Pressure regulators

IMHO regulators are required, but if you have the little blue compressor Testor sells it barely puts out enough air to begin with. You might want to save up some money and buy a more robust compressor before you get the regulator!

Regulators are just taps for air. The gauge assists you in dialing the proper pressure for painting. Too little and the paint doesn't atomize, too much and the paint dries before it gets to the model.

Pressure regulators run the gamut from expensive to cheap. "Proper" airbrushing regulators show a scale that is from 0-30 psi or 0-50 psi and are IMHO expensive. I use a cheap (under $10) regulator like this one that comes from Harbor Freight. The scale goes up to 160 psi, but I use only a small portion of it for airbrushing.

Typically they use 1/4" NPT threads. Mine came with two "female" connections, which allowed me to connect my compressor hose to the inlet side, but I needed a "male to male" connector to attach my airbrush hose to the outlet side. The one pictured at HF looks to have the right connectors out of the box.

This one comes with both moisture trap and regulator, and requires the connectors I mentioned above. It's a pretty good deal, but where would you mount it on your compressor?

How much pressure is required because this thing has a warning stating not to use anything that cant handle up to 50psi. I didnt imagine it would take more than that.

How much is required for what? What thing?

Sorry im just spouting off here. The compressor has a warning label on it advising not to use any tools that cannot handle up to 50psi. So I imagined with that warning label at some point the compressor must put out at least half that pressure or the warning would not be necessary

Ah, okay then.

Depending on the kind of airbrush you have, somewhere between 10 & 30 psi. Typically gravity fed airbrushes work best with model paints between 12-20 psi, and siphon fed from 15-25 psi. Metal bodied airbrushes can withstand 50 psi or even more. I have both kinds of airbrushes and typically am dialing in my reg somewhere between 15-20 psi, and crank up the pressure to 50 psi when cleaning.

Try here. Scroll down to the Paashe regulator, $33.20:

regulators

Check out Bear-air, too. 

Ross,

You'll have to convince me how the $33.20 (+ Shipping!) regulator is better than the $14.95 one from Harbor Freight. I'm thinking Paasche makes a small fortune off the sales of theirs!

Bill

Bill,

There's an old Roman proverb: Caveat emptor. Harbor Freight sometimes has fantastic deals…and sometimes the freight has been in the harbor too long, sometimes actually in the harbor, as opposed to on the dock. My basic opinion of them is that I am willing to take a chance on wasting my money vs. a fantastic bargain. OTOH, I know the Paasche will give decades of service and do a pink bunny act.

There's a Triarian proverb: The only tool you can afford is the best tool you can find. I have verified this through painful experience, both to my physical person and to my wallet.

I normally subscribe to that proverb as well, and have tasted the wrong side of caveat emptor many times, but I have the $10 regulator on my booth and so far so good.

Umm…Bill? The regulator usually is attached to your air supply, not the exhaust system…

Sigh, it's MOUNTED to my booth.