Tank size on a compressor

usmc1371 wrote:

I'm thinking about getting a new compressor, one with a tank.  My question is this:  do the small tanks (1 gallon) provide a chance for the compressor to stop running and rest during an average painting session.  Or, do they just stop the pulsation from the compressor?  By average, I mean spraying at 15 psi and base coating a 1/35th scale tank.

The tank size should match the compressor. Pick a size of tank that can be filled easily by it. A large tank will stress the compressor to fill. Your compressor should have auto-on-off feature which turns off the motor wheneven you stop the airbrush.

I have a Paasche 400 compressor which fills the home built 1-gallon tank to over 90 psi in just over one minute. The compressor has approximately a 50% duty cycle without the tank, which means the motor is on 50% of the time when the airbrush is on continuously. (It does not happen in real life. You use the AB NOT continuously.) With the tank, the cycle time is longer, but duty is still 50%. The tank makes no difference in pulsation because the compressor is pulsation free to begin with.

Adding the tank to the Paasche is a fun project, but quite costly. It is almost impossible to find a check value, not from regular hardware store. It was a long struggle to make the system leak proof. I recommend that you purchase a compressor with builtin tank such as the Sparmax TC5000 or the Iwata PowerJet Pro if you want a tank. BTW, Airbrush Depot does sell a add-on air tank kit for $40 plus shipping from San Diego. 

 

usmc1371 wrote:

Hello everyone, I'm thinking about getting a new compressor, one with a tank.  My question is this:  do the small tanks (1 gallon) provide a chance for the compressor to stop running and rest during an average painting session.  Or, do they just stop the pulsation from the compressor?  By average, I mean spraying at 15 psi and base coating a 1/35th scale tank. Thanks, Jesse

Yes they do and as long as the compressor is running on a 50 % duty cycle (as much time on as off) you are safe. 

I have a 2-gallon tank on mine and use about the same pressure. Mine will last around 10 minutes before turning on again I think, but I've never really timed it while painting. I usually keep the switch turned on and the auto-on/off feature refills the tank when it gets too low, so I don't use the entire tank before refilling. I think the best thing about having a compressor with a tank is that there is no pulsing and there is a constant pressure. I think a 1-gallon should work just fine, it will just refill more often than a 2 gallon. HTH