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Can I use an enormous compressor for airbrushing?


waylandsmithy

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I'm in the (very) early stages of choosing an airbrush. It seems like it's an enormously complicated area to research, and I have to admit I'm a little intimidated! Needle sizes, flow rates, pressure settings...what a minefield!

 

My first question is about compressors. In my garage, I have a 100-litre compressor which is in good condition. Can I use this for airbrushing, if I fit a pressure regulator? Or is this a terrible idea? I was thinking of running push-fit lines up to my loft workshop in the garage, and adding a regulator on the end.

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Although I don't airbrush yet, I've looked into using my garage compressor that I use for manly things like blowing up tyres, cleaning out airfilters & cleaning chainsaws, it has a hose reel with 20 metres on it, enough to run it into what will become my new hobby room where the hose will plug into a dryer/de-oiler/regulator on some sort of a stand. noise shouldn't be a problem at that range.

Steve.

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Air is air, the size of the compressor is not important, it just means you have to get the fittings down from windy tool size to Badger or whatever brush you have but as has already been pointed out you really need a pressure regulator & moisture trap & a tank if possible.

As to researching and needle sizes & all that stuff you can do that if you want but if I was you I'd just buy a Badger 200 & crack on with it (KISS) then when you've got the hang of it you can waste your money on the worlds most expensive brush & accessorize it to a week past Sunday but it won't make you any better at airbrushing than the Badger. When Ted Taylor used to do demos at shows people used to ask him all the same questions & he used to humour them with the answers they wanted to hear but he told me the only secret to airbrushing is to fire it up & paint stuff,

cheers,

spad

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You can use a massive compressor. All you need is a Pressure regulator and a big oil / water trap  to drop to the pressure you need. I ran mine from the Base Hangar (Brize Norton) compressor, you won't get much bigger. That can supply enough air for an infinite number, hundreds anyway,  of windy (air) tools Drills, millers, croppers, aircraft lifting jacks , air vacuums  at 200 psi and no pressure drop. It also powered my Aztec at 20 psi. with my own industrial oil/water trap regulator combo to keep air dry.

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12 hours ago, spaddad said:

Air is air, the size of the compressor is not important, it just means you have to get the fittings down from windy tool size to Badger or whatever brush you have but as has already been pointed out you really need a pressure regulator & moisture trap & a tank if possible.

As to researching and needle sizes & all that stuff you can do that if you want but if I was you I'd just buy a Badger 200 & crack on with it (KISS) then when you've got the hang of it you can waste your money on the worlds most expensive brush & accessorize it to a week past Sunday but it won't make you any better at airbrushing than the Badger. When Ted Taylor used to do demos at shows people used to ask him all the same questions & he used to humour them with the answers they wanted to hear but he told me the only secret to airbrushing is to fire it up & paint stuff,

cheers,

spad

Excellent, ta! I think that's pretty great advice: give it a go, rather than just over-thinking it.

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Back in the old days (late 80's, the 90's ) when I was still working at the plant, I had access to the electrical/instrumentation shop. The instrumentation side was a marvelous store of small fittings, tubing, valves and gauges. I found lots of things to put on my compressor. Unfortunately, that's about the same time as children ( 3 of them ) started to arrive along with more forced overtime at work. I never did get a proper exhaust system installed in my room, so have never used the airbrush set-up yet. But, summer's coming and I'm retired, so you never know!

 

 

Chris

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