Hi,

I just bought a Badger 155 "Anthem", and I am in the market for an air compressor (I don't think spraying from compressed air cans is worth the money, though it does a good job if you have a regulator!)
I have been trying to find some good online stores to buy an air compressor that will last a long time and that will not annoy many people with excessive noise.
I am thinking something like a Badger Cyclone, which is about $150. Will I need a moisture trap if I am spraying straight from the compressor, without a tank? Would that require a regulator? Would I be able to control the pressure without a regulator and tank?
Here is a link to it at Tower Hobbies http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXMCL5&P=7
Can anyone reccomend any sites and compressors? I'm a bit confused and not at all sure what I need. I don't airbrush much at a go, maybe 10-20 minutes at a go max.
I think this inane natter shows how confused I am in my mind! I wrote it as I thought of it, so I apoligize!

Here's a review of the one I use.
I don't know if the free shipping applies to shipping to Canada though.
Air Compressor Review

Here's the link for Dixie Art

That's exactly the sort of thing that I am looking for. I'm still a bit groggy after realizing how many things there are to consider, but I think it will fill my needs perfectly.

I have an anthem. I researched this forever and ended up with a fabulous one from a company called thetuulshed.com. A tank and regulator make all the difference. Hobby compressors are way to expensive and small tool compressors make way too much noise. This one is very quiet and the tank eliminates all pulsation. I get very little condensation with it in the tank and trap and have never seen water come out of the pen. The regulator easilly adjusts in 1 psi increments and holds where you set it. Don't waste your money on a 'hobby' one, most are re-labled and made by the same companies that make all the generic ones. All you need is stable dry air that doesn't wake up the neighborhood.

These can be had for under 120 bucks on egay. Even hobby ones with tanks that are not insanely expensive i.e. a Passche still often use lousy diaphram motors. This is 1/5hp oilless pistion and can easilly hold spraying pressures from 8-45+psi, a lot of the hobby ones are weak 1/8 diaphrams and max out at 20 on a good day(untill you press the trigger). Some also are a little larger and have what is essentially a tire inflator type compressor on a big tank and are very loud. I wouldn't exactly buy all my tools from them, but compressors are not THAT much better then one another unless its a 4+ pen professional station, but those costs thousands of dollars... I wouldn't waste time with one without a tank or one with a diaphram motor.

It's this one but they are out of stock right now.
http://stores.channeladvisor.com/thetuulshed/Items/ZHAS-186?sck=17681513

I would imagine that this is a generic that any of the airbrush 'stores' online that look identical to this are the one in the same, but I have rarely seen them with the same hp motor or tank size. I saw an Iwata one without the tank and it looked and sounded identical in every way.