Airbrush Compressor Question

[raildogg]

Not sure if this is in the right place ,so. I have a Badger Crescendo airbrush, how much air do I need for good quality finishes using acrylics only? I have seen some nice compressors for cheap but I'm not sure what I really need for my gun. Some I've seen have, .7 /. 8 cfm's and, 20 / 25 Ltr's/min.Comment welcome.

Edited September 23, 2012 by raildogg

[Harry P.]

From the Iwata website:

Q: How much air is necessary to operate an airbrush?

A: 0.5 cubic feet of air per minute (cfm) at 30 pounds per square inch (psi) will propel an airbrush. You can work at lower or higher pressures, depending on the materials sprayed and the effects desired, but the cfm requirement generally remains the same.

http://www.iwata-medea.com/index.php/support/faqs_air_sources_and_compressors

[moparmagiclives]

It all depends on how thin your paint is and what tip your using, the badger compressor I have will dead head at about 35 psi. It's worked great so far for lots of different paints.

Practice, practice, practice !!!

[raildogg]

Hey thanks just what I needed.

[eizzle]

I spray just about everything at 14-16 psi. I have a small 2 gallon compressor I got for free from a friend that upgraded and didn't want it anymore.

[raildogg]

Yaa, What about on of those ones for doing finger nails? They are really low priced but usually rated in litres per minute. How can I tell if it's enough to shot stuff like Tamiya. Valajio, or AK acrylics. Anyways what do you guys think of those finger nail rigs?

[crazyjim]

Experts here told me to purchase a compressor that has an air tank on it.

[Harry P.]

Experts here told me to purchase a compressor that has an air tank on it.

Not necessarily. A tankless "silent" compressor (they're not actually silent, but pretty quiet) is perfectly fine for airbrushing model car parts. You don't need a big compressor with a storage tank to airbrush model cars. Painting real cars, yes... painting little model cars, no.

[jbwelda]

but i was under the impression that having a tank vs using air right out of the compressor eliminated the surging of the air and therefore the paint. with a tank you are running with a constant flow and pressure.

[Chief Joseph]

Some of the real cheap airbrush compressors will pulse as the little piston pumps air and it can make painting a chore. I have a cheap WR Brown compressor from the early 80's that pulses badly, making it almost impossible to do things like fine lines. I still use it occasionally, and when I do, I attach a long (about 12' or 15') 3/8" airhose between the compressor and the regulator to act as an air reservoir. Presto! No pulsing and I can paint with no problems from the cheap compressor. I suppose a simple buffer tank could be made from a short length of 2" PCV pipe to serve the same function.

[Guest G Holding]

I have and use both....each has its plusses and minuses.

[raildogg]

O.K. I think I'll get one of those for nail and cake art and will add a small reserve tank, a 12" length of 4" dia. PVC stopped at both ends to guard againted the pulseing. I also have a 5 gal.Craftsman tank I sometimes used as an air source but it empties quickly. Comments

[raildogg]

Re this. How about I get a small low noise compressor and feed it into my 5 gal. tank as a buffer for pulsing? Comment on this, I'm ready to pop for one today or tomorrow.

[Chief Joseph]

That will work, but you'll have to wait for the 5-gal tank to come up to pressure before you can paint.

[Fat Brian]

Why are you trying to cobble together a workable setup? You can get a workable oiless pancake compressor from Harbor Freight for around $50. Just put on a regulator, filter, and water separator and you will be good to go, you will still need all of that stuff with the other setup anyway.

[eizzle]

You can get silent airbrush compressors with tanks, check out airbrushcity.com they have them.

[Roncla]

Go to YouTube and type in air brush compressor review. There is plenty of videos of these compressors so you can get an idea of noise and features.

[Harry P.]

Why are you trying to cobble together a workable setup? You can get a workable oiless pancake compressor from Harbor Freight for around $50. Just put on a regulator, filter, and water separator and you will be good to go, you will still need all of that stuff with the other setup anyway.

I agree. Why make a big complicated issue out of something simple?

[raildogg]

Yes you are all correct,often I miss the obvious. I really love this site, you guys are always right on. Thank you

[Dr. Cranky]

Here's the one I've been using for the last 5 years or longer, although I have an industrial sized DeWalt and another big one that gives me all the pressure I would ever need, but this one is the one of contant use. It's portable, fairly quiet, and totally reliable as it produces up to 45psi without any problems.

[jbwelda]

i got one from harbor freight for 50$ and its well worth it. noiseless? no, not by a long shot but other than that it is just what you need.

[raildogg]

Well guys I got me an Iwata clone. One that has, a tank and a case, like the Iwata one but without the hefty cost. I don't do a lot of airbrushing but, it'll be nice not to have to go down into a freezing garage this winter.

[Guest G Holding]

Very Kool Richard !! Now remember rule # 1 for airbrushes. CLEAN AFTER USE!!

Sounds easy and it is...always keep it clean, you will shoot some fine paint jobs!