I’m looking to get an air compressor for my airbrush. I’ve been using the cans of air, but at 9 bucks a can, it is getting costly. So what compressor would you guys recommend? It doesn’t need to look good, or be whisper silent. It just needs to work and not wake up the neighbors. I have a Testors Aztek airbrush if it matters. Any info would be appreciated.
Preferably one with a small reservoir (tank) attached to help kill the pulsing of non-reservoir compressors. I have an Ingersoll-Rand portable (non-reservoir) back in Oz, but go for one that provides the best value for your dollar without being cheap and nasty. Check out what's available in the smaller shop compressors at Wal-Mart or K-Mart if you have the space (read garage) to have it. They normally have a small reservoir attached and you may need to get hold of adaptors for the airbruch At $9.00 a can for propellant you will recoup your costs rather quickly.
Wal-Mart was carrying one a while back that was small and advertized itself as being quiet. It had a reservoir of about 1 to 2 gal capacity and cost about 80 to 90 bucks. I kick myself for not buyinhg it. I have an old one with much larger capacity and a too high noise level. Ear protection is necessary when it is running. I will buy the next small one I encounter. IIRC, Micro-Mart had an attractive unit. Len
2 gallon reservoir models are widely available at under $90 at Target, Wallmart etc. You need not go for the higher priced stuff at Home Depot or Lowes. Anything with pressure up to or over 100 pounds will more than exceed your needs. Make sure you have two gauges, one for the tank and one for the hose. It is advised to get a separate moisture trap, as well. As to noise- depending on availability in your area, I suggest you purchase one in each store, see which is the quietest, and return the others. One Wallmart model I purchased could wake up the dead. MAKE SURE THE COUPLING FITS THE AZTEC AIRBRUSH.
I have a Simair TC200 Gold that came with my laser cutter to be used as an air assist pump for laser cutting. I was amazed at how quiet it is, but found it was not designed for continous duty, and i had to put a brick on the foot pedal to keep it on. I bought a Thomas Pump air/vacuum compressor for the laser, and use the Simair for airbrushing. When relegated to airbrush duty, this little gem excels. Super quiet, the loudest noise you hear is the sound of paint coming out of your airbrush nozzle. Really! It came with everything in the picture, and I was wondering why they sold it as an air assist pump. Probably because a Thomas pump costs $400 and this one is about $250. It's a professional machine and really quiet. For a tiny bit noisier but a lot cheaper compressor, this one from Harbor Freight works well: It's about $80, and don't have a foot switch , and is still very quier, suitable for use in an apartment or where other people are nearby and you can't use a noisy compressor. Some of my friends use this one, and if my Simair ever burns out, (which I doubt it ever will) I'll buy one of these as the price is right.
I got one from sears. Fits aztek. Big ( fine in garage ), loud ( when running), Nice big tank for silent painting. You can look at their website. Just another way to do it. Loco1999
Curn: Also good website with all kinds of air brushes and air compressors at great prices The website is www.bearair.com
I got my compressor at Pep Boys for $50 and a $10 rebate. It's pretty quiet, has a 2 gal tank and two gauges. It shuts itself off when the tank is full. I believe it's a Coleman. It even came with coiled hose and a tire inflater.
I use a 10 gallon air tank that I fill at the local service station with about 120 lbs of air. Lasts a good while. Long enough to paint 2 dozen cars and then some.
