Moisture trap/regulator question...

Since it is rated at only 20 PSI max, why do you want a regulator?

 Tom

First off, the Silentaire Scorpion I doesn't suck, it blows! It's a compressor and shouldn't be confused with a vacuum! All kidding aside, it's an excellent compressor.

The so-called airbrush regulators normally run $30 & up, and typically have a smaller readout 0-60 or so. If you go to your local Harbor Freight, Lowes, Wally World, etc. you can typically find one for $10 that reads from 0-100 or 150. That's the kind I have. Works fine, the smaller scale is a bit hard to read, but so what! I consider regulators necessary tools as too much or too little air pressure can cause huge problems. Different paints, even different colors, can require different pressures.

You should be able to connect that to the moisture trap. It "should" have a standard 1/4" NPT male connector that will fit the regulator (use teflon tape to seal the threads), and you'll need a male to male connector for the other end of the regulator to connect the airbrush hose to.

You could have two moisture traps, but it's overkill. 

Porkbits wrote:

Where can I find a male-to-male connector? PB

If you are going to Harbor Tool, they have some connectors on a wall display, which should be in the same area as the inexpensive filter-regulator.

If they do not have it, I recommend that you go to your local Ace Hardware which should have a full selection of pneumatic fittings in a special section.

Both stores should have the teflon tape to seal the fittings with.

That is where I get mine.

Tom

Porkbits wrote:

I'm guessing there are a lot of male-to-male connectors in the world.... PB

Actually a 1/4" brass pipe nipple would do it, but the special pneumatic fittings have a nice hex on them that you can grip with a small crescent wrench (which you can also get at Harbor Tool, if you need).

Tom

No, that's a quick coupler. Allows you to disconnect and reconnect other tools without shutting off the air flow.  Nice to have, but unless you have multiple air tools, it's not needed. Besides you would still need the 1/4" male to male NPT connector.

I had a heck of a time finding the right pic when I needed to show someone on another thread:

You should be able to find these at any hardware store that sells compressors: Home Depot, Ace Hardware, Wal-Mart, KMart. I searched Harbor Freight but came up empty, which is frustrating. I KNOW they must sell them, and I can find "air tool kits" that show them, but I just can't find the darn things using their search engine!

I have owned a SilentAire Scorpion for 2+ years and could'nt be happier.  I also bought a cheap regulator at Home Depot (I think I spent $14.00) and it works fine.   The part Bgrigg shows is exaclty what I used to attach my regulator.   As he said you should be able to find them at a decent home supply store, and the teflon tape is a good idea also.

Airbrushing is like baking a cake or cooking dinner.

Some days you will simply have a "Bad Airbrush Day".

And as soon as you feel comfortible with a certain product, mixture, etc., the manufacturer will change it and you will have to start all over again.

And just about the time you get the hang of the new stuff, your compresor or airbrush will break, clog, etc. Like the time I went ot clean the nozzle on mine, and the little tip that actually controls the spread pattern fell off into the floor A/C vent, never to be seen again, etc.

That is why you have some people here buying the Harbor Tool gang airbursh sets, etc.

If you are just starting out I suggest one of the single-action, open mixing models you can get from Harbor Tool or Badger (for more money of course) until you get the feel for mixing the paints, etc.:

Tom

I bought that airbrush! Surprisingly it works, not real well, but it works. I've been using it for spraying Future gloss and matte coats. Just don't try to do anything smaller than a 1/2" line. It claims a 1/4", but I've never managed it. I actually bought it for the vinyl hose, as I find the braided lines a bit heavy. 

I just bought a Badger 200-20 single action which will likely supplant it in operation, but it's a simple and very inexpensive airbrush for a first time user.

Porkbits wrote:

Where can I find a male-to-male connector? PB

Try eHarmony.com.

I wonder why dialing down the pressure triggers the shut down? You would think it would try to turn on.

40 psi is WAY too much air. Gravity fed brush are usually in the 15-20 psi range and siphon fed require another 5 psi IMHO. 

Bgrigg wrote:

I wonder why dialing down the pressure triggers the shut down? You would think it would try to turn on.

It shuts down because it has a shut-off safety pressure switch which prevents the compressor from being dead-headed, or overloaded, for too long a time, thus extending the life of the compressor.

Dead-heading (running it with no air flow) a compressor puts excessive wear on the moving parts and bearings that cycle the piston/diaphragm, as well as on the pistin/diaphragm as well, thus shortening the life of all those items.

Thus, cranking down the pressure further restricts the air flow, which essentially increases the back-pressure to the compressor, giving it a faster build-up to the safety presure shut-off switch, telling it to shut down, which temporarily shuts the unit off until the pressure drops again, due to increased air flow, extending the unit's lifespan.

This helps the manufacturer form getting a lot of prematurely worn or failed compressors while under warrenty.

The only thing is that after a while you might have to replace the pressure switch, which is no big deal.

That is how my new Harbor Tool unit works straight from the factory, with a pre-set regulator and all:

OK?

Tom

Ah, thanks for the explanation. I have a compressor with a tank that shuts down when the pressure reaches maximum, and a regulator at my booth, but since that regulator only controls the pressure out of the tank, it doesn't affect the cut-off. In fact, I tend to use it like a tap and turn off the pressure if I take short breaks. That way I don't have to release the pressure and wait for the tank to refill.

The only other compressor I had was a clone of the D500 Paasche which didn't have a cut off. Then I used a foot switch to turn off the compressor everytime I stopped spraying.

I guess Porkbits' auto shut off is pretty sensitive if a reduction in airflow sets it off. Probably a good thing! 

It should not affect the airbrush spray quality any.

I also have the older Harbor Tool compressor without the shut-off and although it appears to be more rugged, I get tired of having to manually shut it off whenever I stop to clear a clog or something.

Tom

Thanks for the explanation, Tom. I suspected that the cut-off was engaging because the regulator was causing back-pressure, which apparently happens below 20 PSI. If I dial the regulator below 20, the compressor shuts off every five seconds or so. 

Putt-putt-putt-CLICK!-silence-putt-putt-putt-putt-CLICK!-silence-putt-putt-putt...

So I guess the riddle is:

Q: What has two thumbs and can't AB at super-low pressure?

A: THIS GUY.

Which is fine, because I'm not freehanding the camo on my A-10 (using masks suspended with Handi Tak), because I'm an AB newbie.

PB