home refill for air tank

a 20lbs co2 tank will last you a long time... I use them. The enitial start up cost on one is a tad high for an aluminum tank and regulator but you will have a study silent clean dry air supply. I bought mine from a welding supply shop $270 for tank regulator and first fill
it last for monthes and refills are on average $18 bucks

i think i'll just cash in my tax refund check and buy a compressor

I used to use an old truck spare wheel that was junk. It was great and served my purposes. Since it was a BIG wheel it held alot of air and the local station down the street from me didn't charge for air so I was set. I moved from that house and left it. I bet it's still sitting in the junk pile, LOL!!!!

QUOTE: and it could take you 10-15 minutes to pump 2 gallons to 100psi

You're probably never going to get 100 psi. I could be wrong but I doubt that most foot pumps go much over 30 psi. Even if they do, as Ares pointed out, you are going to spend a long time pumping it up for a couple of minutes of use.

QUOTE: if using air pressure is feasible i'm considering making my own tank out of pvc. glue some endcaps onto a large pipe, add a tire valve stem to fill it, have a pressure gauge sticking out the side, add a nozzle that i coudl screw the airbrush hose onto, voila!

You will need to use something higher density than PVC. Most PVC pipe is rated for around 28 psi, I think. HDPE (high-density polyethelene) is rated for something like 140 psi.

Personally I wouldn't want to be anywhere around a PVC air tank. At some point, maybe the first time, maybe the 1,000th time, it is going to get tired of the flexing and rupture. Assuming that it holds the pressure in the first place, each time you pressurize it, the material is getting flexed outward by the pressure. As the pressure reduces the stress relaxes. This will probably cause the material to eventually fatigue and rupture.

Be smart, be safe. Save your money and get a compressor or get a CO2 tank refilled. These devices are designed to handle pressures, and air pressure is not something to play around with, it is dangerous.

remember a 2gallon compressor can be purchased for 100$ or less. just keep that in mind when you figure parts and labor and all into it.

2 gallons of air last about 1 or 2 coats on a car for me before it wouldnt have enough pressure; and it could take you 10-15 minutes to pump 2 gallons to 100psi. if you can even do it for that matter, it will be a fair amount of force; and most tire fittings arent really set up for it; I find the connection to my bike tire starts to hiss at 35psi.

PVC with screwed and glued end caps should hold... but not the safest thing in the world. moisture could be a problem with no release for it.