need small quiet compressor and air brush

[indypbear]

We are looking for a good, small quiet compressor and air brush with a reasonable price. One of my boys is a commercial graphic artist and we need to get him one for Christmas. He has the air brushes. I need one for my shop also. I don't need the compressor since I have a 33 Gal. tank that runs my clicker press.

Any help would be appreciated.

JohnK aka indypbear from Weatherford, TX

[Guest]

Indy,

The catch here is the word QUIET. I've never heard a quiet compressor. I have a small one for my airbrush and a larger one for a spray gun and rivet gun. They both sound like I'm shaking a empty coffee can with a dozen bolts inside. But for a commercial artist I would think one from Badger or Paasche would be what you want. Check out Ebay for compressor/airbrush combinations. Also you really need to find out what sort of airbrush he needs, single action; dual action? There are a lot of variations.

Here is a link

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?s...earch&fgtp=

David

Edited October 23, 2007 by David

[fortysomething]

There are several manufacturers that make decent compressors for airbrush and a few are fairly quiet. The truly quite compressors come with a larger price tag. For ideas for what is available, check out www.bearair.com. They have a good selection.

I have heard good reviews (quiet & reliable) about the Silentaire compressors, but they come with a larger price tag. I have a large compressor and have not had the need to purchase a small ‘silent’ compressor yet. I hope this helps with your search.

[JustWakinUp]

Paasche has a millenium set that is a dual action. Becareful buying direct because the one I've priced is called the Mil-Set and Paasche has it for 102.00 but you can get it elsewhere for 69.00. The third parties can sell it at much more of a discount than buying direct.

[hiloboy]

I use a Silentaire 50-24-AL and i like it alot i use it with my airgravers and rotary engraving tool and my airbrushes.. but if your son is only useing it with airbrushes i would think maybe the Silentaire super silent 20-A would work fine.. like Forty said your going to have to pay alot more for quiet..

Edited October 23, 2007 by hiloboy

[The Major]

For quiet compressors, check out jewelry and lapidary supply houses. They have quiet compressors for engraving and other hand tools. But they are not cheap. But airbrush compressors aren't really that loud. the one Eastwood sells is fairly quiet. Not as loud as my 30 gallon.

[Regis]

There is a small Silentaire Scorpion compressor on ebay with # 330177547345. Hundred bucks buy-it-now price

[electrathon]

If quiet is truely a big deal I would get a diving air tank and use that as your air supply. It will run an air brush for days of constant use, then you will have to take it in and get it refilled. Use an old first stage regulator to reduce your air preasure to about 100 psi, then treat it loke a normal air source after that.

[Dragons Pearl]

If one has a perminant workstation, one could put the 'pressor in a cabinet with sound deadening stuff inside it. Shag carpet maybe or foam.

Or does that not work? Just reaching out in the far recesses of my creative mind here.

[electrathon]

If one has a perminant workstation, one could put the 'pressor in a cabinet with sound deadening stuff inside it. Shag carpet maybe or foam.

Or does that not work? Just reaching out in the far recesses of my creative mind here.

The trouble would be that the compressor needs air circulation and inlet air. They often tend to overheat when running constant.

[indypbear]

Thanks to everyone :flame: . great info. I spoke with George Hurst today and he recommended the Paasche brushes but was open on the compresser. He lives in an apartment so semi-quiet is important, not silent.

Glad to see several of you at the IFoLG this year. Got faces with e-mail names now. Hope to see and meet more in Columbus and Indy. That was my stompin' grounds for 53 years.

Keep showin' your projects. I learn a lot from them.

I'll be doing more and post some fro critique later.

Indy transplant to TX

JKK

[Patrice]

I'm also looking for an airbrush, and migth be buying a paasche dual action.

But, iw ould like to know what is the big difference between the VL, VLS and the Millenium

Of course, i read some advice on the web, but if an owner of a paasche VL, VLS or millenium could talk about his machine, i would appreciated it!

[SmilinJim]

Hi Patrice

Not an expert but the VL and VLS are basically the same. The VLS has a swivel connector for the paint bottle hence the 'S'. I don't know the Millenium. I just started using the brush again, never was real good, but works great with stains and stencils. I have a small Bager and the VL which is considered a large airbrush. My kit included 3 tips for a wide variety of spray sizes. Got a compressor at a yardsale for $5.00 and another at a thrift store for $2.00, needed minor repair.

Jim

[Patrice]

Thank's a lot Smilin Jim! I'll be ordering a VLS for christmas, as this will be my present from my parents.

Here's a Ebay seller from wich i'll be buying my kit:

http://stores.ebay.com/TCPGlobal-AutoBodyD...4QQftidZ2QQtZkm

This guy seeling a lot of stuff! Glad i can share this seelr with you!

[steveb]

If one has a perminant workstation, one could put the 'pressor in a cabinet with sound deadening stuff inside it. Shag carpet maybe or foam.

Or does that not work? Just reaching out in the far recesses of my creative mind here.

The trouble would be that the compressor needs air circulation and inlet air. They often tend to overheat when running constant.

i keep a 30gal compressor under my bench in a "sound proofed" (sort of) cabinet for air tools an powering a bike lift- it breathes fine enough through the hole i cut in the door of the cabinet to run teh hose through- but it does get hot if it is kept on for any length of time - for my airbrushes i use the cheep paasche pancake compressor - works well enough and i have 2 paasche VL's - they are the workhorses of the airbrush world - i clean them real well everytime i use em, so they have lasted

of course YMMV

steveb

[howardb]

Echoing the scuba tank idea... There is an article in this month's Model Railroader about using a portable CO2 tank as an airbrush source. The tanks are available at home stores (Lowes, home depot, etc) and are designed to run air tools portably. I'd check on refills, etc. but it sure sounded like a grand idea.

Brent

[MatthewD]

Okay now you got me thinking.. I have a portable air tank.. I wonder what I would have to do to it to be able to run my air brush off of it...

[Patrice]

I received my a irbrush kit this tuesday! I bought the millenium kit :

http://cgi.ebay.com/PAASCHE-MILLENNIUM-AIR...oQQcmdZViewItem

I'm really glad about this purchase. I plug the whole kit and everything was working great! I choose this kit because the barrel is offering a thinner grip.

The only downside is that i'll have to wait t'ill christmas beacause the kit is my gift

P.s. The compressor is very quiet!

Edited November 22, 2007 by Patrice

[Cascabel]

The best and cheapest solution is to use the compressor out of an old refrigerator. They are pretty much totally silent, and will serve nicely for an airbrush, if that is all you need it for. You will need to feed the output through a small tank, like an old propane or freon bottle to take the pulsations out of it. The small "silent" compressors sold commercially are quite similar, but a lot more expensive. You will also want a regulator on the output side of the tank. The tank is absolutely necessary, as the refrigeration compressor is a single piston type. A compressor from an air conditioner will also work nicely. Either way, you leave the compressor inside its original housing, which helps to keep it quiet. Put an intake filter on the inlet side to keep the dirt out of it, and connect the output side to your tank. You can tell inlet from output by feeling the openings of the pipes when you connect the power. These things pretty much last forever, as they are sealed up in a housing free from dirt.