General Compressor Questions: Parts and their Features

By C-H I'm supposing Campbell-Hausfeld "Garage" type compressor? I have one with a 3 gallon tank. I suggest buying as big a tank as you can afford. I wish I had bought at least a 5 gallon tank! The bigger the tank, the less the compressor runs, and they are LOUD. You think your humidifier is loud? That's a hum compared to a compressor! A compressor motor is a small piston driven engine, think chain saw loud only without the cool snarly sound. See if the store will let you plug one in and run it for a while. The noise is what puts most people off this style of compressor. Quiet costs big money. An almost completely silent compressor can run upwards of $250.

I keep mine outside, in a box that cuts down on the noise (a little), and run a hose into the house. Absense makes the heart grow fonder, and I love my compressor!

Typically AB require around 10-20 psi. The average pneumatic air tool requires 60-120 psi. You'll need a regulator, really nothing more than a tap with a graduated gauge. Look for one that can read down to 5 psi. 

You "might" need an adapter, but they are available at most places that sell compressors, so that shouldn't be a problem. Just take your hoses with you when you shop.

Compressed air squeezes moisture out of the air, having drops of water spit at your almost completed paint job is annoying to say the least. You want the moisture trap as close to the airbrush as you can. I have a regulator and moisture trap attached to my spray booth and then run a 6' hose from there to my brush.

There are smaller airbrush compressors out there that are fairly cheap, Harbor Freight have a bunch around $80. They're fairly noisy, and produce just enough air pressure to get the job done. But they do get the job done!

I alway promote the garage style compressor myself, but then I'm a tool addict and run pneumatic tools off my compressor as well as airbrushing. You've got to think hard about what you want, that's all!

CO2 tanks are another matter entirely. That's using a large tank filled (at your local welding supply store) with CO2. The cost of the tank and regulators is pretty high, but the refill cost is fairly low. The best thing about CO2 tanks is that they are absolutely quiet. No moving parts means no noise. The only thing you'll hear is the hiss of air coming from the airbrush. The problem with CO2 tanks is that they run out. Typically when you don't want them to. I suppose you could spring for two tanks and rotate them. I do that with my BBQ propane tanks. NO you can't use propane tanks!

Hope you didn't fall asleep!

Thanks a lot for writing such a lengthy and informative reply! After hearing your view and doing my homework, I purchased a C-H FP2048 with 2 gallons on eBay. The reason I didn't go with a larger one is because this one is only $60.00 with shipping! I'll have to see how loud it is, but I live in a house, so it shouldn't be problematic. BTW can I put a topless box over the compressor to dampen the noise?

I build an enclosure for mine, complete with a top. I cut a slot on one side for the electric cord and airhose. It knocks "some" of the noise down, probably in the order of 5-6 decibels. It's a sloppily built box so venting the heat out of it isn't a problem. A better built box would need to be vented, these little compressors can really crank out heat! I have it in an area that doesn't get wet. I keep planning on making a better box and use some leftover rigid foam insulation to dampen out more noise, but frankly I'm too freaking lazy!

I've heard some people have just bought the rigid foam coolers, carved a hole in the side for the hose and used that successfully. I might have to try that, they're certainly cheap enough.

Distance works well too, you should be able to buy a 3/8" x 50' hose for around $20 at a Harbor Freight or similar, you'll be surprised at how quiet something is when it's 40' away!

Yeah... I considered distance, but do not have such a long hose at hand. Frankly, I'm just as lazy as you are to order one!  I will probably put a box over it for now. Thanks again for all the help!