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I'm looking to start airbrushing models and want to get a badger renegade rage.
The problem is I have absolutely no idea what compressor to use for it. I really don't want to pay 3 or 4 hundred for a compressor, but don't want some garbage compressor either.
Has anyone had a positive experience with any particular compressor they could share?

you dont want to spend alot of money on a compressor but your buying a badger airbrush??

if want to get into airbrushing its better to invest a bit in an compressor and buy a cheap airbrush first...
once you are getting into it your compressor will still be fine and you can get that cool airbrush you always wanted.

if you buy a good airbrush but get a crappy compressor A) your airbrushing experience will suck B) need to invest in a new compressor sooner C) you will spend more money in the long run...

for a compressor to start with i recommend something along the line of the AS186, its a pretty cheap compressor with a 3ltr tank which will provide pretty constant pressure.

ebay also sells a lot of those "made in china" airbrushes in blue foam... get one of those for like $15-20 to see if you like it, and later on you can always use these for things you dont wanna use your "good" and expensive airbrush for like basecoating or whatever

I woudl suggest the renegade velocity AB and go to harbor frieght and get yourself a 150 dollar 15 gallon compressor, DO NOT GET AN AB COMPRESSOR. They dont have a tank and are very very annoying to use, true theyre quite but they must be contantly on, and adjusting the pressure is even more of a pain

iflywhirlybirds wrote:I woudl suggest the renegade velocity AB and go to harbor frieght and get yourself a 150 dollar 15 gallon compressor, DO NOT GET AN AB COMPRESSOR. They dont have a tank and are very very annoying to use, true theyre quite but they must be contantly on, and adjusting the pressure is even more of a pain

Not true. They make "airbrush compressors" with tanks, I have one sitting under my desk. It's quite enough for my daughter to sit in the room and watch movies on my xBox without being bothered. The tank will give me enough air for 7-10 minutes of painting, depending on my working pressure. I would recommend against get a huge shop compresser because they are large and very noisy. Not something you want under your work desk.

So if noise isn't an issue should I get a huge compressor that can run for ages? I've got about 200 to spend on it so I'm kind of looking in that price range.

Lazarus,

Is it really humid in where you are? If so, you want to make sure that you get a oil-less compressor with a moisture trap. Preferably one with a tank. Otherwise, the heat of the compressor will produce condensation in your air stream and you'll get splattering. Trust me, this was my first experience and it sucked. I could only run my airbrush for about 10 minutes before I would have to stop. You don't want that.

A good moisture trap will run about $20-30 + shipping. Just be aware of the shipping charges (for example Harbor Freight would charge $15 bucks to walk a hand full of washers across the street.). A compressor with a tank will a little more, but it will last pretty much for ever and will produce a stream of cool dry air.

In fact, I have a friend who uses a huge Oxy-Acetylene tank that he fills with air about once a month. He has no compressor! His rig is totally silent and always produces cool dry air. You could find a set up like that at a place that supplies welders for about $200.

I used compressed nitrogen before I got my current compressor because it was free (I work for a mechanical contractor) and quiet, so I agree, compressed gas will work too. However, for clarification, you don't use an oxygen or acetylene cylinder. Gasses that would work would be compressed air, compressed dry nitrogen, or compressed carbon dioxide. I personally used nitrogen because it is usually easier to get and the cheapest.

There are some major drawbacks though... you need to buy a regulator that is calibrated to the low pressure we use. Something like that is not an off-the-shelf item and will cost you at the very least $90. I have one made by Victor is that is the at-cost price... that you won't get unless you know someone that works at the supplier. You also need the hoses (I don't know how much they cost, I got mine from work) and some place to store the tank safely. It should be stored upright and tied to something. The cylinder has around 2000 psi in it and is dangerous if not stored properly.

The other hassle, and the main one in my opinion, is the fact that when you run out of gas... you can't use the airbrush until you get the cylinder refilled. Most supply shops aren't open on the weekend or are only open a few hours so if you run out Saturday night and had a day of painting planned for Sunday, you're boned. It's true, a compressor could break, but if you buy a nice one it limits your odds. So when the tank runs out, you have to take it back to the supply house and get it refilled. It's a pain lugging those things around (I've done it at work for the last 11 years) and you will tire of it. Just buy a decent smallish compressor. It doesn't have to be brand name to be good either. I have this one: Badger Air-Brush Co. TC910 Aspire Pro Compressor. It works fine, has a tank, takes up a very little room, and is pretty quiet. I paid $150 or $160 for it so it has gone up in price, but if you are going to spend $200 dollars on a compressed gas set-up, you'd be better off getting something like that.

Hey, ScootyPuffJunior made a good idea.

If you're not going to airbrush very often, you can get a 15-20 gallon air tank (no compressor, just a tank) that you can fill up at your local gas station for just a quarter (maybe 2, depending on your area). Total cost? ~$20-30. Walmart, Sears, Harbor Freight, Ace, Home Depot, Lowes.....

Otherwise, I've got a 1 gallon pancake compressor that's obnoxiously loud for my airbrushing needs. $50 at Walmart (same thing at Harbor Freight). I'd like a quieter compressor with a tank, but I don't have the cash to throw around

Well I definitely plan on going for the compressor as opposed to a tank. I don't want to have any upkeep costs like refilling the tank. I'd rather pay the upfront costs.

well i use this one, its cheap, it works well and a lot of painters in the youtube community use it as well
ebay link

DijnsK wrote:well i use this one, its cheap, it works well and a lot of painters in the youtube community use it as well
ebay link

Which painters? I'd like to see some of their work.

Marneus Augusta Calgar.... check out his stuff out on youtube