WarmGlass.com

ok, it has rained for a week. it will rain for 3 more days. i am out of indoor 'real' work. so......i NEED to buy a compressor. i can spend up to 200$. home depot is where i will shop. that said, will some of you compressor/tool gurus help me? there are too many choices. i mostly want to run my air brush. i will buy a 'real' compressor in thje future. i have tried one of those little hobby airbrush specific compressors and do not want that. thank you, rosanna

I don't know much about compressors but I do have a suggestion as to how to get more for your $.

I rented a compressor from a tool rental (Jim's Air) and tried it out for a day. They were MUCH more informatative than any Home Depot person. Tell them what you want to accomplish and they will direct you to the tool that best fits your needs. Then ask them if they have any rental units for sale. They might since they need to keep their stable of tools up to date.
Also, they can service your compressor once a year.

Do you need advice on blasting booths and abrasives?

Rosanna,

Tom Eddleman and I co-wrote a compressor FAQ for the sandcarver.org site. Go here: http://www.sandcarver.org/air_compressor_selection.htm

It covers most of what you are probably asking.

Airbrushes have very small nozzle diameters, so they don't eat up air flow like sandblasters do, so your CFM requirement will not be high. Oil-less compressors do not cost as much as those requiring oil for the compressor pump, but keep in mind that the oil-less versions are much louder (!), and may not be as durable as the oil-requiring variety.

I run both my sandblaster (pressure pot) and my airbrush set up from the same compressor. The pressure requirements are similar, the CFM requirements are different, but once the pressurized air is in the storage tank, it's only a matter of a guage and regulator for each tool. I have quick connect/disconnet couplings on the airhose and the different tools, so changing from one to the other takes a nanosecond . More importanlty, I think if you are planning on eventually using a compressor for sandblasting, whatever you buy to run your airbrush will be inadequate. It might be more cost effective to buy one that will serve the most air-consuming function as it will then be right for anything that consumes less.

Keep in mind the need for some kind of moisture trap for your airbrushing needs as well.

Feel free to email me if you have other questions.

Cliff

rosanna gusler wrote:ok, it has rained for a week. it will rain for 3 more days. i am out of indoor 'real' work. so......i NEED to buy a compressor. i can spend up to 200$. home depot is where i will shop. that said, will some of you compressor/tool gurus help me? there are too many choices. i mostly want to run my air brush. i will buy a 'real' compressor in thje future. i have tried one of those little hobby airbrush specific compressors and do not want that. thank you, rosanna

i got this http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/D ... mber=47065 on sale for 139.

Rosanna,

Home Depot is selling their house brand (Husky) compressor with a 2 gallon tank for $99. It puts out 100 psi which is more than enough for an airbrush and with a 2 gallon tank, it won't cycle on and off very often, so it should last forever.

Tony

thanks for the advice! i will re think this. that tutorial is great. ace hardware is having a manufacturer rep tool show and sale tomorrow. maybe i can beat up the portercable rep. rosanna

I have a small compressor I bought from Harbor Freight for $100 about 1 year ago that works great with my air brush (used for spraying molds). Was in the HF store last week and saw one for $40. Might be worth checking out!