Suggestions for a compressor

[niq]

Hi all, here's the thing. I'm an elementary teacher and have a fishing club with a bunch of kids (10-12 years old). During the school year, we are making fishing lures and I would like the kids to airbrush the blades and stuff. As of today, I'm doing all the paint job home but it takes a lot of time and I'm sure the kids would be able to do it. I'm looking to buy some compressors and airbrush guns....but I'm really confused about what to buy according to our needs.

Kids will paint about 30 mins/per lunchtime.
They will paint using Createx Auto Air colors.
They will mainly paint blades and jig heads.

Thanks for your suggestions about what would fit our needs (compressor and gun).

Daniel

 

[MeeshellMP]

Welcome aboard Daniel! Alot of members use Iwatas, Im a Badger Krome gal. I also have the auto air 6350 (60decibles) compressor. Might be a hair too loud for the class room? (And forgive me if I have the model # a tad wrong, have been down with the flu, answering questions on cold meds )

 

[niq]

Thanks for the reply. I'll take note about that. Would you propose having a single compressor for 6 students or having 6 single ones.

 

[Mr.Micron]

Hello Daniel .
You might look into maybe even building a silent compressor yourself . I would have to go dig up the post from ad fez but it uses a fridge compressor .
It will work great in a class room setting being my Silent-air 50 was about 600 dollars US when I bought it and the price has gone up.
If you are in the USA you might even contact David Monnig form Coast Airbrush . he does offer http://www.coastairbrush.com/products.asp?cat=791
but being you are with a school he may even give you a better deal.
Just a thought.
And why couldn't I have a cool class like that when I was in school?

 

[Mr.Micron]

Found the Thread http://www.airbrushforum.org/threads/fez-air.6634/

 

[jagardn]

Hello Daniel .
You might look into maybe even building a silent compressor yourself . I would have to go dig up the post from ad fez but it uses a fridge compressor .
It will work great in a class room setting being my Silent-air 50 was about 600 dollars US when I bought it and the price has gone up.
If you are in the USA you might even contact David Monnig form Coast Airbrush . he does offer http://www.coastairbrush.com/products.asp?cat=791
but being you are with a school he may even give you a better deal.
Just a thought.
And why couldn't I have a cool class like that when I was in school?

I have the Silentaire TC50 and definitely recommend it. It's quiet and should last a long time. I think I paid around $710 shipped from Coast Airbrush. The question was already asked, but how many brushes are you planning to run at once?
Your challenge may be between price and what your needs are. If it's a classroom environment and the Compressor needs to be quiet, that automatically jacks up the price.

 

[Squishy]

I'm guessing you want to keep the price as low as poss. so I would recommend a regular hardwear store compressor. The downside is they are LOUD . But you could put it outside in some kind of box that allows airflow, and get a long hose, or make a sound proof box (I believe there are threads about that here somewhere). It will be way cheaper, and also having a decent sized tank you could go for one of these adaptors allowing you to hook up six brushes. http://www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/4-WAY-AIRBRUSH-MANIFOLD-32421126.html#SID=369

Guns - you can get cheap knock offs, but they are usually very hit and miss. They quite often don't work, don't work well, or work ok the first few times them have issues. You can get some that work just fine - but it is a gamble. Again depending on your budget for reliablity, and ease of learning, (having equipment that you will struggle could leave you with a bunch of frustrated kids Lol) a low end branded brush will be infinately better.

Also are you set on the Auto Air? If you already have it will do the job just fine. But using Wicked also by createx will also do what you need and I think is much easier to work with.

 

[niq]

I'm guessing you want to keep the price as low as poss. so I would recommend a regular hardwear store compressor. The downside is they are LOUD . But you could put it outside in some kind of box that allows airflow, and get a long hose, or make a sound proof box (I believe there are threads about that here somewhere). It will be way cheaper, and also having a decent sized tank you could go for one of these adaptors allowing you to hook up six brushes. http://www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/4-WAY-AIRBRUSH-MANIFOLD-32421126.html#SID=369

Guns - you can get cheap knock offs, but they are usually very hit and miss. They quite often don't work, don't work well, or work ok the first few times them have issues. You can get some that work just fine - but it is a gamble. Again depending on your budget for reliablity, and ease of learning, (having equipment that you will struggle could leave you with a bunch of frustrated kids Lol) a low end branded brush will be infinately better.

Also are you set on the Auto Air? If you already have it will do the job just fine. But using Wicked also by createx will also do what you need and I think is much easier to work with.

Thanks for the reply. The kids will be painting when everybody else is playing outside...so the compressor doesn't have to be extremely quiet. My main question about compressors was if I was better to buy, let's say 6 compressors which would be smaller or have a bigger one for everyone. How big should a single one be so that I could hook six brushes at the same time. As of the paint, I'm currently using HOK in my small paint room in my garage but I need something waterbased and after contacting Createx, they suggested it would be a good choice to use the Auto Air series...but I'm open minded to try other products if you think it could give a good result ;-)

 

[niq]

Hello Daniel .
You might look into maybe even building a silent compressor yourself . I would have to go dig up the post from ad fez but it uses a fridge compressor .
It will work great in a class room setting being my Silent-air 50 was about 600 dollars US when I bought it and the price has gone up.
If you are in the USA you might even contact David Monnig form Coast Airbrush . he does offer http://www.coastairbrush.com/products.asp?cat=791
but being you are with a school he may even give you a better deal.
Just a thought.
And why couldn't I have a cool class like that when I was in school?

You're always welcomed to come back and redo your grade 5 & 6...but you'll have to learn French.

 

[Mr.Micron]

You're always welcomed to come back and redo your grade 5 & 6...but you'll have to learn French.

Parler français mais bien sûr
But it has been eons since I was in school and 20 years since I was in a french speaking country .
But during my time in the military I would learn the language of what ever country I was in . So I do speak a few and even read and write in a couple.

 

[MeeshellMP]

Well, you coukd get 6 small compressors at about $80-$100 each, or get spliters on a larger one, but thats really gonna "work" the air compressor. Do they all have to be airbrushing at the same time?

 

[Squishy]

I was thinking that? Even if they did two or three at a time, or worked in pairs, trading off, it will save a whole chunk of cash, you could get a smaller compressor and just a two way splitter. I'm not technical so I don't know about air recycling rates etc (although some guys do. Anyone?) But I reckon a regular hardwear store compressor which will be the cheapest option would cope with that just fine.