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I am interested in getting started with an airbrush like many in the hobby are. I have a cheap air compressor which I hate (poor control, sputters, and too damn noisy) and a couple of full CO2 tanks from various other hobbies.

The question is does anyone here use CO2 to power thier airbrush and anything that I should know about? Do I need to use a moister trap like with a typical compressor?

Sounds like a very expensive way to run an airbrush?

It can be expensive, but you will not get any moisture problems, I did this when a engineer friend suggested it.. But after the first can I went back to my compressor and setup of regulators and water traps.. lol..

Wouldn't you get issues with freezing up too?

Never ran into any problems.. It was really stable..

it depends on how fast you use the gas. I know in paintball compressed air is way better then CO2 cuz Co2 condenses moisture as it expands and cools. Plus god help you if you wanna spray that indoors

When I was waiting for my Compressor I had to use it and I would NOT recommend it. Overall, compressors are much easier to use. I had to stop every 10 minutes for an hour or so because the can would freeze and just not work. Overall its much more money at 10-15 dollars a can. It can be nice in a pinch if you have no other options.

Just to make sure we are onthe same page here, I am not talking about the Propel type cans. Rather I have cylinders of gas- 5# and 10# used in fish keeping and beer making (keg, etc). These are like the ones found at a welding supply center.

Once you have the cylindars, the gas isn't that expensive and for beer/fish it lasts for a long time.

I've run across a few historical sites/articles that recommend it (as well as an air compressor).

When i had a pressurised co2 injector in my planted aquarium the gas got expensive fast. Probably much cheaper in the us tho.

I say, try it... If you dont get good results, then switch back

make sure you use it in a very well ventilated area - co2 is dangerous.

I switched over to CO2 after my old diaphram compressor broke down. I wanted something quiet as I paint in the late evenings and live in an apartement that shares walls... There are some compressors that are fairly silent but they come at a fairly high cost. I ended up getting setup on CO2 for about $130 in initial setup fees then a $10 refill at a Carbonic / Airgas / Praxair / Somewhere that fills CO2 station. I bought a 5 gal tank for $60 and a CO2 regulator for about the same from my local Carbonic Services and some brass air fittings (quick release / shutoff valve - you always want redundancy in your system).

The tank first lasted me about 25 hours of spraying time at 20psi. At 20psi I found the tank would cool after about 4 hours of use then you'll notice condensation and the pressure in the tank will start to drop (the colder the CO2 the less PSI it can put out, the more PSI output, the colder the gas gets - you can create dry ice by allowing the CO2 to escape at a very high rate). Also on the tank pressure gauge, it's inaccurate for measuring time left in the tank, you need to weigh CO2 to know the actual amount left.

Using the tank for details at 8-10psi, it lasts for a much longer time... I stopped keeping track at about 35 hours of use at this PSI. I also never experienced any condensation in similarly length sessions (4-5 hours).

Also, regarding warnings about CO2 as a hazard, you'd need to evacuate a VERY large tank to even need to worry about the gas suffocating you. Then, you'd need a fairly air-tight room. Always take precautions with it though, use in a well ventilated area is a good idea (you'll be spraying something with this too!). Also, make sure it's fastened in an upright position - don't let the regulator bump stuff.

Long in the short - it's a very workable solution. I won't go back to compressors in the near future, myself. Look at what you need and look into it more, there's a lot of resources out there on google.

Good luck, hope this helps!

I use a nitrogen cylinder to airbrush and have had great success with it. It doesn't freeze like CO2 and it completely dry. It also helps that I work in the mechanical piping industry so I get the gas for free! Nitrogen isn't that expensive either so if you had to buy it wouldn't be too bad.

Just buy a new aircompressor?

I just picked one up which is pretty quiet and switches off automatically when the airbrush isn't running.

Came with 2 airbrushes as well for £85 about $130 i think?

You can probably find something cheaper still

As with any airbrushing compressor get one with a tank.

The tank isn't there to store air for more use, it's to stop the pulsing/stuttering effect from the compressor. Tank means smother airflow.