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Paasche Airbrush Question


Crossiant Oliver

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Absolutely. The only issue might the the hose connecting the brush to the compressor -- I have a Badger airbrush hooked up to an old Paasche D3000 compressor, and it needed a 1/4" male to male connector from my local hardware store before I could screw on the hose.

 

EDIT: Also, what kind of compressor are you looking at?

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You might be better off posting this question in the "Tools & Tips" section which has sub-forums for Air-brushes and compressors.

 

Paul from Little Cars frequents them regularly and is quite an expert in this field.

 

Regards

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I bought an "airbrush compressor" from Harbor Freight. The tools there are very cheap and sutiable for occasional not daily use. The compressor came with a pressure regulator and water trap. I manage to finish 3 to 4 models a year, and it has given me no problems for three years. When it breaks,I will move the regulator and water trap to a higher quality compressor.

 

enjoy the airbrush,

 

Garry c

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What Procopius said and Garry said. Any compressor will work. You may need to get fittings depending on the compressor's outlet, typically 1/4". A pressure regulator is nice, gives you a little more control. If you are in a humid area, the moisture rap is also good to have since you will get condensation in the hose. Go for an relatively inexpensive compressor, such as Gerry recommended from harbor Freight (or similar), you will probably find it to be noisy. Quieter ones are available, but the really silent ones are pricy. I think I got my most recent compressor from California Air Tools although I am still using a silent model purchased many years ago.

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Like the others say, it'll work with anything.  I ran my Paasche VL-1 with a hobby level compressor by Binks for years till a few years ago I finally said why am I still putting up with this old cheap junk I got back in the 1960s when I didn't have any money.  I got one of the really silent ones that is pricey, but being a shrewd old miser I shopped used and picked up a SilentAire from an ad on Craigslist for about half what it cost new and have been totally pleased with it.  This is one of the things that I definitely would shop the used market for (buy a high end product used for the price of a low end product new) and Craigslist is great for that.  Now I need to replace my airbrush.  I've had my VL-1 since I was in college and since I've returned to making models several years ago after a 25 or so year break it's time for a new one. 

 

As to Harbor Freight we had one open in Pasadena where I live and work back in the late 1990s.  My assessment then was it was mostly low grade tools that I wouldn't want to depend on for my work and I've never gone back.  Maybe it's different now, but I'd treat HF with some skepticism.

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2 minutes ago, Niles said:

This is one of the things that I definitely would shop the used market for (buy a high end product used for the price of a low end product new) and Craigslist is great for that.  Now I need to replace my airbrush.  I've had my VL-1 since I was in college and since I've returned to making models several years ago after a 25 or so year break it's time for a new one. 

 

That's how I got my compressor (and airbrush) as well -- I paid $120 for about $300 worth of equipment. However, I think Oliver is, if my memory serves, fourteen, so he may not have the range of purchasing options those of us closer to death have available to us.

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1 minute ago, Procopius said:

 

That's how I got my compressor (and airbrush) as well -- I paid $120 for about $300 worth of equipment. However, I think Oliver is, if my memory serves, fourteen, so he may not have the range of purchasing options those of us closer to death have available to us.

 

Ah!  I didn't realize that Oliver was so young.  When I was reading his Evett's hobby shop post he seemed quite adult.  In that case he may be more dependent on his parents' good graces than those of us of an age whose parents have left us, or as you perceptively say, "closer to death."

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So while I wait for a compressor, I want to finish a air can from when I used the testors amazing airbrush. I tried to fit it and it didn't fit. Anything I can do to fit it? I'll also look into the harbor freight compressor, if I have the time to go to pasedena (or if they have an online store). If that doesn't happen I just find some of these at an art store or michael's crafts and hobby lobby.

 

 

yep also I'm 14, probably the youngest guy on the forums! 

Edited by Crossiant Oliver
Idk I wanted to
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9 minutes ago, Crossiant Oliver said:

So while I wait for a compressor, I want to finish a air can from when I used the testors amazing airbrush. I tried to fit it and it didn't fit. Anything I can do to fit it? I'll also look into the harbor freight compressor, if I have the time to go to pasedena (or if they have an online store). If that doesn't happen I just find some of these at an art store or michael's crafts and hobby lobby.

 

 

yep also I'm 14, probably the youngest guy on the forums! 

Harbor Freight is on-liine.  You may also want to check out some of the auto parts stores.  I have a two gallon compressor that I bought about 8 years ago from Kragen (now O'Reilly) Auto Parts, and it was less expensive than Harbor Freight.

Later,

Dave

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39 minutes ago, Crossiant Oliver said:

yep also I'm 14, probably the youngest guy on the forums! 

 

Good, good, we'll need someone to bury us all and build our stashed kits someday.

 

39 minutes ago, Crossiant Oliver said:

So while I wait for a compressor, I want to finish a air can from when I used the testors amazing airbrush. I tried to fit it and it didn't fit. Anything I can do to fit it? I'll also look into the harbor freight compressor, if I have the time to go to pasedena (or if they have an online store). If that doesn't happen I just find some of these at an art store or michael's crafts and hobby lobby.

 

I've never used an air can or a Paasche airbrush, so take everything that follows with a grain of salt (or wait for someone who knows what they're talking about to show up and ignore me), but I believe propellant cans are more or less generic, whereas Testors airbrush hoses don't seem to have a lot of aftermarket support for other brands. If you don't have a hose for your Paasche, I have a spare Badger hose and propellant adapter I could send you (if so, probably best to send it c/o one of your parents at their workplace, since everyone on the internet is a grotesque weirdo), but you'd need to get a Paasche airbrush to Badger hose adapter. Alternately, you can skip all of that nonsense if your airbrush came with a hose, and just get the Paasche propellant can adapter for it. 

 

As regards a compressor, where you're going to use it is a key factor to consider when you're getting one. When I was first married, I lived with my in-laws for a year (I can't recommend this) while my wife finished graduate school. I was lucky enough to find a quiet compressor second hand, because otherwise I would have routinely woken up my in-laws. Now I have a mighty beast of a compressor from California Air Tools that has a much larger air tank than my first compressor and was much cheaper to boot (but still $130 right out of the box), and while it's advertised as quiet, it's as loud as two drunks fighting when it fills up the tank. If you're going to be airbrushing in, say, your garage, you can get a cheaper compressor that's fairly loud. If you're in an apartment or whatever, you may have to aim for a quieter model, which can get pricey. 

 

EDIT: I might go with something like this for a first compressor, especially if you're working indoors. It's not the best in the world, but the air tank will let you fill it up and then you can spray quietly for a little while, it has most of what you need right out of the gate (pressure regulator, water trap, air tank, etc), and it's $100, which is pricey but not hugely so in the compressor world.

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Hello Crossiant Oliver, 

A compressed air cylinder is a great alternative to a compressor if quiet is a criterion. 

My old Paasche H is still my go to airbrush for fine work. Wear an apron and have fun on the learning curve. 

 

Grant

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I'm not sure what my first AB was, but seem to remember it was a badger. At any rate, I could not afford a compressor so for a few dollars  was able to rig the hose to a spare tire, using the air can adapter. I then used a $5 spare tire compressor to air up the...spare tire. Plugged into the cigarette lighter, it was 12v and I could air the tire from my old VW beetle to about 50 psi and get a session done. No regulator so it was marginally better than a rattle can, but I was learning!

 

my first real compressor was from Sears -- small, with a tank and very noisy, I got it for double duty to keep my car tires inflated and to use my AB. I also hit a regulator and water trap at the same time. Total was about $50, 25 years ago as it was on sale. Still have that setup but its sole job is now tire inflation. 

 

I now have a silent compressor (Iwata?) I purchased 10 years ago on sale at the Nats. It came with a regulator, although it doesn't need one. The pressure is only about 25 psi. I now have 2-3 airbrushes, but my workhorse is the Iwata HP-CS. 

 

Check garage sales (I've seen some compressors there) and don't be afraid to experiment. You've got a lot of years yet in this hobby. 

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13 hours ago, Procopius said:

Good, good, we'll need someone to bury us all and build our stashed kits someday.

 

What?  You're not going to have all your stashed kits buried with you?  What kind of modeler are you anyway?

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Just now, Niles said:

 

What?  You're not going to have all your stashed kits buried with you?  What kind of modeler are you anyway?

 

Mrs. P has strict instructions to scatter my ashes in the English Channel, though she sometimes threatens to keep them for herself and save on airfare in the bargain.

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14 hours ago, Crossiant Oliver said:

So while I wait for a compressor, I want to finish a air can from when I used the testors amazing airbrush. I tried to fit it and it didn't fit. Anything I can do to fit it? I'll also look into the harbor freight compressor, if I have the time to go to pasedena (or if they have an online store). If that doesn't happen I just find some of these at an art store or michael's crafts and hobby lobby.

 

 

I was just thinking, yesterday I was looking at my old Binks compressor that drove my Paasche VL-1 for many years sitting forlornly and unused on a shelf in my shop in Pasadena and wondering whether to just throw it in the rubbish bin or give it to the Salvation Army or what.   When I go in today I'll plug it in and verify that it still works (as I think it does) and if it is working and you can get out to Pasadena to get it I'll give it to you.  It would be something workable until you can get a better compressor.

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6 minutes ago, Procopius said:

Mrs. P has strict instructions to scatter my ashes in the English Channel, though she sometimes threatens to keep them for herself and save on airfare in the bargain.

 

Battle of Britain commemorative ashes, perhaps?

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26 minutes ago, Niles said:

 

I was just thinking, yesterday I was looking at my old Binks compressor that drove my Paasche VL-1 for many years sitting forlornly and unused on a shelf in my shop in Pasadena and wondering whether to just throw it in the rubbish bin or give it to the Salvation Army or what.   When I go in today I'll plug it in and verify that it still works (as I think it does) and if it is working and you can get out to Pasadena to get it I'll give it to you.  It would be something workable until you can get a better compressor.

Maybe leave it at a Salvation Army thrift store and tell me which one, and I'll go buy it, as I don't know who anyone is here and I don't want to meet them in person.

 

(my mom is also looking at compressors too, so let's see what happens)

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My wife gave me a Paasche air brush about 20 years ago , when she saw the price of bottled air @ $10.00 for one large bottle she almost hit the floor . The guy at the hobby shop said if you buy 12 bottles you just paid for a compressor . She decided to get me the compressor to .... problem I had was it was a Badger . I had my concerns about the Badger with the Paasche . Not to worry air is air was all he said you just may need an adapter for the hose to air brush . Today my son uses a Badger brush and I use the same Paasche . The compressor is the same and I have plumed in a Y with two regulator driers off the Y . This way we don't have to keep changing out parts . The only drawback is only one of us can use it at a time . I may be in the market soon for me a new compressor , after 20 years it may soon be headed to the scrap heap . 

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