.dsaavedra. Posted September 5, 2009 Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 ok so i have the air compressor and moisture filter, and i'll soon be ording the airbrush and hose. my question is this, how do i attach the moisture filter, and are there any other couplings that i need to get in order to attach the filter and hoses and stuff. the moisture filter has a female connection port on both sides, so i guess i need to get a fitting for that. are there any other fittings needed to connect the airbrush hose to the filter? i'm guessing i connect the plastic hose to the compressor, attach the filter in between the compressor hose and the airbrush hose. right? thanks for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted September 6, 2009 Report Share Posted September 6, 2009 (edited) Moisture traps are usually connected directly to the outlet from the compressor (or the outlet from the pressure control - wherever the stock hose connects to the compressor). It's not a slam dunk answer because there are two designs for moisture filters: a large model with a metal housing with female in/out ports and the filter element contained in a plastic dome which you can empty of water; and a smaller in-line version that can be attached between the airbrush hose and the airbrush. Most choose the larger version because you can empty the trap of water and keep on trucking. The inline models often have cartridges that have to be replaced periodically. It's not easy to prejudge what connectors/adapters you will need to connect up an airbrush BUT if you go to the tool section of a home center like Home Depot or Lowes, they sell the male/female adapters you need. They also sell the moisture filters for around $20. Use some plumber's PTFE (aka Teflon) tape on all connections to ensure air tightness. Edited September 6, 2009 by BobP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.dsaavedra. Posted September 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2009 ok so it goes compressor>filter>stock hose>airbrush hose ? i have the larger filter with the metal top housing and female in/out ports. thanks for the help Bob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68KingFisher Posted September 6, 2009 Report Share Posted September 6, 2009 Most compressors have a regulator....most regulators have a built in moisture trap.....if thats what your talking about then you can hook your airbrush hose up to the output side of the water trap and go to work....if thats not what you've got maybe a pic of yoru compressor and filter might help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted September 6, 2009 Report Share Posted September 6, 2009 68KF, my airbrush compressor has a regulator/gauge unit and a separate moisture trap. Whatever your setup, you need both and can buy the parts separately if needed. DSV, I'd remove the hose that comes with the compressor if it were mine. It seems too unwieldy to me to have the long stock compressor hose with the airbrush hose added onto it - but your setup has to adapt to whatever your workplace dictates. You usually need to buy a male-male connector to connect the airbrush hose to the compressor/ regulator/moisture trap as needed. Don't hesitate to take your airbrush hose and moisture trap to the home center when you buy your adapters to make sure everything is male/female correct and fits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.dsaavedra. Posted September 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2009 my compressor is the Husky AirScout i posted about a few days ago. its got a regulator built in but i bought a separate filter. so i need to look for some fitting that will allow me to connect the filter directly to the compressor output, and then another fitting to connect my airbrush hose to the filter output? oh, and do these filters cause any decrease in output psi? i think i read something like a 5psi decrease on the package?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted September 6, 2009 Report Share Posted September 6, 2009 Yep - the connectors only cost a couple of bucks at a home center. Look in the tool section where the air tools are. The connection from the moisture trap to the airbrush hose is usually a male-male connector (the airbrush hoses and the moisture traps I've seen have female ends). But like I said, it's easiest if you get all your components together and then go buy the connectors, knowing for sure which ones you need. If your compressor outputs 90 - 125 psi, a slight decrease in pressure due to a moisture trap is not relevant. You'll still have more than you can use. Many airbrushes, including Iwatas, specify max pressure less than 50 psi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68KingFisher Posted September 6, 2009 Report Share Posted September 6, 2009 Most compressors have a regulator....most regulators have a built in moisture trap I should of rephrased that and said "alot of" instead of "most"....guess thats what I get for posting at wee hours of the morning when I haven't had much sleep for several days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.dsaavedra. Posted September 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2009 well i was through the small tool kit that came with the compressor and found a quick connect male adapter. this allows me to put the quick connect part directly in the compressor, and then my filter goes on this adapter. now i just need a male/male adapter so the airbrush hose can attach to the filter. my compressor can put out 135 max psi, but the only reason i was asking was to see if i should set my regulator a few psi higher than what i would if i didn't have the filter. i guess it doesn't really matter much at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameso321 Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 Make sure you get the correct type, there are a couple of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratboy Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 if your moisture filter is those small inline type it works better when placed nearer to the airbrush as opposed to nearer the compressor as the air exiting out the compressor is hotter and would have cooled a bit as it gets near the airbrush giving the moisture time to condense Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
