The Dreaded Airbrush Question

[stainless001 2933xp 3]

Alright folks, so, I’ve been doing some research for the past week and I swear I’m none the wiser.

I’ve found an airbrush that is well recommended so I’m squared away there, the only thing is, I have no idea what to do compressor-wise.

I’ve watched countless videos, read countless reviews and guides and there seems to be no consensus.

I’ve seen some folks swearing by something like this: https://elementgames.co.uk/sparmax-arism-compressor

But then in some comments etc the say about how it doesn’t have a tank or that it’ll only run for X amount on minutes before it auto cuts off to cool down and folks in the comments then talk about how it’s so expensive and how you should go for something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Badger-BA1000-Airbrush-Compressor/dp/B0076ZLGFK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1549372399&sr=8-3&keywords=badger+airbrush+compressor

But equally people then say in THOSE comments ‘ah well you can really adjust the pressure as easily’ etc etc.

 

So, fellow Beasts, please help a brother out. In essence I’m looking for a compressor that’ll do the job, I don’t want to rob a bank to pay for it, something that’ll allow me to adjust pressure to get some nice details, work with an Iwata airbrush and ideally not break a week after getting it.

Answers on a postcard…

[nogginthenog 3472xp 0]

A tank makes things a lot easier. Its less stress on the compressor, and it provides a more reliable pressure for your brush.

It also means the motor shuts down for a while, the ones that are constantly on get annoying after a few spray sessions.

The cheap tanked compressors on ebay seem to work well, lots of people use them and they deliver. For adjusting pressure, you can buy in-line regulators for a £5 to £8 that sit on the airbrush end so you can adjust as you spray, should that be an issue for you at any point.

I have a sparmax with a tank, and that has been utterly reliable for over 5 years now, but they are a bit spendy, I’d go for the cheaper option and put the most money into the airbrush itself.

[seldon9 12954xp 0]

I’ve used this compressor for several years now:
https://www.modellingtools.co.uk/little-jet-compressor-3441-p.asp

I’m fortunate enough to live close enough to the supplier to have been able to go over and check their stuff out. Noise was my priority and while I was all set to buy their compressor with a cylinder the vendor convinced that this was the better option for me. Not often the seller persuades you to the cheaper option.

It’s done the job fine. Consistent air pressure and no faults. It’s cut out once due to heat and I regularly do sessions over the course of 2-4 hours.

I don’t doubt that a compressor with a cylinder will last longer but this one has run for several years and didn’t disturb the sleep of either my wife or two children when they were babies. Like I said, noise was the primary reason holding me back from buying.

If analysis paralysis has got you bad just get whatever’s in your budget and push on with airbrushing. If you get the bug you’ll upgrade to something better using an excuse like it’ll help you run a nail gun and other DIY tools 😉

@nakchak / @timchubb wrote an article about making your own compressor. Not sure where that is offhand.

[onlyonepinman 18060xp 0]

I got an Iwata Silver Jet and it’s fine.  It will run for at least 30 minutes without cool down and honestly I haven’t airbrushed for 30 minutes solid before switching colour.  It’s really easy to use and adjusting pressure is a simple turn of a dial.  I guess it depends on what your definition of breaking the bank is.

[oriskany 60771xp 1]

Good afternoon @stainless001 ~

Community legend @nakchak and I collaborated with me a few years back on the salient points of air compressors in our hobby.  And when I say we collaborated, I mean he did 80% of the writing and I pretty much just helped composite some of the graphics.

There are some great tips in these articles I hop you may find useful.

PART ONE

PART TWO

PART THREE

Personally I use a Model TC-20T – Professional High Performance Single-Piston Airbrush Air Compressor with Air Storage Tank, Regulator, Gauge & Water Trap Filter.  Works well with my Badger Renegade.   Is very quiet for the neighbors (I live on the second floor of an apartment, so sound goes right through the floor downstairs).  It will go for a good 60-90 minutes before it gets too hot and shuts off automatically so it doesn’t damage itself (turns back on 20 minutes later after it’s had a chance to cool).

TC-20T

 

 

 

[soldadoParticipant 5903xp 0]

I bought and tend to recommend the airbrush kits that come with the AS-186 compressors off’ve ebay or amazon. nice little work horses that do the job.

 

They come in fairly cheap, the tanks a good size and Ive used and abused mine for 3 years now without any issues.

[m30wm1x 2318xp 1]

All good comments so far. Gettin a compressorwith a storage tank is worth it as the motor and piston are stressed less and you’ll get a better delivery of air as you have a stored buffer instead of a pulsed shove direct from the compressor.

If you’ve already got an airbrush you’ll not need the kit, but I can thouroughly recommend

https://www.everythingairbrush.com/airbrushing-kits-brand/value-kit-range/harder-steenbeck-kits/ab-as-186-airbrushing-kit-with-ultra-2-in-1-airbrush.html

Everything I’ve had off the site is great and if you have any questions they have a good CS response as well.

 

Also, dont forget you’ll need to get cleaner and brushes. Probably at least a quarter of the time is cleaning the damned thing so it keeps working properly.

[zoidpinhead 12488xp 0]

I’ve got the Badger BA1100 which is the compressor and tank together rather than just the compressor only BA1000.  I would recommend what I use (i.e. the model with tank) as this helps with consistency of airflow if you are doing finer work and as several people have already said it takes a bit of the strain off the compressor motor.  I’ve found this setup to be very reliable and hasn’t caused me a moment’s concern over the two years I’ve been running it.

Best of luck with your new setup.  It made a huge difference to my painiting to include airbrushed steps over relying only on rattle cans or brushes.  Zenith highlighting is a godsend.

[stainless001 2933xp 0]

@oriskany do you have any UK links to that compressor? The shipping to the UK is $208 which is a tad steep.

Basically it seems that I don’t need to spend the £500 quid on some top of the range Iwata compressor which from what the internet was saying seemed like it was what people had to do.

[oriskany 60771xp 1]

Well, @stainless001 – there’s this one from Amazon.uk .

TC-20T UK?

Hopefully that helps.

[damon 7525xp 0]

@stainless001 check out what these guys offer;

https://bartsharp.co.uk

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