoid this, is to have zero percent humidity, which is pretty much impossible unless you live in death valley. The compressor that have no tank are usually for road side tire inflation, where water is not a huge concern.

 

Cheers!

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On 1/4/2019 at 10:42 AM, PlasticMan said:

 

Edit:  After more reading, I think the answer is yes, but I don't know how to do the moisture trap on a non-airbrush compressor

It just flashed in my head just this second, and some of you will get a kick out of this. You knew a guy that was not very well off and did not have money for a compressor, but that didn't stop him. He actually rigged up an airbrush using and old tire that he would inflate to some god knows exploding tired pressure, run the line thru a window and what do you know, he had the quietiest airbrush/compressor in history. Downside though, he had to learn to work with a bit of speed, no wasted blasts, running out of air at a bad time was probably not much fun.

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An air tank is apparently a great way to get dry air for airbrushing. I'm sure some people here could tell you exactly what's needed if you asked in an appropriately titled thread.

 

FWIW, the old VW Beetle used an air-pressure bleed from the spare tire to power the windshield washer. IIRC, there was a valve in the bleed line that made sure air was only bled off above a certain pressure.

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On 4/7/2019 at 12:30 PM, habu2 said:

Ummm, that’s not how it works.... 

Ok, and do you mind explaining? I have used compressors for most of my life, and as the air has always had water in it, the water is separated from what I guess is pretty simple. You can't compress water. So when you compress air, the water vapor is forced out as the air gets pressed harder and harder. I am no scientist guru, but I would be dollars to anything, donuts/gold, you name it, that unless you have pure air at zero percent humidity, water will be separated because of this rule, or something similar regarding the water in the air via humidity.

 

But thanks for your input, it was fascinating and helpful!

 

Anthony

 

EDIT: If the dew point of the incoming air is high enough, this will cause the water vapor to condense upon compression.

 

Thats funny, the very first answer that popped up when I did a search. Just like LPG, which is forced to become a liquid and remain very cold without refrigeration. It remain cold because of pressure, because it has a boiling point well below that of water, which is why it turns almost instantly back into a gas when released into the atmosphere.

 

But I again, am not an expert, commom sense gave me the direction, forcing me to check on that, just proved my common sense is still working.

Edited by Stalker6recon
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Anthony, 

 

Indeed, I read your earlier (from april 1) comment the way you just explained your point.

 

However, I think the comment(habu2, correct me if I am wrong), was more of a comment on semantics.  The moisture (water vapor, humidity...and so on) was already there, as part of the ambient air, so it couldn't have been "created" (by the compressor).  

 

JoeB

 

 

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15 hours ago, ytsejam87 said:

it couldn't have been "created" (by the compressor).   

Well as we all know, matter/energy can not be created of destroyed, only transformed. Such is the case of the water that is quite literally squeezed out of the air during the compression phase, which is unavoidable unless under laboratory conditions. So you guess a better way to say it is the water vapor that is collected during the compression phase, is merely a byproduct or side effect. The best way to avoid a sloppy mess is to have a vapor condenser just before the compressed air reaches the airbrush. While some compressors come with a water vapor trap, if you live in a high humility climate, it is probably best to add the second water trap in the air hose as a precautionary measure to help prevent that annoying water spray that can ruin a perfectly good paint job.

 

Anthony

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On 4/7/2019 at 6:59 AM, dnl42 said:

FWIW, the old VW Beetle used an air-pressure bleed from the spare tire to power the windshield washer. IIRC, there was a valve in the bleed line that made sure air was only bled off above a certain pressure. 

Now that is pretty clever.... reminds me of another European trick used in the 70's and 80's by Volvo. They used to (maybe still do) put the spare tire on top of the engine to act as a crash cushion of sorts. Not sure how effective it was, but still a creative way to help protect those inside from a head on collision, before the airbag was created. If my memory serves, the early airbags used solid rocket fuel, like that of the space shuttle in order to inflate the bags that rapidly. Of course they learned that small people and grabbed did not fair well, getting punched in the face by a NASA shuttle booster.

 

Anthony

 

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