Hello, I have a couple of questions about using an air compressor with an airbrush. I have an aztek a4709 airbrush and I just went out and bought a craftsman air compressor. It’s a small one, 3 gallon - 1 1/2 horsepower.
It has regulator that can go down to 5 psi. I was wondering, will that be low enough? Or will I need one that goes down even lower?
Also, the airbrush has a 1/4 inch connector (I think) and the compressor has a 3/8 inch connector. Where can I get a hose that will work? At my local hobby shop? Thanks.
The lowest I go with a gravity feed is about 12-15 psi anything lower doesn’t atomize well or spray reliably.
If your hobby shop has Aztek hoses yes it should work, most airbrushes require the same company’s hose. Badger and Thayer & Chandler work for both brands, Iwata has their own and Paasche has their own. I would assume Aztek uses their own hose too but I could be wrong as I have never used one.
Glad to hear you found your hose. All you need to do is get an adapter. You can find them at most well stocked hardware stores or plumbing supply stores. Don’t forget a little Teflon tape on the threads. [;)]
Hey, 99–congratulations on buying a real air compressor instead of one of those over-priced toy ones. Your little Craftsman will not only power your air brushes for years to come, but if you’re a do-it-yourselfer around the house, it’ll power nail guns and brad-nailers, too. Those little toy a/c’s may be quieter, but they are not worth the $200-plus price tags. Have fun for a long time.[2c][:)]
I tend to disagree on that, I don’t see how anybody could stand that noise while painting a model unless you’re outside and have a100’ run of hose. I’d much rather spare what hearing I have and splurge on a toy instead of the ear shattering ones.[2c]
I recently bought the same compressor. It’s a nice tool. I ran it to my Garage and piped into my shop. No noise that way.
I disagree on spraying with 12-15 PSI as the lowest pressure. I spray with my second regulator at 8-10 PSI with the same Aztec and My Iwata. If you have spatter and clogging, your paint is not thinned enough. What I did was to set the compressor regulator at 100 PSI and then the requlator in my shop at whatever pressure I need.
I would recommend purchasing a filter/water trap for your set up. They cost about $30 and are well worth the extra $$.
Thanks, everyone. I finally fired everything up and had a little problem. I had thought I had set the regulator very low, but my dumb ass didn’t look at the knob, so I had it turned all the way UP.
Air started to come out of the airbrush body itself. It didn’t go on for very long and I didn’t have a nozzle in, so that may have helped, but I wonder if I damaged anything? Like an internal seal or something?
I turned down the pressure and everything worked fine, but I’m just wondering. Next time I’ll pay more attention. thanks.