Compressor Problems

I'm not familiar with your compressor, but if it doesn't have an air tank then the pulsing is pretty typical of smaller piston type compressors. An air tank gives you a reservoir of compressed air and eliminates the pulsing. You can pick up a small tank & fittings at some hardware stores. You will need a pressure regulator & moisture trap on the tank outlet, with the compressor on the inlet. If it does have an air tank, then I would say you have a defective unit.

Rick;

Thanks for the info. One of the modelers at the hobby store that I purchased the comressor at assured me that there should be no pulsing with the unit. So I am wondering if I am doing something wrong.

Mike

Actually, the piston compressors do not pulsate like that, it is the diaphragm models that pulsate. That Aztek is a diaphragm compressor so what you need is a small air tank as Rick mentioned. If you can find a small air tank or even an old fire extinguisher bottle you can put a T-fitting in it and run your compressor into one end of it and hook your airbrush to the other end and it will smooth out the airflow.

Mike

Guys;

Thanks again for all the info. If Home Depot or Lowe's carries this kind of equipment I will give it a try, or I will just spring for a piston compressor or the AC 500 with a tank already. Thanks.

Mike

Mike,

If you have an Ebay account there are some awesome deals there right now on Whisper Jet compressors for less than half of what you paid for that Aztek.
If you don't want to buy that way then there are many good choices out there.
The Createx Intruder 2000 is supposed to be a good unit and sells for probably less than you paid for that Aztek. The shipping is free from Dixie also:
http://dixieart.com/TC2000.html

If you don't mind the noise or can put the compressor in another location and run an airhose to where you paint then an industrial compressor like Sears sells is always a good bet as they will last for many years. You could even fill the tank and shut it off and use it to paint anything you need as the bigger air tanks will hold enough air to spray for a long time without running again.

Let us know if you have any other questions and we will be glad to help if we can.

Mike

Looking on the home depot site I found a Husky compressor with a 4 Gal tank. Does anyone have any experience using this for airbrushing? What kind of adaptors might I need to fit the airbrush hose?

I think Husky compressors are actually made by Campbell Hausfield, at least I saw one that was virtually identical to my CH compressor. I've only had it about 6 months, but have no complaints so far other than the noise. They are NOT quiet!

As Mike said, you can let the tank fill, shut it off, and paint from the air in the tank. When the pressure gets down around 20 psi just fire it up again and let it fill. They have pressure switches on them that will autmoatically turn the motor on, but on my 150 psi (140 psi in the tank) compressor the motor comes on at about 120 psi in the tank. Since I paint at about 15 I just turn it off so it doesn't crank up automatically. I can usually get about 30-45 minutes of actual spraying from my 5-gallon tank until I have to let it fill again.

The compressor will have 1/4" NPT threads on it. If you have the vinyl Badger hose you'll need an adapter to take the hose from whatever that little Badger size is (about 1/8"). Badger makes them, and the part number is 50-023 (you can see it here: http://www.badgerairbrush.com/access2.htm). If you have the braided hose it already has 1/4" NPT fittings on one end. You'll probably also want to get a 1/4" NPT male and female quick disconnect fittings so you can just plug the hose into the compressor. You might also want to get a 50' air hose so you can put the compressor outside .

I have the Husky w/ 1.5 gallon tank. The one encased in red plastic. That helps muffle it a little, but it's still pretty loud. I still use it indoors though (not for painting though, I paint in the garage) and it doesn't bother anyone. I use it in my room with the door shut. It all depends on one's living situation I suppose. The dogs had to get used to it though. lol If you ever want to ward off a 63 lb. pit bull, just spray some air towards him.

I like the Husky because it can be used for household chores (depending on the size, of course) and it comes with several attachments. I had to buy a moisture trap and some connector accessories, but for a grand total of about $125.00, I'm more than satisfied. I hope this helps you some. Cheers, -Spencer

Hey guys;

Thanks for all the help. I decided to go with the Husky, and I am very pleased with it. I picked one up with a 3 gallon tank for $80 at Home Depot.

I now realize why the hobby compressors are more expensive. You are definitely paying for size and noise reduction, but all in all, the Husky is not loud, just not quiet. I would describe it more as being noticeable, but not annoying. Plus, I don't often model on the go, and I have plenty of room in the garage where I am forced to do all my airbrushing anyways.

Thanks again for all your help!

Mike

Plus they have enough volume and pressure to do other things like air up your car tires, blow cobwebs out of your garage, and all sorts of useful chores! Glad you found one you like.

That's a bargain Mike. I got mine for $99 about a month ago. I tested the decibel levels and decided on this one:

It's perfect for my needs at the moment and supposedly the scfm @ 40 psi is 3.0 and at 90 psi, 2.0. I have yet to use any nailers with it though. I imagine it would be good for weekend projects and maybe even small trim jobs. I might try my buddy's framing gun on her one day just to see... Who knows?