New Iwata HP-CR!

You'd be surprised how well a medical compressor works for an airbrush. I used one for years because they have a good, consistent, air flow and are relatively quiet. They are also built to be reliable. Finally, they are very cheap. I finally traded up to a SilentAire compressor.

Medical compressor are very common sellers at Ebay. Here are a couple of listings.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5608051166

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sunrise-Medical-DeVilbiss-Compressor-Nebulizer-LT_W0QQitemZ5604659830QQcategoryZ75079QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Edit: You'll like your Iwata. I regularly use my HP-CR and leave the more expensive ABs on the rack.

if noise isn't a huge issue there are compressors at Lowes and Home Depot and Wal Mart for about $60.00 that will run your airbrush just fine. I have one and I don't mind it and have asked my wife several times and she says she doesn't notice it (until she is almost to the point of being asleep and I kick it on ) the $99.00 one Tanky mentioned is probably a bit quieter if you live in an apartment or your wife doesn't like noise. I would compare the noise level of mine to a blender or vacuum cleaner but once full it only kicks on ever 5 min or so for 30 seconds approximately...

QUOTE: Originally posted by jdh351 Thanks for advice! I will have to wait some time before I can afford a good air compressor. I would like to buy one in the 50-100 range of price. Has anyone seen any good deals lately>? Thanks in advance..

the badger garage sale has some for 99$ i believe. they are good compressors. I have an Iwata silent compressor which works beautifully and comes with a build in moisture trap and regulator but is a bit pricey (300$).

Thanks for advice!
I will have to wait some time before I can afford a good air compressor. I would like to buy one in the 50-100 range of price. Has anyone seen any good deals lately>? Thanks in advance..

Tanky - The BCS is siphon fed and has a .35mm needle, the CR is gravity fed with a .5mm needle. I think the revolution is considered the economy version of the HP series of brushes but looking at the parts list the only real difference is the cutaway handle and of course the larger needle/nozzle combo.

I decided on the CR as I spray acrylics mostly and with bigger pigment sizes I thought the .5mm nozzle would work better. I might get a CS later but I am unsure, like I said 99% of what I spray is acrylics.

I might hold off on the CS as they are making the .35mm needle/nozzle for the CR and it's supposed to be out soon, I might get the optional cutaway handle but I don't see a need for it yet. Maybe once I get into the german mottle camo on the FW-190 I will change my mind

---edit---

after looking at the parts list again the head of the CS is longer than the CR as well, it is a three piece job and the CR is two piece counting the crown.

Yeah, i'd say go straight for the compressor as well. Testors and badger both make good propel cans. The iwata's are great brushes! you can get good results out of them in no time.

just as a question are the hp-cr brushes a step above or below the hp-bcs?

jdh - congrats! My wife recently bought me the same brush, you;ll like it.

Any hobby type popellant will work, you'll just have to buy and appropriate adapter to be able to screw it to the 1/4" couping at the end of the airhose, I am sure www.dixieart.com has one on their site somewhere.

As far as being ok, it will work for you, but spraying with a propel can and a compressor are somewhat different. At first they act exactly the same but as you spray, the can will get cold and the pressure will drop. So you will have a tapering pressure which will cause a few problems but if you let it warm back up it will go back to spraying full pressure.

Badger, Testors and a few other companies make the cans and I **think** they are all the same fitting on top (better check first) and as I said earlier, you will need some type of adaptor that screws onto the top of the can that can also connect to the airhose.

I wouldn't waste too much money on the propel as it is rather expensive... anywhere from $7 to $10 a can.. 6 cans could buy you a hardware store compressor that would work for modeling just fine as well as practice. (And run a nail gun to build your wife a nice deck to thank her for buying you that airbrush! )