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I recently bought an airbrush and I have purchased this airbrush:

http://www.tcpglobal.com/airbrushdepot/itemdetail.aspx?itemno=ABD+TH-021

Now my question, what thread type would the 1/4" end be. I am trying to hook my brush up to a standard big box store type air compressor, and I have having fits trying to find something that fits this thread. Would anyone have any idea where I could get some help?

You need to attach a quick release valve to the 1/4 end. You could try that, But if not then I have no idea because those hoses only fit certain brands.

iv got a hose just like that, its a female 1/4" bsp fitting. Every compressor I've ever seen has a 1/4" bsp male output to be honest so chances are it will work unless you have something unusual to connect it to. Small airbrush compressors often have a 1/8" bsp male output, with which you would want a similar hose with male on each end.

+1 for the quick connect pieces, very useful if you have more than one airbrush especialy. But make for easy pack away with just one brush still.

I'm not sure what you guys call it up North, but in the the States it is called NPT which is the standard tapered thread. Your air compressor should have a 1/4" female connection on the outlet so just go to the hardwood store and head to the plumbing section and grab a 1/4" brass nipple and it should work just fine.

female threads aren't tapered, just the males - so anything 1/4" should fit

Airbrushes in the UK use parallel threads and a small integrated O ring to form a deal. I'd be surprised if anyone used tapered threads, as then you'd need to mess about with PTFE tape to form a seal :O

OP, do you have any pics of the compressor thread you're trying to connect to?

Knighty wrote:
female threads aren't tapered, just the males - so anything 1/4" should fit

Airbrushes in the UK use parallel threads and a small integrated O ring to form a deal. I'd be surprised if anyone used tapered threads, as then you'd need to mess about with PTFE tape to form a seal :O

OP, do you have any pics of the compressor thread you're trying to connect to?

NPT are tapered both on the male and female threads. Same goes for BSPT IIRC, though it has been decades since I have had to spec those. NPS(C, M or L) should all be straight - though you won't likely find those in a hardware store. I think the British standard for that is BSPP or something along those lines. The tapered threads on both the male and female side of things actually work to form a mechanical seal due to tension. Parallel threads on the other hand have to be loose and need tape (or something like an O-ring) to seal by their very nature (unless you bottom out the threads on a machined flange of some form).

To the OP and the original question - those should be a standard 1/4" NPT fitting. Can normally find them in hardware stores with their general plumbing goods as well as in their pneumatic tools section along with quick connects like Thamor linked to. If you are on the other side of the pond from the US, you may need to get an NPT to BSP adapter to connect the hose.

Location always helps with these sorts of things as the places where I would go to find things may not be readily available where you are at. Also, there really isn't a standard big box type compressor (or fitting on it). Most will be a 3/8" NPT fitting for the smaller portable ones, though my bigger shop compressor is 3/4" NPT. However, you also often see a quick connect added on the compressor from the get go - which may be one of a couple different designs:

M-Style (Milton) is more commonly found out of the boxes and on tools like nail guns and what not. The style linked to above though is somewhat less common Type C. There are probably a dozen or so other types that you might come across though - so I normally just swap them all out with M-Style fittings, just to keep things easier on myself.

While unlikely - there is a chance that your compressor might even have AN fittings. Those have straight threads but then a tapered seat and a corresponding taper on the male fitting to form the seal.

So, yeah...pictures and location if you need more info.

 Sean_OBrien wrote:

Knighty wrote:
female threads aren't tapered, just the males - so anything 1/4" should fit

Airbrushes in the UK use parallel threads and a small integrated O ring to form a deal. I'd be surprised if anyone used tapered threads, as then you'd need to mess about with PTFE tape to form a seal :O

OP, do you have any pics of the compressor thread you're trying to connect to?

NPT are tapered both on the male and female threads. Same goes for BSPT IIRC, though it has been decades since I have had to spec those. NPS(C, M or L) should all be straight - though you won't likely find those in a hardware store. I think the British standard for that is BSPP or something along those lines. The tapered threads on both the male and female side of things actually work to form a mechanical seal due to tension. Parallel threads on the other hand have to be loose and need tape (or something like an O-ring) to seal by their very nature (unless you bottom out the threads on a machined flange of some form).

Thank you for explaining it in further detail so I did not have too.