What size tank?

sounds good to me. my compressor has a 2 gallon tank and it does what it's supposed to.

store air and keep the water out of my airbrush.

5 will probably work. I have a 2 gallon tank on my compressor and wish I had bought one with a 5 gallon tank. 2 gallons is just too small to let me finish most projects without having to use the compressor (and it is not one of those quiet ones).

But does it have a drain valve? You need to have a drain valve to remove water condensation buildup from the holding tank. I have seen some of their bargain tools, some aren't worth the gas to drive to look at or pickup.

Good thought on that.  I bought a drill vise from them once ... I wasn't impressed but have liked everything else.

I have the compressor and the airbrush.  I just didn't know tanks could come with the compressor but haven't found a place that sells a dedicated tank.  Any ideas?

Panther F wrote:

I have the compressor and the airbrush.  I just didn't know tanks could come with the compressor but haven't found a place that sells a dedicated tank.  Any ideas?

What compressor do you use? When you were talking about the 5 gallons tank, I presume that you have one of the garage type compressor with tank and it is too noisy. You want to fill a portable tank to take the air inside to work with your model in quietness.

It will take an airbrush compressor forever to fill the 5 gallons tank. If you have an airbrush compressor, AIRBRUSH-DEPOT does have a retrofit half-gallon tank kit for the compressor. Search for "Item Number: ABD ET-20".

You can also buy a 0.5 gallon or larger air tanks for car/truck airhorn or airbrake. They can be made of aluminum or stainless steel which will not rust. But they are expensive. Adding an air tank from scratch to a compressor is not as easy as it may sound. I know because I did it. It may be easier if you purchase the ET-20 kit.

Not sure about the reason you want to add the tank. If you have pulsation problem with your compressor, a tank may help, but will not solve the root of the problem. You are better off finding an pulsation-free compressor. There are many good choices for less than $150. Dig out your July 2008 issue of the FSM to read the review on compressors. You can see that a tank is NOT necessary for steady air if you get a good compressor.

 

 

Here's something to keep in mind: how long does it take to fill the tank?  A lot of times, I'm only airbrushing for about 10 minutes.  Having to wait for a 5 gallon tank to fill would be rather annoying if I'm only painting for 10 minutes.  I use a compressor with a small ~1 gallon tank.  It fills in about a minute.  In 10 minutes of painting, it runs maybe once or twice for 30 seconds.  Then again, if you're using the compressor/tank for more than just airbrushing, it might be worth it.  Just some "food" for thought.