"QUIET" Compressor advice needed..

I still need to check up on this around here... there are tons of industrial gas places around here so I am sure I could even comparison shop. 

Living Legend wrote:

So how long does a tank last and what does it cost to refill it?

I'm gonna quote Flatlander on this one:

Flatlander wrote:

Just a disclaimer (I was chemman on the old board).  My CO2 use is really based on the complete use of only ONE full tank, which lasted two years.  Since I build about six to ten models per year, I estimate I got about 12 - 20 models out of the tank.  I have used CO2 for years, but my job required me to move regularly, and moving companies won't let you ship compressed gasses.  At least three times I have vented a whole bunch of CO2 right before I moved.  I don't use much CO2 when I paint - I have everything organized, taped down, ready for paint when I start.  Just psssst, psssst, pssst, and I'm finished.  If you do a lot of freehand work or paint complex camo, you might not get as many per tank. Nonetheless, I love my CO2 tank and even if I only got ten models out of a tank, the ease, silence, and cleanliness would be worth $1.50 per model.  I spend that on only one beer, and I needed a lot more beers when I had to face the compressor.  It pays for itself!

So how long does a tank last and what does it cost to refill it?

knight667 wrote:

CO2 tank is the way I went.  $185 completely filled is what I paid for mine.  Less than what my LHS is charging for the Paasche D500SR, actually.  Totally silent, the only sound is the air leaving the airbrush, the paint hitting the model (if you can tell the difference) and the click of the trigger as you paint.  Silence is a thing of beauty...especially when Mozart's on the radio in the background. :)

lol! I can just imagine that. the a/c blaring away while the radio plays mozart number 40 I crack myself up!

There's nothing like a homemade compressor using and fridge compresor. It runs completely silent.

I have a Badger 180-1 that is reasonably quiet.  I certainly wouldn't describe it as silent, but it is quiet enough that you probably wouldn't really disturb others in the next room.  You could probably listen to Mozart reasonably well with the thing running, although it probably would drown out any pianisimo passages.

CO2 tank is the way I went.  $185 completely filled is what I paid for mine.  Less than what my LHS is charging for the Paasche D500SR, actually.  Totally silent, the only sound is the air leaving the airbrush, the paint hitting the model (if you can tell the difference) and the click of the trigger as you paint.  Silence is a thing of beauty...especially when Mozart's on the radio in the background. :)

CO2 tanks. There are so called silent compressors, but they cost an awful lot of money. The CO2 tank is only as loud as the airbrush is.