Compressor Pressure Help

Does your compressor have a gauge/water trap in the line or on the compressor? If it does, you should be able to tell if it's the compressor or not.  Most small air pressure compressors run with 15 to 45 lbs of pressure. When the pump is working, it should read the pressure that it's making. Most of them put out at least 55 to 60 lbs. You should be able to run the pump and set the pressure that you need(usually in the 15 to 25Lbs. for the paint your using). If you don't have a gauge/trap attached to the pump, You should go to places like Home Depot or Lowes and get one. They are not expensive and they are very easy to install. If you can't get any more help, try posting this question in the Painting/Airbrushing section of these Forums. The members on there will help you a lot better than me.

jim  

Harbor Freight has the regulator and trap for about $10. You need this part to properly regulate your psi.

I bought a digital in line psi guage at Harbor Freight. It easily installs on the AB air line. It works ok but is not terribly accurate. (ie. Sometimes to get 6psi i hafta set it on 2.5 ) and it's always a guess and every day is different , but it will stay on the same pressure after fiddling with it to get it right. 

I am looking to buy a better more accurate one so I can set it and forget it but that will probably cost 4 times more than the Harbor freight one.  I found out the hard way that an accurate psi guage is totaly necessary for AB ing free hand camo and demarcation lines and such.

Jay

Mine is not digital but it woks very well.

There is also a seperate forum below for painting and airbrushing, and there are often threads on there about the right pressure to use, and on problems with compressors holding pressure.