MarcDavidBaits Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 Hey guys, what do you think is the quietest compressor, but still performs well? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clamboni Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 (edited) Are you talking hobby compressors or shop ones? I've never used a hobby compressor so I can't tell you a thing about them, but for a shop compressor, if you want quiet, a rotary screw or belt driven model will be quietre. The bigger the tank the better. If you have a decent sized tank, they'll all perform the same for airbrushing. They're expensive though. Edited January 16, 2009 by clamboni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 You need to decide what you mean by "quiet". Airbrush compressors are smaller than shop compressors and quieter, but that doesn't mean quiet enough not to wake your wife sleeping in the next room, unless you enclose it in a soundproof cabinet. The quieter "studio" airbrush compressors are more expensive than basic models, with many in the $300 range. I would post a query on airbrush.com or call up Dixie Art and talk to them. They might be the best source of info on a quiet compressor, or how to make a compressor quiet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcDavidBaits Posted January 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 Sorry, I mean for airbrushing baits. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmokeyJ Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 I have no idea if it would work for airbrushing, but I have seen a couple videos on youtube of guys hooking up refrigerator compressors to a tank and plumbing it. From the videos, it looks like the compressor is slow, but can build pretty significant pressure, so if you had a fairly large tank it would probably work fairly well, and the fridge compressors are about as quiet as you will get, I would think. One problem I guess would be that fridge compressor are oiled, not oil-less. Does the oil circulate with the compressed air in an oiled pump system? If so then never mind, I don't think you could paint with that. Anyways, if anyone is interested (there are some others, too) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 SmokeyJ, I had a biker friend years ago who made a compressor like that. He air brushed bike parts with it, and it worked really well. I didn't know enough about compressors back then to notice if it had any kind of oil or water separater, but a combination regulator/water separater should work. The rig in the video is really slick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lure--Prof Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 I use a Harbor-Freight tankless airbrush compressor, about $79, with plenty of power and a good regulator, requiring only a quick twist of a top-mounted knob to raise or lower pressure. It works great, and my wife has no trouble sleeping in the next room. I often see airbrush compressors using what looks to be the same motor, or one with less power and fewer feature for way more money on some of the airbrush sites. I, and a few other guys consider the Harbor-Freight compressors to be a real deal. Dean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clamboni Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 An oiled compressor pump is not a bad thing. It'll last you a lot longer. The refrigerator compressor attached to a tank does work. If you have a tank and somtehing to pressurize the tank, it WILL work for airbrushing. It'll pressurize more slowly the bigget the tank is, but it won't have a problem keeping up with an airbrush. The compressor in my dad's shop (cabinet maker) was homemade and it kept up with his guns to spray finishes no problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
