Tamiya Spray Work Basic Compressor set

I'm in Guelph.

 Lots of places to get adapters here... just trying to figure out which one. It seems it SHOULD be 7.2vdc and 1400-1700ma, (based on the battery it uses) which pin positive I'm not sure but being a pump it shouldnt matter. What do you think?

 Thanks, Don

donm668 wrote:

Dwight,  Can you please post the specifications of the AC adapter? I've been trying to find one but I may have to use a universal unit. (mA, which pin is positive, voltage etc.) They are not available in canada.  Don

Don, where in Canada are you? Princess Auto has alot of different adapters. Starting at about 2 bucks and up.

Dwight,

 Can you please post the specifications of the AC adapter? I've been trying to find one but I may have to use a universal unit. (mA, which pin is positive, voltage etc.)

They are not available in canada.

 Don

I have the Tamiya set but instead of a battery pack I am using an AC adaptor. The set comes with a connection terminal for that. It is a good compressor although it has no regulator or mosture trap.

A 'normal' compressor is plugged in to the mains supply of your house, and gives you unlimited spraying time, although some cut out automatically after 20 minutes to prevent overheating of the motor. I rarely spray for more than 10 minutes at a time anyway, so it's not a problem.

If you do decide to get a mains operated compressor, make sure it has a pressure regulator. My Tamiya compressor doesn't, which I found was a big disadvantage.

What is a 'normal' compressor? Does it use direct A/C power?

I don't particularly care about spraying time and all that, because I know I won't be spraying all day long and most of work comes from handbrushing anyway...I plan to use it like I'm using a spray can, except that this 'spray can' won't be disposable and I get to keep it after I use it. And best of all, I get to choose what color and how glossy I want the color to be!

I bought a similar setup to the one you describe, but I've since replaced it with a 'normal' compressor and airbrush. I found it easy to use, but the limited spraying time of the battery power was a disadvantage. Once you hear the motor noise drop a bit, it's time to clean out the airbrush - you've got about 3-5 minutes of power left.

Phil_H wrote:

bulletkid wrote: I hope ur not being literal there ^. Near enough to literal.

^ By literal, I meant to comment on the 'one-minute' usage of the airbrush. You don't think Tamiya specially made the airbrush to work for just over 60 seconds do you?

Anyway...

Say I wanna buy a good brand airbrush set along with a decent compressor that cost around the price of a Tamiya Spray-Work set and the batteries...

Can you link me to a best-for-value set?

bulletkid wrote:

I hope ur not being literal there ^.

Near enough to literal. The discharge characteristics of a typical NiCad or NiMH battery are such that it will deliver full voltage for nearly the full length of the discharge cycle and then drop sharply when the charge has been expended, rather than  start at the nominal voltage and drop gradually (at a more or less constant rate) as "disposable" batteries do..

For basic maintenance/cleaning, read MusicCity's tutorial on airbrush cleaning

Whether you go with the Tamiya brush or another brand, it will need maintenance and cleaning, and the basic principles are the same.

Phil_H wrote:

One minute you're happily spraying away and the next minute the battery goes flat and you have paint drying in your airbrush. (Run time will vary depending on the capacity of the battery pack)

I hope ur not being literal there ^.

Thx for the info anyway,

Actually, I have some experience in RC'ing and modelling, but all that was a long time ago and I've long since given my R/C car to a fellow friend of mine (sadly, those included the batteries and charger).

In the modelling scene, I used to handbrush my models, and I don't invest on those really big 1:72/ 1: 10 model types...my current one now is just a 1: 48 scale and uses minimum color. Since I haven't tried airbrushing before, I figured this would be a good time to see if I'm any good at it =).

I would get a better compressor and airbrush (I know the current Tamiya model arn't exactly the best in the market), but I haven't really got a clue as to even its maintenance to start with. So until I'm convinced that I even like using an airbrush, I'll stick with the basics first.

This is where u guys come into the picture.hehe;)

btw...since we're on topic( and this question keeps bugging in my head): How do you clean an airbrush?

It should work fine with any brand of RC battery "stick pack". In fact, you may find a cheaper alternate brand battery which delivers a longer running time than the "genuine" Tamiya packs.

The battery connectors on a typical stick pack are standard - indeed, in the RC world, they are universally known as "Tamiya connectors" .

Of course the problem with batteries is that they run down and they need to be charged. One minute you're happily spraying away and the next minute the battery goes flat and you have paint drying in your airbrush. (Run time will vary depending on the capacity of the battery pack)

Ideally you would have a number of batteries and a means of charging them. This means either a slow charger (mains powered) which charges the battery in (typically) 8+ hours or a "fast" charger (which runs off a 12VDC power supply eg. car battery) which will charge a stick pack in about 20-30 mins (depending on the output of the battery). And of course this adds extra cost, if you're not already an RC'er who already has the equipment (and from your post it sounds like you're not).

By the time you fork out sufficient $$$ for the Tamiya setup, you could have had a brand-name airbrush and compressor (I note that the RRP of the Tamiya Spray-Work setup on your link above is $147.00)