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Hi guys,

As the title suggests looking for some info on airbrush compressors. Looking around it seems there are other options besides hobby compressors for hobby work :O just larger and a little noiser?

I've been looking locally in AUS for kits and I have the issue with feeling they are a lot of money and wind up being something hard to resell and will outgrow so looking at building my own kit.

Looking at badger brushes off amazon (one beginner one i can put away when i get technique down) and sourcing a non hobby compressor that will be adjustable and great for what I need but I don't know the actual features I should be looking for in a compressor besides a tank...

Anyone able to help out with what I will mostly need for a beginner kit that will cover me for most stuff?

So I'm assuming it goes a little something like this:

Basics?
-airbrush (looking at gravity fed dual action for minis / terrain)
-airbrush hose
- paint
-cleaning kit
-thinner
-cleaning solution
-airbrush holder
-compressor (with moisture trap thing for longer use?)

Optional:
-quick release
- multiple hoses / lines
-multiple airbrushes
-multiple hoses out etc



Any info to help me piece together tech parts of a kit so I can look beyond iwata / badger / dodgy chinese ebay compressors locally would be sweet and start looking at industrial / costuming / auto airbrush compressors for other options that might suit (but be larger)

I got an Iwata HP-CS from airbrushmegastore in Adelaide - pretty good price, very good brush, particularly for beginners.

I also got an iwata compressor, which was a waste for me (IMHO).

undergroundwargaming (or wargames) are also au based, and have really cheap compressors/brushes to learn on.

I have been looking at ditching the hobby compressor and getting a proper workshop compressor with a big tank - supercheapauto have them for less than an iwata.

Basically, from what I have dug up, you want at least a 40L tank, though I am probably going to go for up to 100 (if I can find one I want, there are some cheap ones on ebay with 100L). From there, you want a moisture filter, link that out to a regulator/manifold/another moisture filter.

There will be a ton of details I am leaving out, specifically changing the thread size and type, but there are converters for that.

How you decide to split multiple brushes will depend on how you do it - for now, just a regulator/moisture filter and one brush would be fine (get a quick release as well, they are cheap and fantastic).

You could part this all together from supercheapauto for about $400 I think

yeah ive had a look at super cheap here :
http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online-store/products/Blackridge-Air-Compressor-Direct-Drive-2-0HP-95LPM.aspx?pid=223418#Reviews


bunnings has an oilfree 1.5hp here though
http://www.bunnings.com.au/ozito-24l-1-5hp-compact-air-compressor_p6290318

low maintenance seems like a good option...

combat company has badger packs but yeah they seem a bit much $$$ wise (probably just cos of badger compressors) and i was looking at adelaide moulding and casting but they seem pretty pricy as well

*edit* *update*

HMMM thinking about something like that ozito with http://www.undergroundwargames.com.au/collections/frontpage/products/accessory-set

Would that be all I need to have a basic airbrush kit to learn on, grab a sotar off amazon when im better off (with adapters etc) and have it be low maint and oil free?

I went with an artlogic hobby compressor with a tank though I feel like I paid too much for what it is.

The thing about those workshop compressors from supercheap or bunnings, they're big and they're bloody noisy. I started off looking at them but after listening to a few of them and realising how much of my hobby area they'd consume, I ended up going for a little hobby compressor instead.

But if you can deal with the noise and space issues of a larger compressor they're good value for money.

It seems like the best bang for your buck as far as airbrushes are concerned are either Iwata or Runway 13, I've never tried a Runway 13 but the (very few) reviews I've read are positive so I'm going to grab one for my next brush. It seems Badger and Paasche are overpriced in Australia compared to what you pay in other countries. Sparmax is another common brand out here but I've never considered them myself so I can't really comment on them.

oh god yes, my iwata is so ridiculously quiet.

I was going to put the big compressor outside or hide it in the garage, then run piping to my desk. I would then put a timer on it that only lets the motor start up between like 3pm-4pm when it doesn't matter.

My compressor -

http://www.amazon.com/Badger-Air-Brush-Co-TC910-Compressor/dp/B005UH7CVI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423620632&sr=8-1&keywords=badger+airbrush+compressor+tc910

It's not that much more, it is quiet, and works quite well for hobby (airbrush) purposes. My average airbrush sessions are about 45 min - 3 hours, and I use my airbrush many times every week (though not necessarily every day).

My favorite airbrush by far, is the Iwata HP-CS. It has fabulous control, and is very easy to clean -- much easier than the higher end Iwata airbrushes. The needle size is just perfect for an all-around workhorse airbrush, too.

However, the Paasche TG-3F is a worthy starter kit, as it's less than $100 and comes with 3 different size needles/nozzles, plus a decent braided (1/4NPT on compressor end) 6' hose with O-Rings. And even a passable "how to get started" booklet that is nothing amazing, but does point out some basics that a lot of people just don't know.

Lots of people seem to like Badgers, too -- I just don't have any experience actually using one

Talys wrote:
My compressor -

http://www.amazon.com/Badger-Air-Brush-Co-TC910-Compressor/dp/B005UH7CVI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423620632&sr=8-1&keywords=badger+airbrush+compressor+tc910

It's not that much more, it is quiet, and works quite well for hobby (airbrush) purposes. My average airbrush sessions are about 45 min - 3 hours, and I use my airbrush many times every week (though not necessarily every day).

My favorite airbrush by far, is the Iwata HP-CS. It has fabulous control, and is very easy to clean -- much easier than the higher end Iwata airbrushes. The needle size is just perfect for an all-around workhorse airbrush, too.

However, the Paasche TG-3F is a worthy starter kit, as it's less than $100 and comes with 3 different size needles/nozzles, plus a decent braided (1/4NPT on compressor end) 6' hose with O-Rings. And even a passable "how to get started" booklet that is nothing amazing, but does point out some basics that a lot of people just don't know.

Lots of people seem to like Badgers, too -- I just don't have any experience actually using one

Unfortunately Amazon won't ship that compressor to Australia and over here it's $250+.

This is the AB I am picking up next...
http://runway13.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=98

You really don't need a fancy compressor for airbrushing. Anything with a small tank and a moisture trap will do. Maybe if you're a golden daemon winning painter, you might get something fancy, but really the magic is in the airbrush, not the compressor.

Im looking at this for something quiet(ish), with the amount of power, tank and trap.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/151465333495?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

The badger pro compressor alone is $350 here plus postage now.

The one i just linked should let me upgrade a fair bit yeah? Brush wise im looking at using the terrible ones there or should i just grab an iwata/badger straight away and get used to it?

If you were going to do that, do this instead;

http://www.undergroundwargames.com.au/collections/frontpage/products/compressor-kit-with-brush

UW guys highly rate their stuff, and are super helpful.

Trapthem wrote:Im looking at this for something quiet(ish), with the amount of power, tank and trap.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/151465333495?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

The badger pro compressor alone is $350 here plus postage now.

The one i just linked should let me upgrade a fair bit yeah? Brush wise im looking at using the terrible ones there or should i just grab an iwata/badger straight away and get used to it?

I can't speak for that exact compressor, it looks like an even cheaper version of the one I have. If it lives up to it's 1/6hp claim then it should be fine, mine is 1/6hp and 20-23L/M with a 3L tank and I wouldn't want anything less. But I find mine can happily provide enough pressure for airbrushing and can give bursts of higher pressure for cleaning purposes as well. I do notice when basecoating when the tank empties for a few seconds the pressure will drop as the compressor turns back on, but it's only when I'm doing reasonable high pressure work.

kb_lock wrote:If you were going to do that, do this instead;

http://www.undergroundwargames.com.au/collections/frontpage/products/compressor-kit-with-brush

UW guys highly rate their stuff, and are super helpful.

That set is probably higher quality but personally I'd prefer to get something with a tank, even if it's only a small one.

That UW one is tankless, by the way.

Well I just got an $87 parking fine today so looks like the airbrush is waiting two weeks.

Yeah the tank is the only reason i didnt buy the UW system or even the cheaper badger kits around. None of the compressors have tanks.

Also how do HP and bars relate to each other and how can you tell something will be quiet?

Bad luck on the parking fine. What city are you in? In Melbourne I've gotten out of a couple of fines by writing nice letters to the appeals people, lol.

The HP is the horsepower of the electric motor that drives it. 1/6HP = 124 watts. Compressing stuff takes power, the more power you have you can either compress the same amount of air to a higher pressure or compress to the same pressure but more air or some combination of the two.

The bar is the max pressure. For that tanked compressor, it was given as the number where the auto-stop kicks in, so it'll be the maximum pressure that the compressor will pressurise the tank. This is the MAX pressure, not the pressure you get when the air is flowing, but rather when you're not using the air, it's the pressure that the tank will reach when the compressor decides to cut off. Be aware of compressors that give you crazy high almost theoretical values which they never actually reach. I think my compressor was rated at something like 110PSI but if you look at it closely the auto-stop comes in at about 60PSI.

The flow rate is how much air the compressor sucks in over a certain period of time.

Honestly I can't tell you what you *need*, I have no idea. All I can say is mine is 1/6HP, 4 BAR and 23L/min with a 3L tank and it's sufficient, but I wouldn't want any less. If I didn't have a tank I'm not sure how well it'd go as it seems to me the flow rate is a little low (which is less of a problem with a tank because you can just wait a few seconds while the tank charges up).

BUT, I have no idea how much these super cheap compressors are actually capable of reaching their advertised specs. I don't really have any experience with them to know. I could totally imagine they'd overheat if required to run for a while or maybe they can't even reach those levels, I just don't know.

As for noise, no idea how to tell, small hobby type compressors are typically a lot quieter than larger workshop style ones. I went to SuperCheap and asked the friendly staff if I could plug in a couple of compressors they had on display just to get an idea of how loud they were.

So just getting into airbrushes about 8 months ago. I went for this.

http://www.amazon.com/Master-Airbrush-Performance-Multi-purpose-Dual-action/dp/B001TO578Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1423749559&sr=8-2&keywords=starter+air+brush

The air brush was meh ok for basing models but not much detail work. But have nothing bad to say about the compressor. Works perfectly with a new badger air brush I picked up.

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
. I went to SuperCheap and asked the friendly staff if I could plug in a couple of compressors they had on display just to get an idea of how loud they were.

Sweet, thanks for all the info. I might wind up doing this, so you found a reasonable noise level from a super cheap auto compressor? At this rate looks like that might be the best bet for me, all these hobby ones seem a bit bogus in price for what they actually do. Yet to hear anyone actually say they are better for any actual reason other than 'maybe' being quieter.

Trapthem wrote:Well I just got an $87 parking fine today so looks like the airbrush is waiting two weeks.

Sorry to hear, man!

AllSeeingSkink wrote:Bad luck on the parking fine. What city are you in? In Melbourne I've gotten out of a couple of fines by writing nice letters to the appeals people, lol.

Sweet! In Canada, there are two types of parking fines: the city ones, which you must pay, because you won't get relicensed if you don't; and private ones, which you can just ignore, because the parking fines are unenforceable -- They're not going to take you to small claims court for a hundred bucks -- if only because the would be screwed if people showed up... their lawyer would have to appear for mandatory arbitration, then a court date, etc. and the parking company would end up losing 5x the parking ticket amount after they won a judgment.

And that still doesn't guarantee payment, since a real dick can just refuse to pay it with few consequences for a really long time (forcing the company to pay their lawyer even more money to force a garnishment.. of a hundred bucks). Oh the joys of an efficient legal system.

AllSeeingSkink wrote:As for noise, no idea how to tell, small hobby type compressors are typically a lot quieter than larger workshop style ones. I went to SuperCheap and asked the friendly staff if I could plug in a couple of compressors they had on display just to get an idea of how loud they were.

I'd go so far as to say, most contractor ones are way too noisy to have in the same room as your airbrush studio, while the hobby ones are reasonably innocuous. Another thing to watch out for on the larger compressors is that a lot of them are NOT oil-free, while most hobby compressors are.


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 Trapthem wrote:

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
. I went to SuperCheap and asked the friendly staff if I could plug in a couple of compressors they had on display just to get an idea of how loud they were.

Sweet, thanks for all the info. I might wind up doing this, so you found a reasonable noise level from a super cheap auto compressor? At this rate looks like that might be the best bet for me, all these hobby ones seem a bit bogus in price for what they actually do. Yet to hear anyone actually say they are better for any actual reason other than 'maybe' being quieter.

The hobby compressors are also much smaller. It's the difference between something that easily tucks under a table, to something that takes up an awful lot of space if your painting area is small.

 Trapthem wrote:

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
. I went to SuperCheap and asked the friendly staff if I could plug in a couple of compressors they had on display just to get an idea of how loud they were.

Sweet, thanks for all the info. I might wind up doing this, so you found a reasonable noise level from a super cheap auto compressor? At this rate looks like that might be the best bet for me, all these hobby ones seem a bit bogus in price for what they actually do. Yet to hear anyone actually say they are better for any actual reason other than 'maybe' being quieter.

Nah I found them too loud for me so I went with a hobby compressor from my local hobby shop, an artlogic one. I probably overpaid for it (I think it was $160 or so) but the guy in the shop has been massively helpful over the years so I was happy enough to buy it off him and it's served me well.

SuperCheapAuto carry a couple of Blackridge ones which are huge and noisy and often go on sale if you want them cheaper, if you want a lot of air and have a lot of free space and don't mind the noise they're good. They also carried a small Stanley which would tuck away neatly and by the specs it looks great, but it was still pretty loud and I don't think it came with a moisture trap which ends up adding to the price so it ended up the same price as a hobby compressor (the hobby compressor isn't as powerful, but it's sufficient and quieter).


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Talys wrote:

AllSeeingSkink wrote:Bad luck on the parking fine. What city are you in? In Melbourne I've gotten out of a couple of fines by writing nice letters to the appeals people, lol.

Sweet! In Canada, there are two types of parking fines: the city ones, which you must pay, because you won't get relicensed if you don't; and private ones, which you can just ignore, because the parking fines are unenforceable -- They're not going to take you to small claims court for a hundred bucks -- if only because the would be screwed if people showed up... their lawyer would have to appear for mandatory arbitration, then a court date, etc. and the parking company would end up losing 5x the parking ticket amount after they won a judgment.

And that still doesn't guarantee payment, since a real dick can just refuse to pay it with few consequences for a really long time (forcing the company to pay their lawyer even more money to force a garnishment.. of a hundred bucks). Oh the joys of an efficient legal system.

Living in Pennsylvania was a similar thing. If you park in the University carpark where I worked, the University would fine you, if you didn't go to the University you'd just ignore the fine, but if you were a student they wouldn't give you your degree while you had an outstanding account with them, lol. If you parked on the street you got fined by the local police, but the fine for parking on the street was much less.

If i go a hobby compressor, would it make sense to get a tank one first? The price jump to tanks is heavy... i guess i could go tankless but im 95% sure im gonna be using it for lengthy sessions.

The extra price for a tank shouldn't be too much as it's hardly a complex addition. It is however definitely worth getting one.

 Trapthem wrote:
Im looking at this for something quiet(ish), with the amount of power, tank and trap.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/151465333495?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

The badger pro compressor alone is $350 here plus postage now.

The one i just linked should let me upgrade a fair bit yeah? Brush wise im looking at using the terrible ones there or should i just grab an iwata/badger straight away and get used to it?

I think you have found what you want here mate. This is almost identical to the kit I bought a few years ago when starting out with ABing.

As you might imagine these kits are basically Chinese knock offs of Badger and the like (or they are badged up versions of these ). I have no problem with that but some might.

I have had no problems with the quality of the kit either and it's so cheap that you can afford to get a few Ab's straight off the bat. This kit seems to include some good bits of basic kit (cleaning brushes are vital, you will soon learn ABing is all about cleaning!).

If I had some pointers it would be to try and buy it from a reputable hobby shop or dealer rather than ebay. That way if you do have any quality issues you can get them addressed directly via guarantee with the seller.

Just about to get a compressor with tank and two airbrushes delivered this week. Not put any thought into cleaning stuff. Anyone have any advice on what should be used? I've watched tutorials on YouTube about cleaning brushes and there seems to be a wide variety of ideas about what can be used. Any experienced airbrushers have any recommendations?

I use Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner -- it's excellent. Plus, a set of airbrush pipe cleaners, a squeeze wash bottle (the kind with a hooked, and isopropyl alcohol. In addition, an Iwata cleaning station (or a knockoff) is a must:

http://www.amazon.com/Iwata-Medea-NAC-201-Cleaning-Station/dp/B000VADIVC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424107482&sr=8-1&keywords=iwata+cleaning+station

Basically, when you're done with a color, fill gravity cup with water using wash bottle and empty (tilt on side) into a cup; repeat and use an old paintbrush to swish around until it's clear (about 4 times). Then, put airbrush into cleaning station, fill gravity cup about 1/2 way with Vallejo cleaner, use brush to give whole gravity cup a good cleaning, and then empty. Finally, fill gravity cup with water, empty into cleaning station twice.

Then disassemble, scrub out the brush with pipe cleaners, and drop front components (nozzle, tip, crown) into isopropyl bath overnight.

Years later, my airbrushes still look brand new, except scuffs inside the gravity cup.

Other things you may want:

- Quick Disconnects (makes a HUGE difference!)
- Manifold, if you want to have multiple airbrushes hooked up at the same time
- P95 Mask
- Something to hold your airbrushes up, like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Master-Airbrush%C2%AE-Universal-Airbrush-Airbrushes/dp/B001BR6CO4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424107538&sr=8-1&keywords=airbrush+clamp

Excellent that helps me get ready for trying out airbrushing for the first time!!!

That cleaning info was great, cheers.

Yeah im trying to chase up some hobby dealer info for the guarantee otherwise ebay or expensive is the go. Ebay tank and a nice brush sounds pretty good though.

The cheaper compressors that most hobby dealers will sell would be Artlogic. The Ebay compressors I haven't seen in any stores

Artlogic is the cheap but well known chinese AB company in Australia.I can't really tell you how their compressors compare to other hobby compressors as I haven't tried more high end hobby compressors (I have tried more high end workshop compressors, but as mentioned those were too noisy for me).

Unfortunately Artlogic still isn't THAT cheap, their tanked compressor goes for about $180 by itself. So you could take a gamble with a much cheaper Ebay compressor, but I don't have any experience with those ones to advise.

I've gone in at the cheap end of the market with a generic compressor that came with a tank and two brushes. I'm not expecting the brushes to be amazing but will do to learn basics like cleaning. Once I've got myself confident with airbrushes I'll upgrade to a better brush.

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/200600974912?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
It's just under £67 GBP so that's about $130 AUD

 Trapthem wrote:
Im looking at this for something quiet(ish), with the amount of power, tank and trap.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/151465333495?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

The badger pro compressor alone is $350 here plus postage now.

The one i just linked should let me upgrade a fair bit yeah? Brush wise im looking at using the terrible ones there or should i just grab an iwata/badger straight away and get used to it?

Hey man, that looks like the Masters compressor and brush kit I got for Christmas this year. It's a cheap kit, but you know what, it's great, works fine, and has everything you need to get going, except a cleaning pot. I can't speak for the longevity of the kit as I haven't had it long, but for a beginner, yeah, it's awesome!


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Trapthem wrote:
Im looking at this for something quiet(ish), with the amount of power, tank and trap.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/151465333495?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

The badger pro compressor alone is $350 here plus postage now.

The one i just linked should let me upgrade a fair bit yeah? Brush wise im looking at using the terrible ones there or should i just grab an iwata/badger straight away and get used to it?

Hey man, that looks like the Masters compressor and brush kit I got for Christmas this year. It's a cheap kit, but you know what, it's great, works fine, and has everything you need to get going, except a cleaning pot. I can't speak for the longevity of the kit as I haven't had it long, but for a beginner, yeah, it's awesome!

I honestly use the one I use for my nail gun. yeah, it's loud as hell, but has a huge capacity, so I only have to turn it on every 20 minutes or so for like 90 seconds.

The reason I use it is that the hobby compressors are EXPENSIVE. They were as expensive, or moreso, than my industrial one, but can't be used for much else.

If you ever think you might need or use a nail gun or other pneumatic tools, I'd buy a compressor that can run them with a tool pressure regulator. About as much.

If you think you'll never use pneumatic tools, eh, may as well get a hobby compressor. Just seem overpriced to me.

The things you have to watch for on a really cheap compressor are:

- Leaks. If it comes to you leaky, it's a pain to take it all apart and retape, not knowing what is leaking air. This is probably the biggest annoyance.

- Strange fittings. Make sure the output is a 1/4NPT, or that you have the correct fitting/hose to use with your airbrush. Otherwise, it's a pain in the neck, because you need to find a hardware store with the correct adapter(s).

- Overheating. Obviously, an issue. If you use the compressor for a couple of hours, does it get really hot?

- If all you're doing is priming a few odd models, tankless is probably fine. If you're going to actually be using your airbrush a lot, I highly recommend a tank.

Try to get a sense from other people who have used the compressor you are interested in how long their compressor has been good for (measured in years, hopefully).

Noise is also an issue if you have the compressor right beside you.

All you need is a cheap (probably prefer quiet) compressor, a decent sized tank, and a good regulator. (the regulator is the part that will determine how much air pressure comes out of your tank. Longer hose will also do you well. I'm also a huge fan of quick connects, but you don't need that yet.

when it comes to the compressor filling the tank, quite literally any one will do just as well as any other one. As mentioned, plan for space and noise, but otherwise, there is nothing wrong with cheap..... provided you have a tank and a good regulator.