Hook me up with a compressor

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DIYtech

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I am going to buy the Iwata eclipse HP-CS airbrush, and that's literally all I know so far. I've never done anything with airbrushes before so I'm pretty lost. I'm watching videos and whatnot to try and decide what to get, but in the meantime...

Tell me exactly what compressor and accessories you would get for that airbrush, to be used in a workshop, with a budget of $260 (not including the airbrush).

You're all professionals. You know what you would want. What is your dream starter setup? :)
 
Apart form the mentioned budget your question is the same as "how long is a piece of string". Are you doing model cars, illustration, automotive, body paints, make up, nails, cakes, 200 foot murals in exceptional detail...

Here is a good guide...
 
Oh good point! I'll be doing super fine detail on computer cases.
 
I run a California air tool, I think it's a five gallon tank. It's nice, quiet, runs in basement at night with family sleeping no problem.
 
So you chose a great gun, technically its not a detail gun, however it is the best all rounder, being able to do larger coverage and also great detail work. However it is going to take some getting to know to get the best detail from it. As there is a fairly steep learning curve it is however a great brush to learn on, and as the more you do the more you'll get out of it, you wont outgrow it and the fine work will come. Its also easier to clean and maintain than many too..

As for compressor your budget, and how much noise you can stand/not have any neighbours ready to beat you etc play a part. If your workshop is good for noisy things then any regular compressor will be good, and much cheaper - but loud! If not then "silent" which is more like fridge motor level, is more expensive.

Hard to give exact prices without knowing where in the world you are, or what suppliers you have, but you will need to factor in a regulator (if the compressor doesn't come with one, or you want something more accurate), water trap(s) (depending on how much moisture is around some people like to have a mini one directly attatched to the gun as well as compressor) hose, adapter from 1/4 to 1/8 inch if needed which matches the Iwata.

The bigger the tank, the less often it needs to fill. Mine is 250 litres, and louder than a jet engine in an echo chamber, but rarely fills. That is overkill but its also used for other things, however a too small tank can need to run constantly, which if oiless can overheat and shut off, and also wear it out quicker.

The California air mentions above is a popular choice.
 
I'd add that if you intend to buy not silent one it's better to buy belt driven type as it produces less noise than coaxial one and will have longer lifetime as it runs at lower RPM that means less friction of the parts thus not overheating and other things that work for you.
 
Alright! I guess I'm getting the California air tools one, thanks for the suggestions :)
 
Alright so I do have one more question. Getting the california air tools compressor. All I need besides that is a hose and some adapters to get the airbrush attached and it will work perfectly?

Which adapters and hose do I need? And what other stuff might I need?
 
Alright so I do have one more question. Getting the california air tools compressor. All I need besides that is a hose and some adapters to get the airbrush attached and it will work perfectly?

Which adapters and hose do I need? And what other stuff might I need?

This should give you an idea.

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