Getting into airbrushing. Need compressor help

[grimsanity]

As the title says. I'm getting into airbrushing. Here's where I need help. I live in a second floor apartment and need something that won't disturb the downstairs people. I can't afford those super quiet compressors like silent air or any of those. Can anyone recommend a good compressor. Thank you in advance

[Ovidius Incertus]

I have the same living arrangement and none of my neighbors have ever complained, whether because they aren't bothered by it or just don't say anything, I don't know.

 

Do you have carpet?  I do, and I find that really mitigates any of the vibration.  If you're concerned, fold a bath towel over a few times and set it under the compressor.  They don't need to be super stable, so a hard surface under theme isn't required, in my experience.

 

I think a Sparmax 501 is a good bang for your buck (e.g. http://www.chicagoairbrushsupply.com/spacaico2.html ).  Whatever you get, make sure it has a moisture trap and that you empty it!  Getting water in your line is more than a little annoying.  I had not so good luck with cheaper Paasche compressors, so from now on it's always "buy once, cry once" for me.

 

FYI, this Sparmax is pretty quiet and the compression is decent enough that you're not running constantly, especially if you're at low PSI.

[micahwc]

I've used two compressors and had two different experiences.

 

First, my actual 5 gallon tool compressor. It wasn't my favorite, mostly because when it did switch on it was extremely loud and would surprise me; not good when you flinch while painting. Nice thing about it was that it has a tank so it doesn't refill as much.

 

Second is a cheap Chinese one from Amazon. It came in one of those Master airbrush kits they have on Amazon. I literally looked for the least expensive one I could find; as I already have a good brush, an Iwata Eclipse. The one I ordered is actually for airbrushing tattoos.

 

The compressor is the same generic tiny one that you see offered in most of the Airbrush kits online. If you look at it closely you will also notice that it is basically identical in appearance to the Sparmax TC-2000,  the one sold by Harbor Freight, one of Grex's, and other airbrush company offerings.. It has the same specifications listed as the more expensive versions. I'm pretty sure they are all the same compressor, built in the same Chinese factory, painted different and marketed as different brands.

 

It works well, I have no real complaints about it. It does not have a tank, so it basically runs constantly while you spray, but it's not too loud. (Disclaimer: I have moderate bilateral hearing loss, so it may be louder than I perceive). I've been using it for several months now and haven't had any issues with it. It was $45 Edit: $56 for the kit.

 

I am tempted to buy an air tank for it some day just because, but that is a want, not a need.

 

 

Edit: The one I ordered was the "Point Zero Complete Temporary Tattoo Airbrush Set" on Amazon. I'm on a work computer and for some reason they wont let me copy and paste. I tried typing the link; that didn't work out.

[cephalopod]

Figure out the hours your downstairs neighbors work. Also. Most people only ever complain about live music. They will often ignore loud music construction TV's etc if it's not live music. You should be okay unless they are psychotic.