OK - Time to buy that compressor

OK - I've put this off enough. I have got to get that compressor. I mean, £7 for a can of air, and I can only make that last one model or one and a bit model.. I've build 5 cars, and half built one and I've used 4 full cans, and half another...

At £7 this is getting out of hand.. So, Iwata Smart Jet Pro it is.. At £250 is seems a lot now, but I've only got to build another 30 models, and then it starts to pay..!! I've got about 30 kits in storage now. I was holding out to ensure I did stick with the hobby, as I might have quit, but 7 or 8 months on and I'm still building..

Order for a compressor is just about to be sent..!! Does anyone else feel air cans are a waste of money, and you can't control them easy.. I managed to lower the PSI of them by careful use of the air can tap, and using a 1/4 full can... But what a way to get lower PSI for careful spray jobs with masking tape..

Mick,

I had a long chat about compressors with a guy from Cammetts at Model Expo and it explained that it's not just about buying a compressor. Unless you have a matched airbrush it won't be very good!

I have a nice airbrush (unbranded) bought from ebay but this is poor quality and they reccoment spending another £100 on a decent airbrush as well!

I decided it just wasn't worth it - I reckon I can go a few yerars on aerosols alone and still save money! Shame but I don't have that sort of cash!

BTW, the sprint jet should be all you need, why go for the pro jet, seems a bit excessive!

Really? I have a badger 200 airbrush, and it wasn't a £100 + job. I haven't actually had a chat with anyone, I just assumed that compressors would work out cheaper in the end.

I'm not about to fork out £100 + for a new airbrush, + £250 for a compressor.. £350 is just too much money...

And I choose the smart jet pro, as it was the recommended compressor from some of the guys from this site. It was only £50 more (I think) and thought it would be a good investment.

If my badger is no good for this compressor, then I'll forget it, as I'm into the hobby, but not that much...

Give the company a call or call Cammetts as they were very helpful.

It may well be the case that your airbrush is matched and would be suitabel but it's worth checking. I'm really not an expert I'm only going on what I was told a couple of weeks ago.

I only wanted to buy a compressor for my existing airbrush - was looking at either silver jet (£149) or sprint jet (£199 ) max as both appear adequate but was told the airbrush needs to be matched - it comes down to nozzle size etc.

Give them a call, I'd be interested in what you find out!

I've been using my airbrush more recently for mixed colours using a can and it's a pain.
Whilst it's fine for small parts I couldn't spray a body as the finish would be lumpy and bumpy.
I'd love to be able to mix and spray my own colours but can really justify spending £250 which was the min. recomneded package by Cammetts

OK - been in touch with them, and they tell me a badger 200 is not the best airbrush to use with a compressor, and not the smart jet range. They did say the power jet range works better with the cheaper airbrushes, but at that rate I might as well just buy a dual action Iwata brush at the same time, as that works out cheaper..

I thought the badger would be OK, as it was cheap, OK £49.99.. But it appears being cheap isn't going to help when you want to save in the end..

I now either continue with aircans, and battle with the PSI for evermore, or just spend the £350 and have done with it..!! The £350 bill is leaving a lump in my throat TBH, but I do want to airbrush more and more...

I'm glad I spoke up, hope it hasn't annoyed you too much!

Give Cammetts a call, they offered me a great deal on Iwata compressor and airbrush for around £230 - 240.
can't remember the detail of the brush but it i written down at home! Let me know if you want and I'll dig it out for you!

You don't NEED to spend a lot of a great compressor: With a proper regulator, even a $100 hardware store model will work well. An expensive hobby compressor will be smaller and quieter, but not necessarily better.

A good airbrush is a must, but the Badger 200 isn't junk. If it's working for you, stick with it. I know many long-time modelers who stick with basic brushes like the Paasche H and Badger 350. Unless your airbrush is really bargain-basement quality, technique is much more important.

Certainly for me, I do a lot of modelling in the evening and a quiet compressor would be a big advantage!
Don't want to annoy the neighbours too much - they already have to put up with constant can rattling and extraction noises!

Personally, I'll never get into this hobby so much tyhat I pay that sort of money. I don't use the airbrush I have all that often. I mainly use spray cans and only just use my airbrush for seats, dashboards & door panels, after that it's brushes.
The results I get are good enough for me and my airbrush cost.......wait for it......£15!! (including a can of air!!)

Think how many models you could buy for £350

I must admit that I ony use my airbrush for special mixes (like the exhaust on R34 currently building) and for STi badges on Subaru, interiors that sort of thing.
Most things I will try and stick to cans but Tamiya cans at £4 each are crazy money when they last 5 mins! (Saying that I have a whole drawer full of them!)
I'd love to mix up some body colours, I've had some great ideas for colour combinations but that is when you really need a decent brush and compressor to ensure a good finish!

i dunno how well they work, but you could try getting a... maybe 6 gallon compressor from a hardware store. 6 gallons won't be too much. i have a i think 25 gallon compressor, but haven't been able to test it out yet cuz i don't have an airbrush that fits the thread of the compressor hose(cuz Testors is stupid in that way).

OK, I’ve had some information sent to me as to why they say my Badger is a problem with smaller /cheaper compressors. They say the single action brushes draw a lot of pressure, and the smart jet and sprint jet etc work fine with the badger, until you use a larger head to spray larger areas..

Means that using my badger with a large head for bodies would be out, unless I brought a more powerful compressor. Great…!!

They have recommended for all purpose model building, including small and large area paint application the following –

Iwata Eclipse BCS airbrush
Iwata Sprint Jet Compressor

They will include a braided hose, all adaptors, two bottles for the air brush and a medium and large head. Allowing for fine detail work, and large area spraying.

Including delivery they will take 20% of the airbrush, and this will cost me £290.00… I’m going to have to think about this, as TBH £250 was a lot, but the price is creeping up, and the compressor spec has now gone down.. Anyone use a sprint jet? They fully recommended it as an ideal model airbrush compressor..

Thanks

Oh – and don’t worry Lurchio, glad you said something, or I could have got a compressor that doesn’t work.

People like Hiroboy have recomended the sprint jet before - I believe it is ideal.
There is also the new silver jet which is 50 quid cheaper but less flexible!

I feel exactly the same as you, was going to really push the boat out and spend 200 on the sprint jet but when I found out I would have to buy another airbrush as well I had to rethink!

Still rethinking at the moment!

Maybe I'll wait and see what you finally decide and then maybe follow!
It's a lot of cash though!

I know we both started modelling at the same time. I'm not sure about you but I've spent ridiculous amounts of money on this hobby already - I feel like I've single handedly kept paypal in business (I expect many others feel the same).

And the time it consumes, I've started to ignore phone calls as they are likely to keep me away, last night a knock at the door was ignored as I was poised with a brake caliper and Brembo decal - I wonder who that actually was!
Obsession eh!

I know what you mean.. It has gone from "I will" buy a compressor to a "hmm, perhaps I better think about this some more"...

I don't know now.. Perhaps I might wait another few months... Struggle on with the cans, as always. Cost is getting a bit high as you correctly said..

And I NEVER answer my phone. Not even my mobile.. When I'm at home, as I live on my own, I love it.. Phone gets turned off, and I hardly ever answer the door... It's a brave man who knocks on my door.. My dog is trained to bark at the door, and my puppy is learning to bark at the door as well..

We are definately budget modellers. We use a Craftsman 3-gal "hardware store" special that Will picked up for about $70 USD. It's very quiet, fills up in less than a minute, and holds pressure through two cars at 3-5 coats each; we've tested. It was a wonderful investment, and we have never regretted opting for an actual air compressor as opposed to a hobby compressor. Plus, you can use it to air the tires on your 1:1 if you need to!

**edit** here's what we have:
http://content.sears.com/data/product_images/009/15310/00915310000-190.jpg

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00915310000

I've considered budget stle "real" Compressors and it has to be a viable alternative!

For me personally it would only be occasional use.
I'm assuming you can buy a pressure regulator etc to make the thing flexible!

(Oh and apologies 99civichic for calling you a guy previously!)

I've considered budget stle "real" Compressors and it has to be a viable alternative!

For me personally it would only be occasional use.
I'm assuming you can buy a pressure regulator etc to make the thing flexible!

(Oh and apologies 99civichic for calling you a guy previously!)

Ours came with one, and it's been perfect. Can you tell I love this thing?

It's okay I was just givin you a hard time :P

Its a cheaper idea to see about getting a hardware compressor, instead of a hobby compressor... I like the idea of being oil free, and noise free.. I have no idea why I want it silent, as I live in a detached house with just my dogs.. I spray in the attached garage all I have to do is walk out the garage side door and I'm in the hallway.., so this is one of my silly modes..!! Mind you, I still have no room in my house.. Just where does all the space go..???

I'll have a think about it, TBH, I've spent a lot more on IT kit in the past.. I paid £400 for a graphics card once.. Just so I could play games on my PC... Now that WAS silly..!!

Found these

http://www.worldofpower.co.uk/acatalog/Airmate_Oil_Free_Air_Compressors.html

But how do I connect my airbrush to it, etc... They are a lot cheaper... Why are hobby compressors so expensive?

Basically they are more expensive because they are smaller, quieter, and vibrate less.

I'll have pics of my setup and more info coming when I get home from work.

But how do I connect my airbrush to it, etc... They are a lot cheaper... Why are hobby compressors so expensive?

I think a better question is, why would anyone buy one? Unless space is a SERIOUS issue, i.e you'd be tripping over it to get to the front door because you live in an economy apartment in Japan kinda issue...Our compressor may be a tad louder than a hobby compressor, but it's only noisy for less than a minute and it's good to go for a LONG time; plus, it holds so much more air. It's just no comparison, really.

in the US i think we have 1/4 hoses. i dunno if it's the same thread as the airbrush though.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y106/SteveK2005/Compressorsetup.jpg

That's my setup. The AC300 is OK, a little weak for the heavy R/C acrylics I use, but it puts out about 25psi which is plenty for most model paints.

The regulator and water trap at from Paashe, and they needed a 1-2" female extender and a couple male-male adapters to hook everything up. The Aztek hose normally slips right on a can, but came with an adapter to fit over the standard thread [1/4" NPT]. I got the brass fittings at Home Depot for a buck or two each.

Now, I'm not an expert but I have been doing this a while, and I have never heard that single-action airbrushes aren't good for some compressors but are good for others. That Badger 200 will work with any compressor, regardless of the cost.

Cool..

So I can just buy a normal DIY home compressor and just connect my airbrush to that. What about the fittings, and how do I control the air? Sorry but I've no idea what I'm doing here.. I'm just looking to save some money, and if a normal compressor can do the job, then I'll get one for £100.00...

Just need to know what I've got to buy.. I've found this compressor SIP 06608 Airmate T1.5/25-O Air Compressors

From this website in the UK.

http://www.worldofpower.co.uk/acatalog/Airmate_Oil_Free_Air_Compressors.html

£95.62 with Free delivery... Now that's a whole lot better then £300 - £350... Do I need anything else to connect it all up... From what I read, you run it to fill the tank, and then you have air until it runs out.. I mean I can run it when I get in at night from work, then in the evening work away as it won't make anymore noise?? Yep..??

Thanks all..

We have one of those 'big' compressors, and it had a regulator on it, but I would use a smaller hobby regulator like mine, because it's easier to get a finer pressure adjustment. This Paashe unit also has a water trap on it, which is important too.

The fittings and adapters will vary from unit to unit, but basically you thread the regulator on to the output of the compressor, and then thread the airbrush on to the output of the regulator. The people are the hardware store can help with the specifics.

Yes, you can just fill the air tank and then paint using that as your supply. The tank basically becomes a big can of air like you've been buying. One of my many plans for my new workshop is to get a big 10 gallon tank to use while I watch TV or whatever (only about $35 at Home Depot).

Another advantage of getting the big compressor is that you can also use it to fill car tires, use it to power air-tools, all kinds of things.

OK. So I'm OK to buy the DIY standard compressor, run it to fill the tank and then spray away... Cool..!! But I need a hobby regulator that will fit both the compressor and my airbrush (badger 200)... Looking on that website can't see anything..

Might give them a call, see if they can help, also what about moisture? Do I not need something to trap this? Or is this built into this compressor? Can't work it out very easily, as I'm getting confused..

And thanks all, what was £250, went to £350 and being told my airbrush was cheap, to now £100 if I can make it work.. Money saving tips..

If I can get a compressor system for £100 I'll be well happy, as I'm sick of buying these air cans.. Waste of money..

Have you checked out deals on Ebay like this :
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=22662&item=4396375927&rd=1
or have a look at Machine Mart : http://www.machinemart.co.uk/product_102_air_compressors/index.asp

OK, lets see if I’ve got this right.

I get a normal compressor from wherever.. I then get a regulator like this –

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/product.asp?p=000520105&r=2013&g=103

I then also get a 1/4" BSP badger airbrush connector and I’m all set.

So if I buy that SIP 06608 Airmate T1.5/25-O Air Compressors, TRADE RANGE for £93 as an example, plus the regulator at £7 plus say £4.00 for the airbrush ¼” adaptor to fit the regulator this will cost me £104.00..

WTF.. I mean, that is much better then £350… If I’ve got my shopping list correct, then I’ll find one place that sells all this, and just buy it… Sod the noise for how ever long it takes to fill the tank.. For this kind of saving I’ll put up with it..

Thanks all.. Most informative, and very useful.. Saved me a packet..

Right I'm off to bed, as I'm at work at 7.00am and I've been searching for a few hours to get my head around this.. Goodnight..!!

Mike, you really need to put a "Filter Regulator" in the line, this will take out the moisture in the air.

Mike, you really need to put a "Filter Regulator" in the line, this will take out the moisture in the air.


Like this one http://www.machinemart.co.uk/product.asp?p=000210030&r=2015&g=103

I know we both started modelling at the same time. I'm not sure about you but I've spent ridiculous amounts of money on this hobby already - I feel like I've single handedly kept paypal in business (I expect many others feel the same)

Lurchio, I know exactly what you mean! I too started around the same time as you and Mick. And, I too feel as though PayPal owes me a holiday!!

However, my spending has been kept down recently because I don't have much time to myself nowadays. My other hobbies include djing & music production (which take up a lot of time) and also PS2. Due to my line of work (and manly household chores - cutting the grass, cleaning the car, diy etc etc) I'd hazard a guess that I have around 3 hours a week modelling time. This is why I still haven't finished my WRC Focus which I started in March!!

Because of this I discipline myself not to have too many unbuilt kits (4 at the mo)because I'll probably only build 2-3 models a year. God knows how much I'd spend if I had the time though!

TBH you guys you just have to ask yourself if buying the compressor and new airbrush will make good financial sense. Maybe wait til your airbrushes you have at the moment are on their last legs and then invest.

I'm keeping a sharp eye on this - if you get a good setup I'll probably buy the same!

Found this -

http://www.diy-compressors.com/shop/direct-drive-compressors.htm

Pole Position OL 231

They have said that this will work without anything else required other then the fittings to connect my airbrush, as it has a filter /regulator built into it. They will throw the adaptors into the package if I decide to buy one.

Told them it's for a badger 200 airbrush, said it will work fine.

That works out at around £141.50 with postage, and I won't have to buy a new brush..