Got the airbrush. Now I just need... everything else!

somenewguy wrote:

I picked up my Paasche VL box set yesterday from my LHS for $195AUD, but I'm still shopping for the compressor/air tank/regulator/moisture trap (do the last come with the compressor and are air tanks necessary?), paints, lacquers, primer/s, other airbrush solvents, ventilation (cheap?), respirator and what not. It may be a month or so before I can begin practicing on random crap, double that before I start on a model. Any suggestions? Cheers

What? It didn't come with skill? Oh, that's it - send it back

Just look around for what you can get in your price range. Most of that can be found on compressor packages at discount & automotive stores.

You should seriously consider using a CO2 tank instead of a compressor.  You can get them from welding supply and maybe beverage supply places.  Basically you pay to fill it and they let you have the tank or maybe charge a nominal fee for the tank.  Then you just need an adaptor and pressure regulator with a suitable guage ( low range, from beverage supply).  They last a long time if you get the 20 pounder, and it's completely silent.

Bunnings and motor mate have cheap ($50-$ 150) compressors with tanks and often regulators.

Brands vary from time to time/shipment but the quality  seems to be OK from batch to batch/brand to brand. MY mate bought on one month, brand A and  got one later brand B. Different pant job and decals but more or less the same compressor for the sma e price wth mnor aeshtic changes. Eg different wheel mounts.

If I recall correctly mine was about $90 with 30L tank, regulator and dual outets. You need then to buy hose/fittingss to suit and moisture trap.

Be aware though these are noisy workshop compressors, but they are about one thid the price of a quiet compressor from a hobby shop - or at least they were when I got mineabout 15 months ago. 

mate,

if the SA LHS's are anything like the QLD ones, it's worth looking at a Sparmax compressor - everybody seems to stock them.  They come in two colours, Gold and Silver, i think the silver has a higher PSI output.  I've got the gold one and it works a treat.

Very quiet and with built in moisture trap and regulator.  I doesn't have a reservoir tank (ie to hold already compressed air), but that doesn't seem to bother me.  I've seen some with reservoir for similar price (i think they're about $180), but they were just too noisy, so i choose the Sparmax instead.

I've got the Paasche H box set, now wishing I had forked out for the V instead.

As for ventilation, i have a proper painter's dual cartridge mask, they're about $25 from Mitre 10 or Bunnings.  I also paint in the garage with doors open and fans going, to expel all the vapours.

As for paints, i use either gunze acrylics or tamiya acrylics and just use their own brand of thinner.  I just use a flat light grey as a primer.

hope it helps.

cml

My personal recommendation is to get a compressor like this 

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00915310000P?keyword=air+compressor

It has a tank, so you don't need to constantly run the compressor, plus it has a built in regulator.  All you need to do is add in a moisture trap and you're set.

With your ventilation, don't go cheap.  While you can probably build one from parts at the hardware store, by the time you build one that provides sufficient airflow, you could have bought a prebuilt on ebay.

You're much better off saving up the money needed to get a decent booth, than cheaping out and risking your health.

-Fred