I was less impressed with the HF airbrush than anyone else in the forum. I'm a Badger single action fan.
As for hose to compressor fittings, it is a confusopoly like buying a new cell phone or life or health insurance. It is intentionally too complicated to understand.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
richhotrain jjdamnit The 1/5 HP 58 PSI Oil-Free Airbrush Compressor Kit includes a moisture trap and pressure gauge. The pressure gauge only monitors the PSI output. I added a pressure regulator to the output side of the moisture trap. This addition required plumbing some adapters but really helps when airbrushing to monitor the pressure to the airbrush. I have the exact same setup which I just purchased this week at Harbor Freight. As you indicate, it does require plumbing some adapters since the fittings on the compressor and the airbrush are all 1/8" NPT and the fittings on the regulator are 1/4" NPT. My plan is to purchase a 1/4" NPT (M) x 1/8" NPT (F) fitting for the compressor side and a 1/4" NPT (M) x 1/8" NPT (M) fitting for the airbrush side. Do you recall if these were your specs for the fittings? Rich
jjdamnit The 1/5 HP 58 PSI Oil-Free Airbrush Compressor Kit includes a moisture trap and pressure gauge. The pressure gauge only monitors the PSI output. I added a pressure regulator to the output side of the moisture trap. This addition required plumbing some adapters but really helps when airbrushing to monitor the pressure to the airbrush.
The 1/5 HP 58 PSI Oil-Free Airbrush Compressor Kit includes a moisture trap and pressure gauge. The pressure gauge only monitors the PSI output.
I added a pressure regulator to the output side of the moisture trap.
This addition required plumbing some adapters but really helps when airbrushing to monitor the pressure to the airbrush.
I have the exact same setup which I just purchased this week at Harbor Freight. As you indicate, it does require plumbing some adapters since the fittings on the compressor and the airbrush are all 1/8" NPT and the fittings on the regulator are 1/4" NPT.
My plan is to purchase a 1/4" NPT (M) x 1/8" NPT (F) fitting for the compressor side and a 1/4" NPT (M) x 1/8" NPT (M) fitting for the airbrush side. Do you recall if these were your specs for the fittings?
Rich
Alton Junction
Dunderhead I'm gonna back off on something that has a noisy compressor.
Hi Dunderhead,
Modern technology has allowed compressors to run very quietly. I recently replaced my extremely loud pancake compressor with one of these and the difference is amazing! This is a Canadian listing so your price will be lower:
https://www.amazon.ca/California-Air-Tools-CAT-1P1060S-Compressor/dp/B01LYHYHEA/ref=sr_1_2?crid=33ZMHR77G8QOG&keywords=California+air+compressors&qid=1683664522&sprefix=california+air+compressors%2Caps%2C93&sr=8-2&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.d0e27fc4-6417-4b26-97cb-f959a9930752
You can get the same compressor with an accessory kit that includes a flex coil hose, air nozzle and various fittings for about $22.00 more but personally I don't like the hoses with the permanent coil.
This compressor has enough power to inflate tires and blow leaves and debris out of gutters etc. It weighs just over 20 lbs and is quite compact.
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Thank you for all your replies everyone. Obviously there is more here to consider. Happy Trails.
Allen
having airbrushed for about the last 30 years I can say I would be leary of that unit. I find I need to adjust air pressure depending on the paint I use. I can vary anywhere from 20 PSI up to 40-45 PSi. I doubt that self contained unit can do that. Also I am suspecting that thing won't last long. I never have good luck with battery technology. My big shop air compressor is plumbed into my basement shop so I don't have to deal with the noise.
Dan
If I want to use an airbrush indoors instead of outside on my patio, I have a 15 gallon portable air tank from my auto racing days that I charge up with air from my garage compressor and use that as my air source. This produces only a soft whooshing noise as air is released. Harbor Freight sells similar tanks. You could also use an automotive spare tire the same way.
Hornblower
Yeah, I'm gonna back off on something that has a noisy compressor. That's why I was looking at the self-contained unit.
When I started airbrushing, I used this small piston-type air pump, powered by a 1/4HP electric motor....
Later, I inherited a compressor that my late father had built from some odds and ends at his workplace.I can't offer much info on how it works, but it has been faultless for almost 40 years....no leaks, no water in the compressor's air, and absolutely no maintenance needed.I was told that the compressor consists of two intermeshing vertical screws in an oil bath making the provided air. Here's what it looks like from the back...
...and a couple of other views...
...the hose for the airbrush goes on the brass fitting above the on/off switch, which controls the electric motor.I would have thought that the black fitting to the right (made from two welded-together items originally used on older refrigerator motors) was for collecting moisture from the compressed air, but opening the valve produced no water at all.
While I can't explain exactly how it works, I've never experienced any difficulties with it at all.
Wayne
Hello All,
DunderheadGoing to Harbor Freight today to check things out.
Have fun and don't spend too much !
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
Hopefully, HF still has their single and dual action airbrushes on the shelves. If you don't see them, ask for assistance. Also look at the HF braided air hose as it is as good as any name brand airbrush air hose I've ever seen and you can't beat the price.
Going to Harbor Freight today to check things out.
I was going to recommend starting with the Harbor Freight single action airbrush but I can't find it or the dual-action (just the airbrush) on their current website. HF used to offer a single action airbrush for $10 that was a virtual clone of the Badger 350. It was a perfect "beginners" airbrush as you could make all of the usual beginner mistakes with it and when you finally destroyed it, you were only out $10. However, with a little care, it is a perfectly good airbrush. I'm currently on my third one (yes, I destroyed the first one makng all the beginner mistakes while the second one rusted out from the inside from not drying it out after cleaning). The current airbrush has lasted several years now and still works perfectly. In fact, it works so well I have no desire to purchase a more expensive unit. The dual action airbrush sold for around $20 and appears to be the same airbrush sold in the previously mentioned "beginner's airbrush setup" for $90. I also have one of these airbrushes and it works even better than the single action airbrush. It is also much better quality than the single action airbrush (all metal versus mostly plastic). I bought one of HF's small portable compressors with a tank so that I don't get any pulsing in the air flow PLUS I can use the compressor for other tasks/tools. I got mine on sale for $35, too! Yes, it's much louder than the airbrush compressor but I just use a long air hose to get away from the compressor.
Lots to learn with airbrushing, air pressure, thinning, temperature, technique, etc., can be fun, yet frustrating at times. Much time could be saved had I taken more reference notes. Greatly important; a clean airbrush is a happy airbrush.
Of course, everyone's different and 'practice makes perfect', but I've found it difficult to put aside old single-action brush habits and get consistantly good results with a double-action, might have been better off starting with a double.
Still in all, when the airbrush gods smile it's quite rewarding to lay down a nice smooth coat or feather in just the right amount of weathering.
Good luck and regards, Peter
Things have gotten smaller, haven't they? https://www.micromark.com/Micro-Mark-Self-Contained-Portable-Broad-Spray-Airbrush
No experience with it. 40 years ago I bought a Badger airbrush and compressor. I never did the exercises Wayne did, because if I was trying to paint a straight line, I used tape to mask the area.
In my previous move, I couldn't find my airbrush and bought the HF. I didn't think it was as good, but I was painting a building, not some angel on a Harley tank, so it was good enough. The Badger compressor had a tendency to spit water so I got a pancake compressor, when they cost <$100. No more water droplets and lots of spray time compared to the Micro Mark 20 min.
If you freelance you can paint your own color scheme or if you build kits, you can make your building unique. Painting is one of my favorite parts of this hobby.
Check out Harbor Freight Tools.
They have an inexpensive beginner airbrushing "kit" for $89.99 (minus tax & shipping).
It's a good place to start with a great compressor.
You can always upgrade the other components around the compressor.
I was persuaded to try airbrushing by the owner of a now long-gone hobbyshop, as I was brush-painting Athearn locomotives (in TH&B colours) because I had submitted photos of them to Model Railroader.
By the time I finished 66 of them, Atlas came out with nicely-done ones, as did Walthers.
I then decided to try airbrushing, and followed some of the basic suggestions that were contained in a small booklet, which came with my Paasche dual-action airbrush.
The first suggestion was to try to make the tiniest small dots (with the least spattering) and once that exercise was done, connect the dots with the straightest and thinnest lines possible.I was surprised that I quickly accomplished the tiny dots, and then began connecting them, with what appeared to be straight lines done with a pencil and ruler...but no pencil nor any ruler was used.
There were probably more suggestions in the booklet, but I simply went ahead and started airbrushing about four dozen boxcars that I had recently purchased, changing colours, as-needed, then began mixing slightly different colours.Once the airbrushing was done, I used both C-D-S dry transfers and Champ decals to letter the cars, then decided to add some weathering effects, again using the airbrush.
I've probably done several hundred pieces of rolling stock for various friends and acquaintances, and dozens of brass (and plastic or cast metal) locomotives, too.Pretty-well all of the structures on my layout were also airbrush-painted.
I doubt that I could do the tiny straight lines nowadays, but I still do a lot of airbrush work for several friends and acquaintances, and, when I have time, also for mself.
Well I've decided to take the plunge and buy into airbrushing. Does anyone have any experience with the self-contained system sold by Micro-Mark? Thanks for any input.