JimP Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 (edited) I know its not for the production guys, and I have not tried anything co2. Just asking the question has anyone tried co2 tanks to power an air brush? Been reading about the use of small portable tanks filled with co2 that are being used to power nail guns by woodworkers and by the off road guys to refill tires and run tools. They are often using paintball gun tanks and adding a regulator made for co2 and getting hundreds of nail gun shots from a single refill that cost about $4.00. Ok where does this fit into this fourm? If it can power a nail gun then an airbrush should be a low usage tool and should last a long time, I think. The parts don't seem too expensive, regulator $35-$100, paintball tanks $20- $50 and $4 to fill the tanks. I think you need two tanks an keep a full one on hand. The portability enjoyed by the woodworkers and the off road guys is not a feature for most lure makers since we are mostly a shop bound bunch but other advantages could be - No noise of compression. No chance of moisture or oil contamination. No compressor to buy or replace, or maybe used less often. And just a cool tool that has other uses. Edited December 1, 2015 by JimP 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 (edited) I have mentioned this off and on a few times. You can rent a with regulator for cheap from local sources or buy a large cylinder and have them filled for likely under 15 bucks. Edited December 1, 2015 by Travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 I have mentioned this off and on a few times. You can rent a with regulator for cheap from local sources or buy a large cylinder and have them filled for likely under 15 bucks. Has been awhile but looks like 20 to 25 to refill a 20 lb tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 CO2 is a gas that is contributing to global warming and climate change. I'd suggest you try and find somewhere that will charge your tank with air or another gas that's not a greenhouse gas at the same pressure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 Why not use a portable air tank like those pressurized at a gas station, or convenience store, and just add a regulator/water trap ? Seems like it would be a lot cheaper than the Co2 setup described above. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 Air tanks contain compressed air, compared with CO2 containers that contain liquid CO2. Therefore, the CO2 container can carry a larger volume of gas compared with compressed air. Dave 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 I know you're right, Dave, but I still hate to see us becoming part of the problem with our choices. Would air have to be brought down to the same cold temps. for it to be liquified and used in the same way as CO2? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 I know you're right, Dave, but I still hate to see us becoming part of the problem with our choices. Would air have to be brought down to the same cold temps. for it to be liquified and used in the same way as CO2? Temperature of LOX is -219 degrees Centigrade. Co2 turns into a solid at temps below -78 degrees centigrade. (dry ice) Co2 turns into a liquid at somewhere around 750 psi at room temperature. Ain't the 'ole interweb great? It can even make dummies like me look smart. Ben 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 CO2 is a gas that is contributing to global warming and climate change. I'd suggest you try and find somewhere that will charge your tank with air or another gas that's not a greenhouse gas at the same pressure. Hmmm...I figure a CO2 tank would pale in comparison to everything else we use daily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osutodd Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 The environmental impact would depend on whether the tanks are filled with manufactured co2, or with co2 captured from the atmosphere. I have no idea how they do it. Just thinking aloud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 Correct Mark. The result is, that the air is way too cold when it comes out of the bottle, below freezing temperature. I agree Mark. We should not go down the road that makes us part of the problem, no matter how small or insignificant. Stay ahead of the greenies just for once. Dave 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clemmy Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 That said, you also must consider how the electricity is produced for a compressor. Green if you have a windmill, but producing co2 if from a coal or waste powerplant. A side benefit of using the co2 tank would be that you could use the "air" to eliminate bubbles in your clearcoat. A word of warning though, those tanks house alot of pressure. I saw one fall over at a restaurant I worked at, knocked off the valve and it turned into a missle. Put a 4 inch hole in a concrete wall... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 I used to see cabinet installers carry CO2 tanks for their finish nailers on jobs where it was hard to get a compressor up to the work area. They were really careful how they handled those tanks. I bought a pancake compressor instead, because I was young, and didn't mind lugging it around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wcorbinbass Posted January 12, 2016 Report Share Posted January 12, 2016 I have been using a CO2 tank for 20 years to spray. It is a 20lb tank. It lasts a very long time and can be used for production. There is no noise and the best part is there is no need for a filter as the air comes out super dry with no condensation. I don't know about saying it ruins the environment, every bar and restaurant uses them. That's a real stretch, one little tank lasts me months. I like it a lot and its better than all the electricity. Less footprint than one can of spray paint. Its just an inert gas, non toxic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wcorbinbass Posted January 12, 2016 Report Share Posted January 12, 2016 Completely wrong about the air being cold, it only gets cold if it comes out in liquid form. Its not cold. I work for Airgas. The gas used is non toxic. Facts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodtimesfishing Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 If a 20 tank is lasting for months, then your breathing is putting more co2 in the atmosphere then using co2 for airbrushing. Let's not forget we all breath out co2. Plants love it! In return the plants give us oxygen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodtimesfishing Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 Another thing to mention, although co2 is NOT toxic, in large enough amounts it will displace oxygen so if you want to get technical co2 can kill you especially in confined spaces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
