I have the impression that many people struggle with finding suitable ”pressured air” sources for airbrushing. Buying a compressor designed for the job can be above budget and it does not necessarily solve all problems like e.g. vapour, air temperature, pulsing, …

Having a bit of experience in the matter I could make a small contribution to the site explaining a few things.

To start on a solid basis I would like to have some input. Could you please reply to:

- how much pressure do you use (in bar, psi or any other unit)
- do you have any idea which volume of air your airbrush is using at the pressure you are working with?
- What is the source of the pressure (self-made system, a commercial compressor, spray can, other )
- do you have specific problems that could be related to pressure?

ok i'll start the ball rolling...

I use a Silentiar Scorpion II Compressor.

1.10 CFM at up to 55 psi.

I do most of My airbrushing at 12 to 20ish psi..

A reliable oil-less (means no messy maintance) and fairly quiet small hobby compressor good for if noise is a consideration also has an auto shutoff sensor.

my setup has a water trap and a Regulator. I first tried to airbrush with out the regulator.. not good.. I super strongly recommend a regulator as being the most neccessory item for a compressor.

my only gripe with this particular model is that if it runs for a extendended period of time it tends to get hot and shut off...

basic unit 9" High x 13" Long by 7" wide

base store price $175 to $250 depending on where

This whould prob be considered one of the high end options.


:-)

I have a Createx Compressor it runs upto 35 psi it has a moisture trap and presure gauge it weights about 10 punds it to can run hot after a few hours use then i let it cool down, most of the time i set the gauge at 20 psi, i payed $150.00 for it, i have it a little over a year works pretty good.

Well, it looks like I may forget about it.

Aparently there is little interest for this topic.

My thanks to Delbert and Captain for replying.

My home air compressor is an old dental compressor bought from a club auction about 20 years ago for the vast sum of 25 dollars. It was about 30 years old, if not older when I bought it. It's a double cylinder, reciporcating compressor, with a small storage tank underneath. It sits under my desk on a rubber mat in a small apartment, and the guy downstairs has never heard if running. Has a pressure regulator, and trap. I have the pressure switch set to maintain 40 psi in the tank.



At work I simply tap into our normal 100 psi compressed air system, we use for our pnuematic controls, using a pressure regulator and trap.
As for what pressure I use, it varies with what I'm spraying, and the thinness of it. I normally use very thin paint and very low pressure. (I learned to use an air brush using inks, and my paints aren't much thicker than inks when I spray) I also use 98% enamels, thined with lacquer thinner. But mostly it is under 10 psi, and usually around 7 psi. When I use a bottom feed airbrush I need a slightly higher pressure, but my home spraying is done with either an Iwata HP-B or a Badger 100G. At work I use either a Badger 150, or a Passche VSR90.
I've been using an airbrush since 1972 and really don't run into problems, if I take the time to clean them, and replace worn tips and needles.