Purchasing an air compressor

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Purchasing an air compressor

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 21, 2005 9:32 AM

I quite lucky to live close by to Coast Airbrush Supply in Anaheim, CA. I found allot of good AB advice, and honest deals there. I plan on buying an air compressor for modeling use only, and I like most, I want something that it quiet and durable.
I have been looking at some of the Iwata Compressors, such as the Smart Jet, and Silver Jet. These seem to be a fairly low cost option. Around 80.00-189.00 USD. Does anyone have any comments on the Iwata compressors?

Please do not tell me to buy a home depot compressor, and etc. Angry [:(!]

I would like to buy an Iwata or Silentaire exclusively for modeling and painting R/C car bodies. BTW, I am using the HP-CR...and although I just starting to use it, with propellant, I am loving it so far.

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RichardI

Member since
February 2004
From: Canada

Posted by RichardI on Wednesday, September 21, 2005 10:43 AM

jdh351: the only advice I can give (after making this mistake myself) is to make sure you get one that has a reserve tank. Without that you will get "pulsation" which means that as long as you are requesting air (down on the trigger) you will have a steady flow of air at the pressure you set. Otherwise, you will get a varying amount of air when you first push the trigger down resulting in an uncontrollable amount of paint. Iwata and Silentaire make good ones but there are cheaper alternatives. This is less pronounced in a double action airbrush, but the models witha tank are usually not much more at all.
Rich Cool [8D]

On the bench: 1/48 Revell PBY Catalina 0A-10A. Next up: Moebius 1/24 Chariot from Lost in Space.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 21, 2005 11:43 AM

I use the badger whirlwind II, which is a piston style compressor (ie no reserve tank) and I am perfectly happy with it. I use two airbrushes (badger 175 and aztek A470) and I don't notice any pulsation when painting. If I remove the airbrush from the hose and turn on the compressor, I'll feel the pulsations. But once the airbrush is connect, and I'm painting, I feel just a steady flow of air.

The downside to have a compressor with a tank is that the tank has to fill before using, they are more expensive, take up more room, and you have to worry about the tank rusting out over time.

If I was a professional, I would probably buy a compressor with a tank, but my Badger works great for me. Just be sure to get a regulator.

Jesse

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ABARNE

Member since
February 2003
From: Southern California, USA

Posted by ABARNE on Wednesday, September 21, 2005 2:31 PM

What do the Coast Airbrush people say, and do they have any of the models in which you are interested available of a demo? Richard's point on the need of a tank with respect to obtaining steady air pressure is a valid concern but not necessarily a guarantee. As I mentioned in another thread, my Badger 180-1 tankless diaphram type compressor gives steady air-pressure to the airbrush. Perhaps the Iwata's you're considering would do so as well. How quiet is quiet? I suppose my Badger is reasonably quiet, certainly compared to industrial compressors, but it certainly is not dead silent either.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 21, 2005 3:23 PM

By way of comparison, I did buy a Craftsman air compressor, with a 15 gallon tank (small enough to be on wheels) and use it primarily for modeling. I can also use it to pump up the inflatable pool for my daughter, fix the tire pressure on my car, etc., which are all handy things to be able to do.

I am very happy with my compressor, but it is absolutely too loud to be used indoors. I could possibly fill it up outside and then carry it in, but I never do. All depends on your situation, and it sounds like you know what you need.

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jcheung5150

Member since
January 2005

Posted by jcheung5150 on Friday, September 23, 2005 4:40 PM

i have the Iwata Sprint Jet compressor and am pleased with it. Its fairly quiet, but not silent.
the one thing i would recommend to others is that even though the compressor has a built in moisture trap, you might still want one in your AB line as well. On days when there is a lot of moisture in the air, I've had water squirt out of the AB. luckily, living in SoCal, this normally isn't a problem.
btw, I purchased both my Iwata ABs from Coast Airbrush in Anaheim and the people there are really helpful. I use both the HP-CR and HP-CS and they are great!

Jimmy

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 2:21 PM

A coiled 25 foot length of air hose (heavy duty, Home Depot compressor-style) between the compressor and airbrush airline effectively acts as a "storage tank". Also, it is relatively cheap.

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