*Construction seemed sturdier than other units I considered **MyBest.Tools** Noise level was reasonable. Good pressure and cfm capacity for a small reasonably light compressor.*
Imagine a world where most RU-vid videos were like this. Thank you for being so informative, helpful, and for getting right to the point. Just what I needed!
Yeah, but I miss the head-banging metal rock at the beginning, a guy with spiked hair and a username that is something like, "Hidden Death Traps From Hell."
Thank You, this is exactly the info I was loking for. Straight to the point with pics of it assembled, not needlessly talking forever with no point. Thumbs up.
@Troy Castles Yeah me too. I have a very mechanically-inclined family, with 3 shop compressors. I'm of course the more artistically-inclined, and I had been hearing a bunch of conflicting info about using them for airbrushing, so this was incredibly helpful!
Functionally operates just as it should ru-vid.comUgkxiiMg_x4gIWeXMWfBnDdRnME4qJUAva4w holds pressure perfectly when not in use. Glad one of the other reviews pointed out that the bottom pressure release valve was open; thought it was defective at first.
Out of all videos showing how to set up an airbrush to a big compressor, this is the Best. Brief, easy to understand. I like how you showed each step and specified each part. Thank you
I'm visiting your video 3 years after you posted it. I've done nothing but research on how to do this hook-up, since I already have a pancake compressor, and I found no information on how and I didn't want to buy a craft/hobby style compressor. Thank you for making my day!
Thank you! This is exactly what I needed. Straight to the point without all the useless commentary. Of course I want to use my good shop compressor for my airbrush! Who wants to buy another small compressor just for the airbrush. You would think this was rocket science from trying to research this before finding this video.
Thank you for your video. I want to use Airbrush for car touch-up paint and was looking at an airbrush kit even if I have the same Porter-Cable pancake compressor. As you mentioned, it is hard to find proper information for connecting an airbrush to a ''normal'' compressor. Glad that I find your video :) You make my day.
You are a god send sir. Im a newbie to airbrushing and you just solved my issues on whether i should just get a dedicated airbrush compressor vs a regular one. Thank you!!
The Badger hose you have is NPT (National Pipe Threads). Many common airbrushes and hoses are BSP threads (British Standard Pipe Thread). So, it was easy for you, buy otherst using more common airbrushes made outside the USA will need adapters to connect their hoses and/or airbrushes to a Porter Cable or similar garage compressor.
Nice video. I would add it's important to understand the difference between 1/4, 1/8-- NPT versus BSP fittings. All fittings at Home Depot are NPT, USA in general. The BSP fittings commonly used in air brushes are slightly different threading, so give a loose fit if connected to a NPT connector. That's why you will see people using yellow pipe tape. "BSPT Connections. BSPT (British Standard Pipe Thread) is similar to NPT except for one important difference. The angle across the flanks of threads (if you sliced the fitting in half long-ways and measured the angle from root to crest to root) is 55 degrees instead of 60 degrees as it is for NPT." The solution is tape or adaptors that you can find on fleaBay
I'm new to the airbrush/compressor world and figuring out what fitting goes where has been a struggle. I have no idea whether my iwata is NPT or BSP. You'd think it'd say somewhere on their friggin website.
Thank you so very much for this awesome video saved me from buying a cheap airbrush compressor and elimnated a lot of confussion on how to use a shop compressor for my airbrush.
Great video, only suggestion would be to use a coalescing filter rather than just a inline filter and a lower range regulator. Coalescing filters are much finer filters, usually around .01micron and you should be able to order them at Home Depot or purchase at Granger. Follow the flow arrows on the filter for hooking it up. Also, when setting up I would go for a filter the next size larger and use a mounting bracket to mount it to your work bench instead of hanging it on the piping. The fitting to use and the one you show in the video is known as a, Standard Industrial connection, male and female. If you are new to this you can get couplers (the female side) that are push to connect(easy peasy) and shut off when the hose is disconnected. I would also add a regulator after the coalescing filter that has an adjustment range of 0-60 psi for better control again bench mount the whole thing with brackets to anchor it in place.
You seem to know your stuff, I'm having some trouble, I have a Testors Aztek but no hose for it, I have a Badger hose connected directly to my small air compressor, is there some kind of adapter for a Testors Aztek to Badger hose? I'd like to replace my Badger airbrush.
THANK YOU!!!! SO helpful!! I was about to sell my compressor thinking I couldn't use it for airbrushing :) So clear and excellent. How any of us managed to do anything new before RU-vid is a mystery ;)
Thanks for showing your take on this! There have been a lot of new small shop compressors that are quiet (70-80 decibels) which can be had for around $200. When you compare that to dedicated airbrush quiet compressor & 1 liter tank for $300! Seems worth the hassle of doing the neck down to 1/4''.
This is mostly for us who already have shop compressor. But you can't carry shop compressor in middle of your house in order to do some art or in cosmetic shop... Or you can but it's not practical 😂
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. One note is that I like your idea of the m/m brass fitting but its located to closely to the tank. At that proximity the water is vapor and the filter will not catch it properly. I would change your setup to add in a 8 ft-25ft hose inbetween the tank and water filter. Try it and you will see moisture being caught by your filter. Thanks again👊😀
I couldn't find any information anywhere EXCEPT here for regular air compressor and airbrush connection and this is the gold standard in information and presentation, concise short sweet to the point can't ask for more.
This exactly what I was looking for. What would have been helpful is to have links with information about each of the parts so I could just click on the link and order the parts.
dear thank you so much didnt want to have to buy another compressor i have a craftsman pancake style and a long hose i put it in the house in another room run the hose where i need it thank you so much just getting started with airbrushing on my drums and hot wheels and makeup your so down to earth easy to under stand hugs thanks so much nikki
Thank you for producing such a clear "how-to". I am returning to airbrush painting and as I own a bostitch compressor and many parts that survived my hiatus, this cleared a path for me. I heartily recommend your video may ABers regardless of their status.
Amazing... this is 'exactly' what I needed, and as someone else expressed, its videos like this that make youtube an invaluable resource. You saved me at least $300 and maybe even more. I'm going to connect my pancake compressor that I use in my garage for most things to an Airbrush .
Great video. I’ve been heming and hawing on how to power my airbrush and given the cost of a dedicated airbrush compressor I think I’ll indeed just do this. In my case the pancake compressor will sit in the garage and quick connect to a line on the wall , that line runs though the ceiling to then exist in my hobby room where I’ll quick connect up the actual airbrush hose. So if the compressor comes in it’s not a floors with of sound dampening to me. The only addition is recommend is after oil and water trap out an airbrush pressure regulator. A third regulator I know. This one with a range of 1-50 or so. That way you can fine dial in the pressures as getting 5psi vs 13 vs 24 is hard on the shop compressor regulator. Again thanks for an excellent video.
Thanks for the informative video sir. I had the right idea but was planning (still am?) to put the air brush hose downstream from the big rubber hose I already had for filling tires, cleaning computers etc. But doing it this way would make more sense, for one thing it would keep the filter right side up. Not sure if this is necessary but maybe I should have thought of that. I'll have to sit a lot closer to the compressor than I wanted but the setup here looks like the best option for my needs.
I'm new to airbrushing and this is the perfect setup for a beginner like myself without breaking the bank. Thanks a lot for the informative and to the point video.
It did help. I already have a plug for my full size air compressor in the new shop in case I needed air tools. A hose and water trap a lot cheaper than a dedicated hobby air compressor. Thanks.
Thank you for the video, i got an airbrush with a tiny compressor that fits in your palm but can't push out paint unless it is really thin. So i am looking to hook it to a workshop air compressor
This is nearly identical to my current setup, without the 4" pipe. I used the quick-connect fittings directly on my filter/moisture trap. However, my Porter Cable is beginning to lose pressure and it was used before it was given to me, so I'm going to retire it for safety reasons. This has been a great setup however - when you're in the zone painting and that compressor cuts back on...whew! It can be a real shock. I've nearly dropped models and spilled paint a few times. Going to look for a quieter compressor next.
These is a brilliant idea and very well and easy to follow explained...now I have a question do you think it's better to use a big compressor like these rather then a small airbrush compressor...because with a small tank compressor I think you lose a bit pressure dont you...
A small airbrush compressor should be able to handle any airbrush task. Many airbrush compressors do not have a tank, providing constant pressure for just the airbrush. The advantage to using a shop compressor is not having to buy an airbrush compressor.
Thanks for posting. This is what I want to do with my shop compressor. Then I can sell my little 1/5 HP airbrush compressor. My shop compressor has an 8 gallon tank. I looked at my Badger hose and the one end fits perfectly with a 1/4 inch fitting. However I have 2 airbrushes with quick connectors and want to use the non-Badger hose. So I will need 1 reducer from 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch male fitting coming out of the water trap. The Badger hose would fit the 1/4 inch fitting so now I have two options.
Thanks so much for the info, and tips! Not only was it very helpful, but you just saved me on about half my bill, since shop compressors are in no short supply around my house!
Great video, thanks much! I knew I was In the right place when you said everything was found at Home Depot! That was my biggest concern to that point - where to find the right fittings.
Shopping list. 1/4 in Compressor filter. 1/4 in male to male Connector 1/4 in male to male Brass pipe - 4" long 1/4 in. x 1/4 in. NPT Male Industrial Brass Plug Quick connector. (May vary depending on compressor) Hose with 1/4 in fitting. Teflon tape.
I am thinking of airbrushing some touch up porecelin paint for bathroom sink , bottom has some lines which I water sanded smooth. What do you think I had planned on doing remolding later thought this could be an interesting project what do you think
excellent video sir, i'm new to airbrushing, don't even have one yet. I have a little california air 2 gallon compressor. My question to you is, have you tried airbrushing without the filter? How much moisture does it produce? Basically wondering if I can get away with not even putting the filter on. Thanks
Actually, I have never seen any water in the filter bowl, so you could try it and see. The reason I use a filter is for a belt and suspenders approach. It is inexpensive and it only takes 1 drop of moisture to ruin a model car paint job.
A filter on the output side is belt and suspenders. If your compressor puts out moisture-free air, you don't need a filter, but a horror story associated with a drop of water hitting a paint job out of your airbrush makes a filter a cheap investment. :)
So much helpful info on this video very well done and very considerate of the viewer which is not a surprise considering a mature adult is doing it! One question I still have you didn’t mention needing any type of flow regulator
The P/C compressor shown in the video has a regulator built in as shown toward the end of the video. If your compressor does not have a regulator, then yes, you would need to add one at the output of the compressor with the rest of the parts added to it, especially with airbrush pressure being at the low end of the scale.
blueholebob thank you, my compressor, much like yours had the regulator as well... Can’t believe how easy this worked with only 10$ airbrush ... plus I can touch up everything I need to w/o compressor kicking on... so glad I didn’t waste 85$ on something I didn’t need!
I was wondering if I could use my Bosch 6-gallon pancake air compressor for airbrushing - thanks for saying "Yes you can!". I do have one question: Would it be better to have a more precise regulator than using the compressor's? I would think adding one that works in the 0-30 psi range so that working pressures could be more precisely set. Would you consider the set-up now over-designed and precise regulator unnecessary? My set-up concept would just use my air hose to my spray bench, then a moisture trap and regulator, and finally the actual airbrush hose. Many thanks for your thoughts on this.
@@blueholebob So to be clear, you find a sweet spot pressure for your airbrushing needs, using the compressor's built-in regulator - and don't worry what that value is actually set at? That does makes sense - the best pressure is based upon medium used - and influenced by temperature and humidity. Unless one is airbrushing in a controlled environment, knowing to what pressure is set, +/- 0.50 psi, is interesting - but not very useful information. Good thoughts - thanks for the response.
@@melcoleman7372 Your regulator gauge is just to get you in the ballpark. You are always going to do some test shots to determine best pressure by how your airbrush actually sprays whatever you are spraying. Also, you can always use a second, lower pressure, more precise regulator in a two stage setup if you feel the need.
The airbrush hose is shown connected to the output of the filter toward the end of the video. This 1/4" connector is part of the badger airbrush hose that came with the airbrush set and also has a 1/8" adapter built in. The specific answer to your question is, yes, you need a hose for your airbrush with a 1/4" connector. It is not a part of the items outlined in the video, but shown as a typical setup with a Badger.
how come the other end of your hose is fit to 1/4 male connector and the other end looks fit on 1/8 ? did you customized it?o is there any converter needed to achieved that?
Jerome: I missed your question, so sorry for a late reply. The badger hose has a 1/8" fitting at the airbrush end, but a dual fitting at the compressor end, with both 1/8" and 1/4" connectors.
thanks for this video. I thought the badger hose was 1/4 to 1/16, isn't it? I have a tamiya airbrush which is 1/8, so I will need a 1/4 to 1/8 adaptor instead
Hello Good Sir, Great detailed video. I am currently, trying, to set up a very similar set-up. Please correct me if wrong, but near the end when you were testing the air after setting up, you said you could a-b for 2 min. before the compressor would kick back on to top up, I realize you weren't sending paint through, but is that correct that it would need to kick on that quick? Again, I am a rookie to compressors, please forgive my ignorance. I was also planning to store outside(new England) sheltered(not temp. controlled) and running hoses to my studio. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks
The recharging time sounds short, but seemed like a long time, and I would not likely paint wide open for more than 2 minutes. Plus, I was surprised to see that the airbrush was not affected by painting during the recharge period, making it possible to keep on truckin'. I can't help much on the NE outdoor storage, but you could try it to see the effect of painting with very cold air.
Airbrushing at 30psi? Wow. For modelers, 12-20 is adequate. The regulator valve on that compressors is not fine enough, so I would want to ad a second, with the ranges needed for modeling. Great video though, thanks!
Thanks for your comments. Using the badger shown in the video, I have airbrushed between 25-30 psi with no issues, but there are a lot of variables. Of course, a "serious" modeler would likely have a better setup than an occasional airbrush user.
The regulator valve on that compressors is not fine enough,Yes! Also when one starts to spray the DPI will drop, so set your setting when you are spraying use a check setting airbrush valve at the in air-in-take on your airbrush and you will have the right setting for whatever it is you are working on.
This is something I've been pondering, adding a 2nd low-range but finely-controlled regulator. If someone else thought of this idea also, I choose to believe that means I'm not 100% crazy :) ... @blueholebob, thanks for the vid, shows it can be done, it really would be nice to just have one compressor to deal with for all the various tasks.
Siphon feed airbrushes like the one for this setup often reqire slightly higher pressure than the more popular gravity feed airbrushes for minature painting. In any case, if you are worried about the precision of the regulator you could purchase a combinatiom moisture trap/regulator, run 40psi or so off the compresser and knock it down further before it hits your airbrush.
thanks for the video...so happy to see a video done by an adult! my question is this...when the compressor turns back on how much pressure is still in the tank? can you adjust the set point? and how long would the tank last using an airbrush, if the compressor was turned off? thanks in advance. do you have any videos on how to prevent a mother-in-law from speaking? (she chewed through the muzzle)
Of course, specs on compressors will vary. My P/C compressor is 3.5 gallons, rated at 135 psi, which shows on the gauge at shut-off as apprx. 125 psi. My flow tests from full tank to restart were 2 minutes at full-on with no paint, taking 10-15 seconds to recharge. My regulator was set to 30 psi to the airbrush. However, when using it to paint, the flow would continue for long periods of off-on, without running out of air. Also, as stated in the video, using the airbrush during recharge had no effect on the flow...no pulsation. As for your M-I-L, my only suggestion would be to turn on your compression when she appears, and make sure your ear protectors are on, giving another layer of chatter isolation. :) Bluehole Bob
@@hansvonstetten3236 You can buy canisters for filling with compressed air. They are portable and not very expensive. Some take awhile to fill, but it is an alternative to dragging around a heavy compressor.
Now that I know what I need, I hope I can find it. So far, it's a big no-go. As a veteran that lives in the Philippines, much of the items easily found at home depot, are unicorns in this market. Really sucks!
Is there any reason why I can't leave the compressor in the garage, then run a line to my spray booth in the basement and THEN add the filter, regulator, etc.?
I see no reason this couldn't be done. That said, here are just a few thoughts. You might encounter a few issues if the distance is very long, like hose kinks or twisting. You would also want some wiggle room between the airbrush and the connections, because trying to use the airbrush without some freedom of movement would be cumbersome. The advantage I see is the reduction of noise. Seems like you could accomplish any configuration and still leave the hardware attached at the compressor, as long as you don't put stress on the compressor attachments.
You'll run into problems if you travel too far. Hoses lose pressure over distance. Over 100', a 3/4" pipe will lose 44 psi if 100 psi is blasted at the one end.
@@NEB3310 Good point. using larger diameter pipe for the run may be an answer for the drop in pressure and reducing the size when ending the run. You will have to be prepared for an increase in water in your air though. Air is heated as it is compressed warm air holds more humidity than cold air so as the air cools water droplets form like dew the longer the air travels from the compressor the lower its temp, so the more water becomes an issue. Additional water filtration should occur was close to the air brush as practical.
If you don't have a badger with the 1/4" fitting you need a 1/4" female to 1/8" male compression adapter. Which is not found at home depot. I thought I would have this set up in one day. I'll see what happens.
I work for a well known company that make aerosol paint. It costs us about 65 cents per can; that's everything, paint, can lid. We then sell it to you for about $15.
Actually yea. I have a small compressor I was gifted for filling my car tires and a nail gun. This is something I really wanted to use it for and now with your ingenuity I can buy the parts put it together and get an airbrush and step up my warhammer army painting to another level as well as get better coverage Like and saving this video for future reference
