Compressor HP question.

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Painting and airbrushing
1

Guys,

Would the difference between 1/8th HP and 1/6th HP be significant as far as performance for a dedicated models only compressor?

Thanks for opinions.

2

I doubt it. Such compressors can go up all the way to 100-150 psi, while you would only need no more than 30 psi.

3

I don’t think we’re talking about the same thing. The Paashe D500SR I looked at only goes up to 40psi.

My Porter Cable goes up to 150 but that is for woodworking with a 6 gallon tank, and a different beast than the Paashe and very loud.

4

Horsepower vs pressure depends on flow rate. The more flow at any pressure, the more horsepower required. Most airbrushes have a pretty low max flow rate, so airbrush compressors do not need a lot of power.

Further, one way to reduce power needed is to reduce leakage. Wrapping threaded connections with teflon thread aided the pressure I can achieve with my pretty wimpy Iwata compressor.