Non "Airbrush Company" compressors?

Most of the stuff at Harbor Freight are cheap knockoffs, and there would be a question about longevity. Now it could be that they work just fine and last for 2 or 3 years, and that might be worth the price of replacements. There is not reason they wouldn't work for airbrushes, as long as they push out air. Airbrushes don't really care where the air comes from, as long as it it clean and dry.

These come up pretty often as a question on the forums, and so far people either haven't bothered to get them, or they haven't come back and gave us a report.

You could be the first!

U use a craftsman air compressor in the garage.  I just turn it way down with a regulator and filter drier.  My airbrush even came with a coupler to connect it to the compressor hose. 

I have a cheapo 2.5hp compressor works well for the last 18mnths, but they are noisy so I just fill up the tank and turn it off. The tank lasts at least 3-4 models in the 1/72- 1/35  ranges. My 350 scale yamato hull took about half the tank

Andrew

Yeah, why overpay? I use a compressor I built myself 15 years ago and it still works. The heart of it is a compressor module hacked out of an old italian refrigerator. Very quiet, capable of high pressures and I got it for free. It sits in an aluminium frame (for free) connected to a pressure switch (another freebie). It's set to maintain pressure in 0.2 - 0.4 MPa range. Ten years ago it started to run a little hot, so I refilled the oil and it was OK again. The air volume is OK for airbrushes up to Paashe VL, the additional air tank is not necessary (the module housing plus extra line length do the compensation) and using Humbrols I didn't have any problems with the oil residue neither. I say you don't get any better compressor even if you pay a lot of money.

With the cheap compressors the problems you SOMETIMES get are lack of spare parts and excessive noise. So if you watch for theese, you should be OK. Happy modelling and have a nice day

Pawel

Neither of my compressors was made by an airbrush company.  I have a Sears general purpose compressor in the garage with a T fitting and a pipe through the wall into my shop.  However, since I have to go upstairs and turn on the compressor when I want to paint, and I am lazy,  I bought a cheapie one-gallon compressor from Menards for fifty bucks.  I put a regulator in the line of the one from the garage so I can adjust pressure from my workbench. I have a dryer/water trap on both lines.

Both work fine as airbrush compressors.  All you need is proper pressure and flow rate.  Airbrushes require very low airflow rate so almost ANY general purpose compressor will put out enough flow rate. Pressure for airbrush is also low compared to what ordinary compressors put out.

Thanks for the replys so far.  From what I've read here, the cheaper compressors are noisier, may not last as long, and probably can't find spare parts.

What I don't understand, however, is why the AB companies give you 1/8 the horsepower, 1/4 - 1/3 of the PSI, and yet charge 3 to 4 times the price of the general purpose compressors?  Are you just paying for the name, or are they really that much quieter, and last longer?

I bought a Work Bench Series air compressor from my local automotive parts store.  I picked up the reduction valve and necessary connector at a hobby shop. I have used it for more than 20 years. It is one of the best $125 investments I ever made. 

jschlechty

Thanks for the replys so far.  From what I've read here, the cheaper compressors are noisier, may not last as long, and probably can't find spare parts.

What I don't understand, however, is why the AB companies give you 1/8 the horsepower, 1/4 - 1/3 of the PSI, and yet charge 3 to 4 times the price of the general purpose compressors?  Are you just paying for the name, or are they really that much quieter, and last longer?

I use a Home Depot private branded Campbell-Hausfield compressor. It is noisy, but I overcame that by plumbing a line through the wall into the mancave, and it is in a well ventilated and rainproof box outside. I can barely hear it. It's been there for over four years, now.

The answers to your questions are:

Airbrushes don't need 100 psi and 2 HP. However, I can use my compressor for other purposes than supplying air to my airbrush, something I can't do with a "dedicated" compressor.

Yes, you're paying for the name.

Yes, they are quieter, if you live in an apartment they are a better choice.

They used to, but I suspect that the low end stuff is just that, low end stuff.

jschlechty

What I don't understand, however, is why the AB companies give you 1/8 the horsepower, 1/4 - 1/3 of the PSI, and yet charge 3 to 4 times the price of the general purpose compressors?  Are you just paying for the name, or are they really that much quieter, and last longer?

There are a number of possible answers:

• Low-PSI stuff are easier to adjust finely (might make a difference to the skilled artist), but are harder to make.
• Low sales-volume airbrush-work usually use different standards for connectors etc than high sales-volume general-purpose compressors.
• Airbrush companies are about airbrushes and don't really want to sell compressors (compressors are a totally different product from airbrushes). They offer some, more or less for appearances, at a price that discourage customers from buying them. The customers that do buy them require support and follow-up etc, that the AB companies outsource to compresor suppliers. With an overhead.

And so on and so forth.

DoC

I have been using this Senco PC1010 for about three years now, 1 HP, 1 Gal, and I love it! It's compact, the tank is just the right size for my needs, I can use it for non-AB stuff when I want, and I picked it up new for about $100. Already has a pressure regulator; all I added was a Campbell Hausefiled moisture trap from HD (I have never actually seen any moisture IN the trap). It does make some noise (about 69db I'm told), but nothing so objectionable that I have to move it outside (an AB compressor makes about 49db for comparison). It only runs a couple of minutes to fill the tank anyway and kicks in for a few seconds every now and then to keep it toppped off. No biggie. Even if I lived in an apartment it would be fairly simple to build a little sound-dampening enclosure for it.  It's a heck of a lot more compressor for the money than anything the AB guys sell.

I use a Sears Craftsman compressor, too, 3 gallon tank, 1 HP compressor motor.  I bought it specifically as a dual-use, I can set it to psi settings in the airbrush range (Paasche VL is my brush) but also use it with pneumatic tools, too.

I did think about building my own, as one of the earlier posts described, and as was featured in FSM several years ago, but in the end, I decided that by the time I gathered the components, particularly to track down a motor, it was easier to buy the Sears rig (on sale, of course).

Regards,

Brad

A cheaper and, in my opinion, better option is a 5 or 10 pound CO2 tank. It's silent, and lasts forever. 

It may cost between $50 and $75 to buy the bottle and first fill together, but after that it costs between $10 and $15 to refill. 

It's a great alternative to a mechanical air compressor. 

After considering using a non-AB compressor, I chose an AB compressor.  The reason was that it was (1) quiet (2)  smaller, which was very important to me since I build at different locations in the home (3) all in one package, which included the hose, the water trap, the PSI gauge, and the airbrush holder built into the compressor (4) the smart auto-shutoff, which shuts the compressor down when it senses that I'm not spraying (5) some non-AB compressor carry a strong odor, either of oil or old paint, and (6) less heat build up.

I even considered the CO2 tank, but storage and recertifying the tank every couple of years was an issue.

I bought one of these about 18 mos ago, maybe a bit longer.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93657

They even put it on sale for $59.00 a couple times a year!  I have no problems with it, I shoot either a Badger 100LG or a 155 anthem (so both gravity and siphon feed) with no difficulty. 

I have a 5 gallon Porter Cable shop compressor I use sometimes (during the day), but even in the garage, if I am airbrushing late at night, Wife likes it much better if I use the smaller compressor.  It is about as loud as a sewing machine, and can't be heard in the house with the door between garage and house closed.

Chris

I have 2 compressors I peyed less than 100.00 for both one is a 3gal pancake compressor I bought back in 2005 the other one I got at the NAPA store here in town 80.00 both put out 125lbs of pressure. I just turn down the regulator to around 4lbs and spray spray spray. You should be ok with an off brand compressor.                                       GOOD LUCK  ACESES5  

jschlechty

Thanks for the replys so far.  From what I've read here, the cheaper compressors are noisier, may not last as long, and probably can't find spare parts.

 

The reliability issue may be true of the little accessory compressors, but NOT for the general purpose tank-type compressors.  Many of them have the standard 1700 rpm motors, turn relatively slowly, and last a long time.  For brands like Sears Craftsman and CH you likely WILL be able to find parts, but they are quite reliable.  Look into one of those little portable one gallon tank models.  GP compressors ARE noisy, though compared to some of the quiet airbrush compressors.

I've used the same 3/4 hp Craftsman compressor for over 20 years. There's no tank, but it has a built in regulator with up to 100 lbs. pressure. It cost me about $100 way back then.

CuriousG

I have been using this Senco PC1010 for about three years now, 1 HP, 1 Gal, and I love it! It's compact, the tank is just the right size for my needs, I can use it for non-AB stuff when I want, and I picked it up new for about $100. Already has a pressure regulator; all I added was a Campbell Hausefiled moisture trap from HD (I have never actually seen any moisture IN the trap). It does make some noise (about 69db I'm told), but nothing so objectionable that I have to move it outside (an AB compressor makes about 49db for comparison). It only runs a couple of minutes to fill the tank anyway and kicks in for a few seconds every now and then to keep it toppped off. No biggie. Even if I lived in an apartment it would be fairly simple to build a little sound-dampening enclosure for it.  It's a heck of a lot more compressor for the money than anything the AB guys sell.

I use the exact same compressor. I've never seen any moisture in my trap either. I do drain my tank regularly. I will have moisture in my tank, but hey, I live on the Louisiana coast. My hugemidity is 110% during the dry season. LOL

Plus, you can use it around the house. Works great for airing up the tires. Light weight, easy to carry.

Art

I'm also using the Senco PC1010 compressor.  I did a lot of research before deciding this had the overall best mix of price, performance, size, and noise for my needs.  Got mine for $100 shipped.  It puts out plenty of air for airbrushing, and as mentioned by others, is also useful around the house and garage for topping off tires and other small pneumatic chores.  It's relatively compact and stores away easily in the closet when I'm not using it.  Best of all, compared to typical shop compressors, it's very quiet and the neighbors don't complain (I live in an apartment). Great little compressor, all I needed to do was add a moisture trap and it was ready to go.  Highly recommended.

My Dad had a big ol' compressor with a regulator that he used for airbrushing. I can't remember what brand it is, but it worked well. The trade-off was that it required a garage and was pretty noisy.

If you have some other need for a big compressor, that's the way to go. Otherwise, if I were in the market for a compressor (which might be in the near future), I'd get a good-quality, name-brand, hobby-type compressor.

I have a compressor in the garage with all the attatchments needed to connect my airbrush,  now the compressor regulator is pretty hardcore as in the first number are 0 then 20, 30, etc.  Where should one put the regulated pressure when airbrushing....6 psi is kinda outta the question unless the another regulator involved that i dont know about which is probly true.  Dont mean to hijack the post....just thought this question may fit this thread for general knowledge. 

Ripcord

I have a compressor in the garage with all the attatchments needed to connect my airbrush,  now the compressor regulator is pretty hardcore as in the first number are 0 then 20, 30, etc.  Where should one put the regulated pressure when airbrushing....6 psi is kinda outta the question unless the another regulator involved that i dont know about which is probly true.  Dont mean to hijack the post....just thought this question may fit this thread for general knowledge. 

You need two pressure regulators in your setup. I did that even though I use a "airbrush company compressor" right next to my work bench.

A good pressure regulator is a great asset because we use low pressure for modeling most of the time, between 10-30 psi. Use the garage compressor regulator to get 40-60 psi output, depending on how long your air hose is to the work area. Get a second airbrush style air pressure regulator at your work bench end to get the pressure down to where you need it, say, 17 psi.

Not all the airbrush air pressure regulator are created equal. Get one that says "diaphram type control valve" which will give you accurate adjustment of pressure. Most name brand airbrush company regulator are this type, but they are very expensive at $50-80. I bought a house brand one from TCP Global, aka Airbrush Depot, that works very well for under $30. I also replace the 100 psi, tiny pressure gauge with a larger 2.5", 60 psi pressure gauge. In a good regulator, the pressure reading should not change more than 1 psi when the airbrush is on or off.

Don't get the cheapie kind airbrush regulator which has only a orifice for the air. The control is coarse and the reading fluctuates. Good luck.

Ripcord

I have a compressor in the garage with all the attatchments needed to connect my airbrush,  now the compressor regulator is pretty hardcore as in the first number are 0 then 20, 30, etc.  Where should one put the regulated pressure when airbrushing....6 psi is kinda outta the question unless the another regulator involved that i dont know about which is probly true.  Dont mean to hijack the post....just thought this question may fit this thread for general knowledge. 

You can run a seperate (series) regulator if you need to.  Anyway, to answer your question, regardless of which compressor I use, I run 15 psi for gloss finishes, 20 for flats.

keilau

Ripcord:

I have a compressor in the garage with all the attatchments needed to connect my airbrush,  now the compressor regulator is pretty hardcore as in the first number are 0 then 20, 30, etc.  Where should one put the regulated pressure when airbrushing....6 psi is kinda outta the question unless the another regulator involved that i dont know about which is probly true.  Dont mean to hijack the post....just thought this question may fit this thread for general knowledge. 

 

You need two pressure regulators in your setup. I did that even though I use a "airbrush company compressor" right next to my work bench.

A good pressure regulator is a great asset because we use low pressure for modeling most of the time, between 10-30 psi. Use the garage compressor regulator to get 40-60 psi output, depending on how long your air hose is to the work area. Get a second airbrush style air pressure regulator at your work bench end to get the pressure down to where you need it, say, 17 psi.

Not all the airbrush air pressure regulator are created equal. Get one that says "diaphram type control valve" which will give you accurate adjustment of pressure. Most name brand airbrush company regulator are this type, but they are very expensive at $50-80. I bought a house brand one from TCP Global, aka Airbrush Depot, that works very well for under $30. I also replace the 100 psi, tiny pressure gauge with a larger 2.5", 60 psi pressure gauge. In a good regulator, the pressure reading should not change more than 1 psi when the airbrush is on or off.

Don't get the cheapie kind airbrush regulator which has only a orifice for the air. The control is coarse and the reading fluctuates. Good luck.

I picked up a fairly cheap regulator & moisture trap from Lowe's a couple of years ago, and they work great at low pressure. As a matter of fact, in the pic below, it's set at about 6 psi. It will adjust from 120 psi to 0 psi. For what it's worth, I'm a retired cabinetmaker, I've used compressors & regulators on a daily basis to run air tools and spray finishes for 30+ years.

Art

artabr

I picked up a fairly cheap regulator & moisture trap from Lowe's a couple of years ago, and they work great at low pressure. As a matter of fact, in the pic below, it's set at about 6 psi. It will adjust from 120 psi to 0 psi. For what it's worth, I'm a retired cabinetmaker, I've used compressors & regulators on a daily basis to run air tools and spray finishes for 30+ years.

Art

The tools compressor regulator & moisture trap from hardware store used to be very high quality and can handle high pressures too for safety. It means much better construction than the airbrush type regulator. But with all the cheap imitation from the Far East this days, I will be really careful. Besides, some air tools need oil mist in the air stream for lubrication. Some pressure regulator has a moisture trap looking thing which is actually for adding machine oil to the air. See this example from Habor Freight. Nothing wrong with that except the unknown quality. Adding oil is just the way it was designed to work.

Art, you may want to go on the Lowe's web site to see if your regulator is still available. Information on make/model # will help others on this forum.

Thanks, Keilau, great suggestion.

The Regulator is Lowe's "Kolbalt" brand, Model # KBA 10700AV / Item # 221026. Here's the link to the regulator.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_221026-1126-KBA10700AV_0_?newSearch=true&catalogId=10051&productId=1061251&Ntt=221026&N=0&langId=-1&y=6&x=23&storeId=10151&Ntk=i_products&ddkey=http:SearchCatalogDisplay

The moisture trap won't pull up. It's Kolbalt model # KAB 10600AV / Item # 221024. If you type in the Item #, you get some kinda sink grid.

Anyway, about the only quirk that I've found with this setup is this:

I normally spray at about 25 psi. When I lower the pressure to around 5 psi, I have to keep my finger on the air brush trigger and let air flow through the brush to set the correct pressure. If you just turn the reg. down without bleeding air, when you do hit the trigger you'll quickly find yourself out of air.

I'm probably making this sound like a bigger deal than what it truly is. It takes about 1/2 the time to do than to read the above paragraph.

Art

jschlechty

Have any of you ever used a compressors that were not made by Badger, Iwata, Paasche, etc?

For the record none of those companies make compressors, they just have their name on them.

You usually get what you pay for in compressors and while the ones you are looking at are probably not real reliable, they will work, yes.

I have a Badger Millionaire and a Jun-Air silent compressor and while they are expensive they will last me the rest of my life.

artabr

Anyway, about the only quirk that I've found with this setup is this:

I normally spray at about 25 psi. When I lower the pressure to around 5 psi, I have to keep my finger on the air brush trigger and let air flow through the brush to set the correct pressure. If you just turn the reg. down without bleeding air, when you do hit the trigger you'll quickly find yourself out of air.

I'm probably making this sound like a bigger deal than what it truly is. It takes about 1/2 the time to do than to read the above paragraph.

 

In my work in engineering, I have found that there is one significant evaluation that people do of products or servics, often without knowing it:

Is the product or service worth all the hazzle that is involved in using it?

You might know the idea from the proverb 'the straw that broke the camel's back', which of course has nothing to do with that last straw in particular, but the number of straws the camel already carried.  

Any one hazzle might be tolerable in isolation: Noise, connector, compressor located at the other end of the building, twinky adjustments. But once one starts adding them up and find more than a couple of these factors in the same user context, one might wonder what one actually is doing: Using the compressor, or managing it.

And that's what it comes down to: How much time, effort and nuisance are one willing to accept to make a utility device work, as opposed to using said utility device. The more time and effort is spent on managing the device, the less time for using it. The more specialized stuff might be a bit more expensive, but that must be balanced against the nuisances of using it:

• Is the noise of that compressor such that one uses it only when one is alone at home?
• Are the hazzles of starting the compressor in the garage such that one prefers to watch that re-run of the match one saw yesterday, instead?
• How much skills does it take to adjust the compressor to the desired settings?

It doesn't take too many such nuisance factors until it starts taking a significant part of the fun out of what one really wants to spend time with - modeling.

Again, this is the engineer's way of thinking. Evaluate the primary purpose against the both operational and economical costs of achieving it. An inexpensive device to achieve a goal might save you some investment costs, but that gain is lost very quickly if the operational costs, both in terms of $$$ and operator's hazzle (or all out limitations), are too high.

DoC

Well, asan update last month I bought one of the generic compressors from Harbor Freight.  It was a 1/3 hp, 100 psi with a 2 gal storage tank on sale for $39.99! (had a special coupon for it in Flying magazine...)   I also got the 2 yr replacement warrnaty for an extra 10 bucks so if it fails in the next 2 yrs - just go get a new one.  All this for a tad under $50!

So far I've been very pleased with it.  Yes - it is noisier than the Paasche, but thats the only gripe.  i was able to use the moisture trap from the old one, (could have used the pressure gauge as well, but it came with one on it), and all the attachements work fine.  It's very easy to adjust the pressure on, and its nice to be able to crank it up to 60 psi or more for quick cleaning sessions.  Its nice to have the tank filled up and ready to go at a moments notice.

All in all, I think its a good deal - especially for that price!