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I have an airbrush and I've been using cans of air without the best of luck. I'd like purchase a compressor to use. Wondering if anybody has any recommendations. Before I buy I wanted to double check as well, I have a small pancake compressor that will run a staple or nail gun, it's a small one so I was curious if I can turn down the psi and get proper airbrush fittings for one?
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If it'll run a nail gun, it should be fine for an airbrush. You'll need a regulator (to control the output pressure) and a moisture/oil trap (to keep impurities out of the air supply). A good hardware store should have the fittings to make all the hook-ups.
Wayne
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I have the sedtup you are trying to make, and after adding a 7 gallon inline tank, the flow is more stable now.
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I bought a cheap air dryer from a local supplier.
I nearly choked when I saw the price of pellets for it.
The supplier suggested cat litter in a bag made from panty-hose and a chore-boy inside the outlet.
It's worked great for four years with my sand blaster and spray equipment.
Also don't drain the air tank at the end of a session. No leaks allowed.
Think of it as a charged battery, it will be cool and dry at the next use.
Bleed off the water slowly and often.
Dan M.
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Where I live, I don't need a moisture trap. But in humid areas - definitely need one. Oil-less compressors you don't need a filter, but piston compressors you probably need one. I use a small pancake compressor, and i works okay. The problem is, the regulator it comes with is almost useless with a small volume item like an airbrush, so I really need a better secondary regulator.
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Posts: 220
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I stuck with my pancake compressor. It's a nice one so I'm glad I can finally use it. I added an inline moisture separator/regulator. I tried setting it at about 20 psi, have to set the tank pressure at about 30psi to get 20 through the secondary regulator.
It seems to work fine so far! Now to fine tune my air brush skills. Tried painting and have lots of spatter opposed to a smooth even finish.