Airbrush compressors! Which one? Whats the difference? How do I know which one I need? Well, first you need to know what your options are. First, what are the options? There are compressors with tanks ranging from a pancake on up to 30 plus gallon tanks, this is what most people have in their garage for general purpose use. There are a few issues with this type of compressor. They are not very portable and they are very loud so airbrushing in a room in your house would not be an option and if you have neighbors close by they might not like hearing that noise late in the evening. So, if that’s what you have to get started it will do for now, but I do not recommend these type of compressors for airbrushing, I should know because that’s what I started with. Now, there are quite a few different models and brands of airbrush compressors, but they are all quiet! The main thing you need to know is there are two main types, tank-less and with a tank. Lets talk about tank-less first. Tank-less compressors are exactly how it sounds, there is no tank, they are usually 1/6 HP and it delivers air when you press the trigger and stops when you release it. These types of compressors are less expensive than the compressors with a tank and are very reliable, but they also tend to run a little hot if you are airbrushing for any length of time. The result of this is hot air coming through your hose will contribute to a couple of problems, condensation (water) being the biggest problem, so check your water traps often, and more frequent tip dry. Regardless of what compressor you use I always recommend two water traps, one on the compressor and one on the brush. Now, Compressors with a tank, they are also typically 1/6 or 1/8 HP with a 2 to 3 liter tank. They are a little more expensive then the tank-less, but the advantages are worth it! The motor only runs to fill the tank, once the tank is full it will not run again until the tank need more air. With the motor not running constantly like the tank-less, it does not get hot, therefore, the air stays cool, very low to no condensation is produced, and tip dry is also improved. Just to note, you will see in your search, single and duel piston models (for tank compressors) the difference between the two is that the compressor with two pistons will fill the tank quicker and allowing the motor to run less and staying cool. I hope this information was helpful to you. I have a lot of cool videos on airbrushing tips tricks and techniques on my YouTube channel, just click the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAdgK8REuu3n5GhkZgQKboA?view_as=subscriber