Need serious advice about compressors and air brushing

[AOJ]

Some days ago, I was talking to a friend about my hobby of GK and scale models. She works in a small art school, and her sister was an airbrushing teacher several years ago. So she thought airbrushing will be helpful for acquiring nice painting finishes, and gave me some material to start learning and then apply skills to painting GKs. It's a pretty old material (10~20yo), but I think it's in a very good shape.



The blue box one is a FEHBE HP 101 airbrush, the green one is a SIKI (?) AB-300. I dunno if this are good airbrushes or suitable for modeling purposes. Do you know this models or brand?



Also gave me some learning books and a Vallejo watercolor paint set (for use with airbrush).

But I need to find a compressor to make it work . I've seen there are mainly 2 types of compressors, with or without a compressed air tank (sorry folks, I don't know how this is is called technically, the place where a compressor stores some liters of compressed air). Which one do you recommend? Can you tell me moreless which technical specs will be required for typical airbrushing? (air pressure, adjustable parameters, capacity, noise, size, etc ...).

Also, apart from this material and some masking tape, what do you think I'll be needing to start the painting job?

Woah so many questions, sorry. If somebody can show me the way a noob should start, I'll be very grateful . Thanks!


PS: I don't know if this is the correct section for this post. Please admins move it wherever you think fits best

[MidZ]

I'm a newbie at AB too, just got my self an AB and Comp set. The AB you got seems OK, I only have a siphon feed cheapo-AB *sigh*, the comp is really LOUD too. Be sure to get a comp with regulator and a water trap!
You can get info about AB supplies at Dixieart.

As for the tech aspect of the craft, I can only repeat what so many people have said to me, "Try it, and Practice at it...a LOT". There is too many parameters in airbrushing, the pressure, viscousity of paint, and that stuff will be different for every people. You just have to go at it and experiment.

[Dr.H]

I've never heard of that AB brand before but they look decent enough.
Almost all small compressors have the SCFM and PSI needed to run an airbrush so most people pick one on how much money their willing to spend.
The basic small hobby ones run all the time, a little better are the "on demand" ones that turn on when you pull the AB trigger, top would be ones with a tank that give you a supply of air before the compressor needs to turn on.
Of these there are compressors that are built to be quiet but they are costly and then industrial compressors which store alot of air and can be very loud but come at a decent price tag.
And finally there are oil and oil free compressors.
The higher end compressors come with a regulator and moisture trap while you'll need to buy those on cheaper models.
So first you have to find compressor best suits your need between cost and sound then we can help you get closer to one that is best for you.
Dixie art is the best place to buy hobby compressors while home depot or amazon is best for industrial compressors.

After that.. for painting you'll need the basics. Hobby Paint, thinner, masking, hand brushes. Depending on what type of paint you plan to use can affect alot of the type of products you'll need. Also whether you plan to can prime or AB your primers.

[Masa]

There are lots of companies that do not manufacture their own airbrushes or compressors. The HP-101 is probably an Olympos brush or copy - it looks exactly like their HP-101 model. Its a gravity feed, side cup, 0.3 mm double action brush. The green one looks like a copy of an Iwata HP-C, also double action, gravity feed, 0.3 mm nozzle, but with a top mounted cup. Either one would work well for our hobby. You just need to figure out which one is more comfortable for you.

The paints, on the other hand, probably won't work as well for model kits. Watercolor paints for airbrush are very transparent, and although they might be useful in some special effects applications, are not well suited for the overall coverage that most kits require. You should save those for illustration work.

The compressor question is harder because there are many more variables involved. Like Doc said, most compressors have enough output for our needs. You need to decide how much noise you will be able to tolerate (or your neighbors for that matter) and how much you are willing to spend.

Silent Oiled Piston - A quality air compressor will last you for a very long time and if you have the means, I would recommend a "Silent" air compressor that is driven by an oiled piston and usually with a small storage tank attached. Very quiet, very efficient, and the compressor only runs when the tank gets low on air. Perfect for us "night owls" who get the urge to paint in the wee hours of the morning. Downside is they are expensive compared to cheaper hobby compressors.

Diaphragm Compressor - Most typical "hobby" compressors are of this type, where there is a motor which turns a crank/piston that moves a flexible membrane back and forth. These types of compressors are inexpensive, but tend to create lots of noise and generate a lot of heat (which can cause condensation problems). Some versions come with a storage tank which helps keep the noise levels down as the compressor only has to run when the tank is low.

Linear Compressor - Very popular in Japan, uses a linear motor to reduce noice and friction. Linear motor pushes and pulls instead of rotating, so there is reduced mechanical noise and the footprint is very small. Cons are that they are moderately expensive and are always "on" while painting.

Again, it really depends on your budget and your needs. If you know what kind of noise levels you can tolerate and how much you are willing to spend, we can help with some particular recommendations of brand and models.

[Zen-Builder]

Adding to what was said.
Expensive does not alway mean better.

I was eyeing a Jun-Air compressor for about $900, only to be told by the staff at my LHS (fellow builders) to go for an Airtex one that costs about $600.

This is my 3rd compressor and I wanted a silent one(it is dead silent too) as I live in an apartment and model in the living room.

HTH.

[AOJ]

Hi guys, thank you for all of your comments . I really appreciate it!

Dixie's looks as a very good shop for the AB enthusiast, maybe I'll buy there in the future. But importing a compressor will ruin my economy, they are very heavy. I better prefer not to ask for shipping costs, it'll be amazingly expensive

After reading all your opinions, I went to take a look at all the art shops and hardware stores in my city, to see which kind of compressors do they have in stock.
Oh forgot to mention, I'm looking for a compressor with a maximum price tag of 150€ (aprox. $200). Well maybe a bit more if it's worth the price difference.


In hardware stores I've seen 2 compressors maybe will be good. The first is an ABAC VENTO OL 195 (piston driven 1.5HP, max pressure 8bar, 6 liter air tank, airflow 0.18m3/min, 15Kg ~ priced at $130). Pretty small, but I don't know if air tank capacity will be enough nor noise generated when compressing air. I really prefer this than the second though.

The second one is an ABAC FC2 24CM (same specs as the other, but oiled piston driven 2HP, 24liter air tank, 0.23m3/min airflow, 26Kg ~ priced at $150). Maybe too big and I suppose noisy, but I think this will be very good, at least looking at the huge tank lol!

You can take a look at the specs here (PDF, pages 3 and 5). I suppose you'll understand the doc, otherwise tell me and I'll translate it.

In the hobby AB stores side, I've found a Chaves 170441 compressor. 1/4HP, 10 liter air tank, automatic start and stop (?), max 100 psi, max 2800RPM (related to noise?). Priced at $185, looks pretty small with a decent air tank. Again I don't know how noisy can be, it's marked as "medium-high" but it seems to be the best compressor found around. More specs and photo here (PDF, page 2)
The 17044 model has no air tank (continuous work "always on", and 1/8 HP), but it's marked as "acceptably low noise". I dunno what to do, but I think it's best to have an air tank. What do you think?

Regarding paints and my desired uses, first of all I'll use AB to paint GKs . But I'll also use it to do some basic paper drawing (I'll save the watercolors for this, thanks for you comment Masa). I have also my acrylic paints used in different modeling plastic kits and resin kits. Do you think it can be suitable for Ab usage? If I thin it, might work properly?

Also I've seen my airbrushes in some shops, not the same brand, but same specs and reference model. Many clones ^_^U. They told me this pair of airbrushes are "an all terrain ones", so I suppose it will work.

Tomorrow I'll continue shop and compressor investigations. Please let me know your thoughts!

Thanks in advance

[Masa]

Although the larger hardware store variety will work, they are almost overkill for hobby applications. If you have somewhere to put it and can tolerate the noise, they might be useable. If you have any doubts - ask them to fire it up for you to demonstrate how loud they are.

The later ones you showed from the hobby shop might be more suited for your needs. Even the "always on" ones can work well if you get an extension cord with an inline switch to turn it on and off when needed. The air tank on the smaller hobby compressors don't really hold much air, and are there to mainly reduce the "pulsation" effect you get with regular piston/diaphragm compressors.

How much are they asking for the Sil-Air 15 compressor? That one is just about perfect. If you aren't in a hurry, you might consider saving up a bit more for that one. The 17044 and the 170441 should do in a pinch, but if you are going that route, you might try out that AC-510 since it should be less expensive than the two that you mentioned. Either way, you will probably have to purchase a separate moisture/water trap.

[AOJ]

Thanks Masa, this afternoon I'll go to a bigger art shop next to my city, to take a deep look at more hobby compressors.

The Sil-Air 15 is tagged at about $400, it's a shame because if you say this will be perfect, I trust you ... but it's too expensive for me :'(
Price difference between an AC-510 and a 17044 is only $20. Looking at more info about the 17044, it's noise level it's marked at 65db and it has an internal membrane to prevent the pulsation effect provoked by the non oiled piston. I only have to know how much time can it be continuously working before exploding . I'll ask it.

I've also found another interesting compressor, the AS-18/2, pretty similar to the 17044 but with manometer and water filter included. 1/5HP, 54db and manual/automatic on-off. $195, nearly the maximum I want to pay. I think this might be the best compressor price/quality speaking in this price range. Do you think so?

Oh, you previously said "should do in a pinch". I don't understand exactly what does it mean, sorry :S. I suppose it means "will work", right?

[Masa]

Originally Posted by AOJ

I've also found another interesting compressor, the AS-18/2, pretty similar to the 17044 but with manometer and water filter included. 1/5HP, 54db and manual/automatic on-off. $195, nearly the maximum I want to pay. I think this might be the best compressor price/quality speaking in this price range. Do you think so?

Sounds like a winner to me. If you don't find anything else in the other hobby/art stores you visit - another option might be some auction sites. I checked on the Spain version of eBay and they had a nice silent compressor for 134 euros.

Good luck with your search!

[MidZ]

That looks like a sure bet AOJ, sure beat my OMG-it-so_f-ing-noisy-1/4 HP-6 lt-manual and auto off-compressor...but heck I pay only $56 for it. Having a cheap compressor is more of a pain too I can only paint when it's daylight.

Good luck on the search! May you got the best bang for your buck!