Stopping moisture. & large compressor usage

J

Juicegoose

Guest
I'm new to airbrushing and am currently using a badger 105 and a cheapo harborfreight Ab compressor. I live down in Houston TX where the heat and humidity are comparable to a sauna. While airbrushing i've noticed several times that I get moisture through the compressor mounted filter trap.

My thoughts on stopping the moisture was to purchase another filter regulator that I can mount at the end of a 10foot line close to my work station. I would open the compressor mounted filter 100% and use the now local filter as my regulator. I also picked up some in line filters for at the brush itself. I'm assuming this should help eliminate the moisture problem but I'm concerned i'm restricting my air to much.

My other option I've recently thought of is to use my 30gal 2 stage shop compressor.
I would have to purchase a filter for it and again from what i gather the way to mount it is at the end of the line not at the tank.
obviously this would be louder when it kicks on but using such small amounts of air it wouldn't kick on often.

What are your opinions.
 
You can also get a coiled hoses between your compressor and workstation. The coil will cool the more of the air down and before it reaches the middle filter.
 
So just a standard ab coiled hose between first and second filter and leave the compressor mounted filter regulator installed. Then have a straight line from second filter to inline filter at gun.
 
Hey there neighbor! I live in Houton too (Conroe). It's frickin hot here!

I use a 4.6 gallon compressor. It kicks on about once or twice an hour.

I drain the moisture from the tank before and after every use, and even sometimes mid-project if I think it will help. I have a long air hose running to my work station too. That helps cool the air. At my work area I have two mounted air traps and that's where I regulate my air. I leave it turned up at the compressor like you said. My last line of defense is an Iwata pistol grip inline filter, and I STILL get water in there! Gotta love Texas.


P.S.: Best bang for your buck...

image.jpeg

Quietest compressor I've ever used and cost about 100 bucks.
 
All compressor will make moisture , Moisture traps at the compress and at any line break if you have a plumbed airline system and one of the pistol air traps designed for the AB pretty much cuts it out.
Draining the air tank on the compressor at least once a month is another good way to keep air out of the system
Even the Senco that is posted above will make moisture .
 
oh ya no doubt. As of late I've resorted to sticking my ab compressor in my outdoor fridge and running the line out the door. Dry air in there.
 
That is a good solution. Regular draining of water and an additional moisture filter will help!
 
A coiled hose may help but doesn't stop condensation, what it does is uses centrifugal force to hold the water where it does condensate and to slow its ability of working its way through the hose, by the sounds a final moisture trap on the gun (mini traps) will be your best solution unless you want to spend a shizload on a dehumidifier for the air, if you find it filling to fast you may need to sort a better solution. You will likely notice the issue more in winter for hose condensation as the temperature difference is what creates the effect and of course the amount of moisture in the air. When its hot and the compressed air is also heated less natural hose condensation will occur and your likely mainly dealing with the humidity of the air, so in winter you may find its a water pump but in summer unless its really humid you shouldn't have huge issues that a mini trap wont sort for ya..Good luck.

PS You can make a basic water trap by hanging your hose and halfway through allowing the hose to dip in a natural u shape, this is the lowest point of a hung hose and where most condensate will collect, effectively creating your own water trap, if you look at a lot of hard wired systems u bends are used with a draining point at the bottom to allow drainage of condensate that collects in that gravity well. And if you do paint in high humidity, empty your compressor more regulary and this may also help..
 
A lot of the newer "quiet" compressors on the market accomplish this with lower rpm motors. Lower rpm's also means the motor doesn't get as hot. Less hot = less moisture. I like your fridge idea haha. Whatever works, right?
 
Thanks guys. Ya the fridge I idea works great when you think about it. It is dry air conditioned space. Keeps the compressor cool and air dryer. I checked my water trap while using it a lot the other day and had zero water at all.

As a side note I got in my second water filter regulator last night and installed it on the opposite end of the on compressor regulator through a 1/8" coiled airbrush hose. I then installed a in-line filter on my gun and just tried some thinner and all seemed to be okay.

Problem I had was that a buddy let me have his Paasche H for primer and clear and when trying to run the small compressor at a constant 20-30 psi for the thicker stuff it simply couldn't keep up.
I rigged up some fittings and connected the paasche H to my large 30 gallon compressor via a 50 foot hose just to see how long i could run the airbrush before the motor kicked in and it was a long time!!.

I think I might be using the paasche H with the large compressor while trying to apply primer and such.
 
My compressor is attached to a 1" pvc pipe capped at both ends.
I mounted it on the workbench at an angle so in 8ft it drops an inch.
Any moisture collects on the inside and runs to the trap I mounted at the lower end.
I just added regulated connectors for the hoses by drilling and threading the pvc, this system
works great for me even with the humidity here in the south.
I do have a dehumidifier in the room with an external drain and keep it set to 30% humidity.
It produces enough water per day to feed all of my tomato plants.:thumbsup:
 
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