dawgvet Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Hello, I'm wanting to get back into building models and was looking for tips on how to use my shop compressor for airbrushing. I currently have a 25 gallon Craftsman upright compressor. My plan is to purchase a Badger 155 Anthem airbrush. My compressor currently has a hose with a quick disconnect I use for tools and the built-in regulator. What type of moisture/oil trap do I need? Can I get one that will attach to the end of my current air hose? Do I need to get a better regulator for more precise air pressure adjusting for the airbrush? I may end up just getting a litle Campbell Hausfeld 3 gallon compressor or something similar later but was looking for what I could use with my current compressor. Any help appreciated. Thanks, Jed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoneWolf15 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Graingers sells inline moisture and oil traps . I would suggest a regulator and a gauge close to your airbrush hose also for convenience sake . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longbox55 Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 What type of pump does it have? Oil type or oilless? With a the old oil type compressor (superior to oilless in my opinion) you may want to consider a coalescing filter system in addition to a moisture trap. Use the moisture trap to catch the bulk of the water in the line, then plumb it to the coalescing filter to finish the job. Those filters are a 2 step system, using a coalescing filter to trap any oil that might be in the line, plus a desiccant filter to trap any remaining moisture. I have one on both of my compressors, I get no moisture at all at the business end of the line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 I may end up just getting a litle Campbell Hausfeld 3 gallon compressor or something similar later but was looking for what I could use with my current compressor. Any help appreciated. Thanks, Jed I have one of those (bought at Walmart for well under $100), have used it for over a decade now, and love it. But in your situation, I think you could just add a water trap and a regulator to your rig and drive on. One advantage you have is your large tank. You can fill it when no one is around to complain about the noise, and get a LOT of airbrushing done off the tank silently. I even do that on my "little" rig--I can get one pretty good silent painting session out of the 3-gallon tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 (edited) And since nobody has mentioned this, I will. I learned this doing high-end paint jobs ($10,000 and up) on real cars. Put your water trap as far from the compressor and as close to your airbrush as possible. Compressing air heats it considerably. Hot air holds more moisture as vapor than cooler air. If you put your water trap farther from the compressor, the air in the lines will cool, allowing more moisture to condense, making it easier for the water trap to do its job. Putting a water trap directly on the compressor outlet is pointless. Water vapor in the hot air will pass right through the trap, and on really bad days, I've seen it condense and form water droplets on the surface of the car along with the paint being sprayed. This, of course, ruins the work. For painting 1:1 cars and aircraft, I now pass my air through a modified AC condenser to cool it, followed by my oil and water traps. A pressure regulator at the gun or airbrush is ideal. Edited April 11, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fseva Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 (edited) I currently have a 25 gallon Craftsman upright compressor. My plan is to purchase a Badger 155 Anthem airbrush. My compressor currently has a hose with a quick disconnect I use for tools and the built-in regulator. What type of moisture/oil trap do I need? Can I get one that will attach to the end of my current air hose? Jed, will your airhose work with the Anthem? If so, you can obtain an inline moisture trap made by Badger. However, I still suggest a pressure gauge, and for that I'm going to let others recommend solutions... Edited April 11, 2015 by fseva Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Jed, will your airhose work with the Anthem? You go to the hardware store and get simple fittings, bushings or whatever adapters may be necessary. Everything "works" with everything with a little practical effort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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