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Alright, I have done my reasearch on airbrushes and compressors and have roughly found what I want for airbrushes, but not compressors.

Everbody is saying, "200 PSI and 11LPM etc." I am looking for a compressor and have found a bunch, what I've seen so far is that the PSI on alot of compressors range quite a lot.

So, what does a PSI rating mean, and how will this affect airbrsuhing? Are their any other guidlines I have to follow when looking for compressors? (Ihave heard that I need a piston compressor)

Thanks in advance

PSI is pounds per square inch, it basically your regulated pressure coming out of the compressor. Buying a presure regulator will let you adjust this. Most airbrush work is done with less then 40 psi.

LPM is Liters per minute, which is basically the volume of air that the air compressor compresses.

The only two types of compressors you will see within your size range are piston and diafram (however its really spelled). You want to aim for a piston compressor with is what most of them will be. Oilless should also me a major consideration for you.

My recommendation is to go whatever your local big box home improvement store is and just buy a 5 gallon or less pancake compressor and a fitting reducer. It will be cheaper then a hobby specific compressor but will still do the job equally as well. Also you can use it to fill tires around the house and stuff.

Also consider a Tank on the compressor. The Tank stores compressed air, this means you can use the airbrush continuously as the compressor refills the tank and you have no drop in pressure. If you use your airbrush without a tank as your initially open the action you will get a corresponding drop in pressure until the compressor makes up the shortfall (Anywhere between 0.2 and 3 seconds) depending on the quality of your Compressor. To run a compressor continuously is dangerous and wares it out rapidly, you need a regulator cut out once it has produced the required pressire as well as an over pressure safety valve.

What does this all mean? Get a Compressor with a decent sized tank, moisture trap and regulator (allowing you to modify pressure).

30 PSI is the most you should need.
Reduce to 20 PSI or so for overspraying.
Sometimes 10-15 PSI is used for doing specialist work on models (light spray varnishing).

You should only use your airbrush for 15 seconds at a time to avoid pressure drop off. Giving even a few seconds respite allows the tank to be topped up and an even pressure to be maintained.

Not sure if AUS has cheap big compressors available, but if you can get one at a COSTCO/ WALMART or something do that as it's uses are myriad.

Do, however, consider your living conditions. If you paint at night and live in a packed apartment complex with cardboard walls full of cranky neighbors with small children, running a noisy pancake compressor from the home improvement store might get you into trouble, whereas a dedicated airbrush compressor would likely go unnoticed.

Having researched this myself, a bit (I'd love to get into airbrushing, but finances don't currently allow it), I can't see any real benefit to running a purpose-built airbrush compressor over a general one, aside from noise (provided, that is, that you have a dedicated painting station - airbrush compressors are decidedly smaller and lighter than their industrial cousins, by and large).

Thanks guys!

There is a tank over here 250PSI 11LPM a 3m power lead with 12VDC plug. Judging from what I've seen above I'd say this would be an alright compressor. Can someone elaborate on this.

Does it have a water trap and pressure regulator?

How much?

MaximusPrime wrote:Thanks guys!

There is a tank over here 250PSI 11LPM a 3m power lead with 12VDC plug. Judging from what I've seen above I'd say this would be an alright compressor. Can someone elaborate on this.

Brand is more important really then anything you listed and heres why.

The 250 PSI just meens that this the the maximum regulated pressure that the compressor will put out and is irrelevant for most anything. There are very few things short of pnematic cylinders that require above 100 PSI.

11 LPM is the fill rate of the compressor, this is semi important because the larger the tank and the higher the LPM the less time the pump motor has to run. However beware, unless specified less reputable compressor manufactuers will list their LPM rateing at pressure, sea level. Look instead for a LPM ratesing under pressure. Again though, this isn't that big a deal and wouldn't be a breaking point for me.

12 VDC..... unless you ment to say 120V AC you've found yourself a portable air compressor ment to be run of a car battery.

My adivce is to just find a 5 gallon pancake or portable air compressor and buy a moistor trap and a line reducing fitting. Most decent aircompressors already come with a regulator.