MikeV help please....

Chris,

No airtank will explode from a compressor like the D-500 you have.

That compressor only puts out about 20-25 psi so any airtank you can find will work. A small 1 gallon tank or so off a truck or even one of those portable airtanks would work although they are bigger than you really need. You could use an old fire extinguisher bottle as some people do, and just put a T-fitting in the top. Connect one end of the T-fitting to your compressor and the other end to your airbrush hose and it will even out the airflow.
I believe Paasche sells a little airpod for this very reason but last I looked they were something like $30-40 or so which is rediculous for what it is.

Mike

you can also use an old freon tank found in the trash pile of any local airconditioning buisness. turn it upside down and open the valve over night and it will empty itself of any left over chemicals. it already has a 1/4 inch male fitting coming out of the bottle. best of all, there free.

Saltydog,

Good advice.

When I had my Paasche D-500 compressor which was about 12 years ago, my dad had an old Sercon R-12 disposable tank that was for refrigerant and he rigged it up with a T-fitting. It worked great and smoothed out the airflow.
Is this the same thing you are talking about?
This tank is about 14" tall and about 12" in diameter.

I still have that old tank and you are welcome to have it Chris if you want to swing on by my house sometime.

Mike

mine is about that size and is the color of british interior green. the only question i have is this, do you not need a pressure switch and a check valve to turn the compressor off? if its a tee, what keeps the air from bypassing the tank? maybe i not getting the whole picture. or chris, you could swing by my house, i just a scosh closer than mike V.

LOL Salty I might just have to do that!

I actually have on empty R-12 or Cylinder in the garage. Never thought about using that but it seems a bit large.

So all I really need to adapt the Freon Jug is a T fitting with a line for air to go into the jug, and a line for air to come out and go through my AB?.....Should I by one with a valve? I mean maybe Im just not thinking clearly and am on the wrong page, but am I trying to fill this jug? I think I have the general idea and understanding of how this would work, but my brain and my visual interpretation of whats being explained just isnt putting 1 and 1 together LOL!

Saltydog,

This setup is not intended to turn the D-500 into a regular compressor with a pressure switch that shuts off when the tank is full, although you could do that with a little ingenuity although It may burn that little compressor up over time.
It is just a way to smooth out the sputtering airflow that you get from diaphragm compressors. Some air will bypass the tank but it will be smoothed out in the end by the steady pressure from the tank itself.
It's a little hard to understand, but trust me it works.

HistoryInScale,

You are not necessarily trying to fill the tank, although it will get some air pressure in it, the idea is that the sputtering air from the compressor goes into the tank and collects somewhat in the tank and then goes back out to your airbrush "smoothed out" as compared to straight from the compressor which sputters badly because of the rubber diaphragm that pulsates in the compressor to produce the air.
Just mount the T-fitting on the top of the tank with the bottom of the 'T' downward. Then you will have two other ends at the top of the 'T' that are inline with each other correct? Now connect an airhose going from your compressor to one side of the 'T' and then connect your airbrush hose to the other side. The air will pump from the compressor into the tank and the tank will act as a buffer to smooth out the air. Try it and let us know if it works.

Mike

Ahhhhhhhhh now its crystal clear Mike thanks. I'll see if I can find the T at Lowes tomorrow hopefully I'll have the setup done by tomorrow evening so I can let you know how it went. I should be able just to pop the old Freon fitting off right? I havent looked at that part yet....

I'm not sure what that freon fitting looks like on yours Chris, but mine has a metal T-fitting on the tank with a plastic T-shaped shutoff valve on top and a 1/4" NPT fitting on the other leg of the T that sticks out to the side if you can visualize what I mean.

Mike

Ooops mine is an R22 jug that has the open/close knob evidently rusted open or closed thanks to our wonderful climate here.....so I might actually have to remove the whole fitting and if that doesnt work then Im going by "The Truck Stop" on Hwy 29 and buying an airtank.

Chris,

It would be great if you could find one like this site has here:

http://www.firestoneairbag.com/website/airaccessorysystemslist-frame.htm

Scroll down to near the bottom of the page and they have a 1/4 gallon tank that is 4" in diameter and 6" long. That would work perfect.

Mike

Just got back from the truck stop.....That one is very close to the one I just ordered. Mine's actually a 2 port 1/2 or 1 gallon I think(Really think its 1/2)price wasnt nearly as bad as I thought it would be either. Should be in By Friday though Roger expects it to be in as early as Wednesday.

Chris,

Awesome!

I can't wait to see if it helps your problem out.

Mike