At some point in most modelers time at the bench, we weigh the pro's and con's of purchasing an airbrush. For those of us that take the leap and purchase one, we also have to think about a reliable air supply to be able to use the airbrush on a regular basis.
I will try to cover the mainline air supplies that should be fairly available to everyone that has an internet connection.
i wont actually include prices as depending where you are located, some of them vary greatly.
this will cover the supplies themselves, you would still need to sort out the fittings, hoses and connectors to fit your situation.
First up:
Canned air
Some of us can find these cans at our local hobby shops, others will have to look online if they think this is the right direction for an air supply.
pros:
light weight
portable
quiet
convenient if you are away from home and still want to get some painting in.
cons:
relatively expensive
does not last long
uneven can pressure
Tire inflation tank:
pros:
Portable
refillable
quiet
properly charged tank can last days if you do not use the airbrush a lot
most come with a form of regulator already on them to bring the pressure into a working range.
Cons:
Bulky
can be relatively expensive
has to be recharged to be able to use frequently
Co2 tank:
pros:
one tank can last months even with frequent use
quiet
cons:
can be expensive
must be professionally refilled
very bulky and heavy
Tankless hobby compressor:
pros:
Small footprint
air on demand
purpose built for the hobby
cons:
loud ( this varies by manufacturer and design , i personally use one of the sparmax units shown below and will say it is the quietest hobby based one i have ever owned )
cheaper units can ' pulsate ' giving uneven flow at the airbrush
cheaper units can also overheat if in high demand situations
General purpose compressors:
pros:
the 'tank' prevents pulsating at the airbrush
most come with regulators already installed to bring the pressure down to a usable range
some models are cheaper than their hobby directed little cousins
cons:
large footprint
very loud
some oil less models generate quite a bit of heat
regardless of which direction you go with your compressor, by the time you are finished and ready to pull the trigger on your airbrush, you want to make sure you have the next 2 items.
Air pressure regulator
This takes whatever output psi from the compressor and allows you to bring it down to a working psi for your airbrush. Some compressors come with them pre installed , for others or the tanks, you will have to provide your own. Look for models that allow you to go down to between 10 and 30 psi. This is the normal working range for most airbrushes depending on the type of paint you are using.
Moisture trap/ Air and water separator
They come in many different shapes and sizes. All that matters is that you have one of these installed somewhere in line between the compressor and the airbrush itself.
There is nothing worse than being almost done with a nice paint job and having a spray of moisture from the compressor make it down the line to ruin all that hard work.
That covers the basics of whats available for air supplies.
if you know of other possibilities that you think deserve to be up here, drop me a line with the form below
thanks for readong
cya soon
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