I got this tip over on the airbrush forum I frequent and thought I would pass it along. If anyone needs an inexpensive compressor for airbrushing then this compressor from Harbor Freight has been given a good review by a woman over on the airbrush forum. She is a veteran T-shirt artist and she tried one of these out recently during the Christmas rush at a mall and put it through the paces. She said it came through with flying colors and recommends it to anyone looking for an inexpensive compressor. She said it was only slightly louder than the C-H “Quiet Compressor” which has really turned out to be a lemon. I thought I would pass on the information to anyone here looking for something inexpensive as it sells for only $79.99.
It is a 2 HP with a 2.6 gallon tank and it is oil filled.
That seems pretty good. Did she give any indication of how loud “slightly louder than the SH quiet compressor” is? I may just go ahead and fork over the extra bucks for the Scorpion 2 if it’s fairly loud. I have to run this thing indoors, so it’s got to be really quiet. Excellent tip Mike!
Yea thanks Mike… I’m wonderin the same thing. Just how quiet might it be. I’d want to run it indoors too. I wouldn’t mind this great deal but was tossing around the ideal of the silent air.
I wouldn’t say it is quiet enough for indoors use like you would like.
The woman that used it in the mall used the old trick that T-shirt artists use to silence the compressor. They build a wood box and line the inside with either egg-crate foam or insulation and put the compressor in it.
When you build the box you have to leave a couple of inches off the bottom of the box on the ends to allow air to get into the box, and then install a 5" or so fan in a cut out on one end of the box to exhaust the heat. It would work even better for model painting as the compressor will not come on as much spraying at 10-25 psi. In T-shirt painting the pressure is between 55-100 (most use around 60 psi, me included) so the compressor tank empties faster and the motor therefore has to run more often causing it to get hotter in the box.
i own a cambell and hausfeld 2 gallon compressor that mikes comparing the harbor frieght compressor to. the c&h is very annoying. its not that loud, but man it grates on the nerves. the little compressor that could chugs and chugs and after about 25 minutes (exaggeration offcourse, but it seems like it) more like 90 seconds it refills the tank and mercifully silence resumes. thats the one i converted with the frig motor because i was worried about my sanity. im sure the harbor frieght deal is made along the same lines as far as noise is concerned. i lucked up and found the c&h at a side show for $40 bucks. (probably still got ripped)thats a cool looking compressor you found there mike.
I know what you mean about using that fridge motor.
I used a Sears 1-1/2 hp 12 gal tank compressor for a long time and had it in a shed in the back yard so that I didn’t have to hear it. I am spoiled now with the Jun-Air silent compressor. I can run that thing anytime day or night and it won’t bother anyone. [;)]
i saw a picture of that compressor i think mike. you posted it a while back didnt ya? the silent compressor is very much worth the money if you have to be in the same room with it. when i flipped the switch to on in the warehouse sized building i bought the c&h from, it sounded fairly silent, something i could stand. my mentality was, hey, it wont come on much if im sprayin at 10-15 psi. ha! it always managed to come on when i was least expecting it. i looked like sylvester the cat on looney toons where someone scares him and he jumps and sticks to the cieling. the phone would ring and i could barely hear it over the noise, and the phone is in the same room with me. i have hard wood floors in my hobby room/office so the acoustics are a little on the amplified side. later fellows. hope you find what your looking for josh. [zzz]
I may just go ahead with the Silentaire then. I don’t really have the tools and facilties to do any woodworking or mods to anything. It would just be simpler and easier all around to go with the Scorpion2. All this input is great, after buying that first Aztek airbrush with no prior research, I’m all over checking things like this out ahead of time now. Chris, I need you to build me a house
Oh yeah, blueprints. There’s always a catch somewhere. My grandfather used to build custom homes, so I’m a little familiar with it, but not too much. I guess I have to save around 100 grand or so first. That’ll take me several years and maybe I’ll have a house by the time I retire. I’ll probably just end up having to buy a used one.
Is that all a house costs in Oklahoma? Wow! [:0]
A 3-bedroom, 1 bath in my neighborhood is going anywhere from $350,000-$375,000. [V]
It’s getting rediculous here for prices. I wish I could pack up and move to Idaho or something. [:D]
For an entry level 3 bedroom 2 bath in a decent neighborhood, you’re looking at about 110-115 here in the middle/south part of town. That’s anywhere from 1800 to 2300 square feet depending. I’ve heard that San Francisco has some of the highest real estate prices in the country. 350k here will get you a very very nice house.
My boss bought a 135 acre ranch outside of town a couple of years ago for 280k, it’s got two houses, a barn and a workshop, a big creek (almost a river), 2 ponds and one small lake. The main drawback is that he has to commute an hour to work now. A fair trade I’d say.
Sounds like a nice house Josh.
Unfortunately Oklahoma is not the kind of weather I would care to be in.
I have passed through traveling with my parents when I was a kid and Oklahoma and Texas were too hot for my tastes.
The tornados don’t sound too appealing either. [:D]
$100,000.00 may get your foot in the door josh. just teasin’ man. it sounds like the price of realestate is basically the same here in lower alabama as they are in okie. one things for sure here too mike, the closer you get to the ocean, the more bucks ya gonna shuck. im nearly debt free and when i do get debt free, im goin south to Gulf Shores to build a spec house or 3 (if the Lord tarry that is). i can build a very basic 12 - 1400 sqft. home where i live and it appraises for around 65,000 beans. you go 90 miles south to “near” the coast, and that same house sales for 130,000 beans. it takes the same amount of materials/labor (and the materials is usually cheaper down there because theres so much development goin on down there) invested, but you can make twice what you make here in redneckville. not tryin’ to brag or anythintg, but i took my backhoe down there the last hurricane that came through and racked up on some change by scooping sand from parking lots and dumping it back onto the beach. my rear end was a little chapped, but i got over it as soon as they wrote me the check! built a couple sets of stairs down there 2 yrs ago and made around $1,500 in 2 days! they pay to play in that area. i would love to just move down there but i cant drag my debt with me. oh, what was the question? i get started talkin about building and my blood gets to pumping. i love to build guys! i think I would bust if i couldnt. later friends.
Only a 100 grand for a house? Boy, do I live in the wrong neighborhood! Ok, I’m about 80 miles east of SF and the prices of homes have risen to the average price of $250,000 in the neighborhoods and increasing. I lucked out in 1998 when I bought my home. I paid cash for it at exactly the right time when the median price was $92,000 and you can see how much the price around here has risen. I’m glad I’m not shopping for a home now! I should sell the house; take the profits and move…anywhere but here (and not SF!)
Yeah Chris, I’d be excited about 1500 bucks for 2 days of work as well. That’s a hell fo an hourly wage. Think of all the kits it would buy. I am going to start looking around town for a decent house pretty soon though.
Mike, it’s only hot here for the 5 months of summer, the rest of the time it’s fairly cold. And the tornados rarely hit you specifically, they usually hit people in the surrounding towns. I’ve only personally seen 2 of them in all the time that I’ve lived here.
That really really big one from a few years ago got to within 3 miles of me though, I did sweat that one a little bit.
do you know what my wife would do if she found out i spent $1500 on kits?!!! she dont work, she dont keep the books, but she has ways of finding out where i spend my money some how. she would plot revenge with a shopping spree for our 3 year old and i would pay double for all those kits!!!1[:(] my wife and i have a wonderful relationship and i wouldnt trade her for the world. she’s an awesome wife and mom. she takes good care of us both! and keeps me in line.
PS: i say she doesnt work, but she’s a stay at home mom with a 3 year old daughter and a lazy husband[V]! she’s on call 24/7 and she does a wonderful job. and no, shes not standing over my shoulder while i type this! later fellows.
Ahhh, it’s more worth it to keep the domestic peace than it is to have hundreds of models waiting on you. I understand completely Chris. Keeping up with a 3 year old is hard work, I have an 8 year old brother that I watched after all the time since he was a baby. Hi to the wife, I’m sure she’s a great one!
