Compressor for Siphon feed airbrush

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pinmall

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I am new to airbrushing and was able to get a siphon feed airbrush for christmas. I also received a gravity feed that came with a small little compressor from Master C-16-B Black Mini Compressor. It says it can max out at 25 psi. Should this mini compressor be enough for the siphon feed airbrush?
 
You should be good to go... I started with Badger Crescendo ( bottom feed) and a Testors diaphragm compressor. The compressor was only capable of 20psi.
 
So I tried it and it didn't work. I even tried just water in the bottle and it didn't pull up. Thought or where to trouble shoot. I do understand it is a cheaper brand, but I just want to try it first before I invest too much money.
 
Are you using airbrush appropriate paint? Also check to see if there is any obstructions in the airbrush and the fluid nozzle tip.
 
I was given a cheap no brand siphon airbrush to see if I could do anything with it and it would only work with over 60 PSI and that was with only water in it so I guess 25 psi wont cut it for that airbrush
 
Hi @pinmall check out the videos on airbrushtutor.com They will give you an idea of what you need for compressors and what brushes do what. Pop along to the intro section as well and say Hi for us, we find it good to get to know people. Where you are int eh world, what you are wanting to do, gear you have, arty background, that sort of thing.

Thanks, Mark
 
Siphons do use more air than gravity, and although the compressor may put out 25 psi, by the time ot gets to your ab, that may well have dropped.
 
Siphons generally are used in the range of 25-45 PSI..Unless using higher reductions the standard is about 35 PSI..25 for standard 50% reductions, even lower in some cases with higher reductions but generally they want some oooomph!
 
You really need something with a tank, otherwise air can pulse, which will make airflow inconsistent. It also means it will run continuously and will likely overheat, which will cause it to cut out until it cools again.

Is noise an issue?? If not then you are better off getting a regular compressor from a D.I.Y/hardwear shop etc. They are loud, but it is the cheapest option - and if you are handy you could reduce the noise by making a box etc ( making sure not to affect aorflow etc) just make sure it has a water trap and regulator. A few people have even replaced motors for fridge ones.

If noise is an issue then unfortunately that means it gets more expensive. I have the noisy kind, but hopefully someone can advise a good model once they know where you are and what's available near you.
 
I am with Squishy on this , that little compressor has a real small tank and it will run hot real fast , having said that I have a small back up compressor that looks much the same as that one and it does work if you only have short airbrush sessions like 15 to 20 min at the time and give it time to cool again
if you plan to airbrush for hours on end you better save up and buy a better one
 
I will not be brushing for hours, but what I did find was a 5 gallon tank that I could fill up with my compressor in the garage. I'm thinking I could use the 5 gallon tank in the basement so that it is not the loud compressor???
Thoughts
 
I will not be brushing for hours, but what I did find was a 5 gallon tank that I could fill up with my compressor in the garage. I'm thinking I could use the 5 gallon tank in the basement so that it is not the loud compressor???
Thoughts

Whats the possibility of running a hose from the compressor in your garage down to your basement?, if that was possible you wouldn't need to fill a tank every so often and since the compressor is in the garage it will still be silent in your basement, use connectors that you can easily remove so that you can use the compressor for the stuff it was already doing in your garage, and then all you in your basement is a regulator/moisture trap on your desk or screwed to the wall near your work area.
 
I will not be brushing for hours, but what I did find was a 5 gallon tank that I could fill up with my compressor in the garage. I'm thinking I could use the 5 gallon tank in the basement so that it is not the loud compressor???
Thoughts

Always good to have a tank, prob is though your compressor will still only essentially be able to put in a max of 25 PSI into that tank, once it equalizes to 25 PSI, your compressor wnt be able to pump any more into it, will give you a buffer and help remove any pulsation for sure but once you start pulling anything out of that tank and drop it to 15 PS which will happen pretty quick on a 5 gallon tank your compressor will kick in again, so essentially it will give ya a few extra minutes of painting..but not too much. If you could pump that tank up to 80-100 PSi or higher if rated to such and then regulate off that you will get much more panting time in between the a compressor of any type kicking in but you really need if using siphon a lot something a touch bigger, the gravity though may handle the lower pressures much better until you sort out another option....An alternative if noise is an issue is also considering a sound proof box for a Hobby style compressor..Good luck
 
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