Macro - Compressors

Howdy
While you were all playing with your gay little aeroplanes at the weekend, I was out looking for a new compressor, as my brand new one couldnt produce anything better than a mild fart and has been dumped back in the box and sent back.

Macro has a nice little hobby compressor, suitable for airbrushing, tattooing etc (says on the box). has a moisture trap, and all the necessary bits, and!, theres a airbrush in the box too... (some generic double action thing), for R1300
Dont know much about compressors, but from what i read, it does seem just the job for what we need...

Need to get one, i seriously need to start leaning how to use a paintt hrower properly.

S

Sounds like it should do the job, if it's a diaphragm type, which it souds like it might be then I think you should look at some sort of accumulator.
I use a 2l fizzy drink bottle with two pipes hot glued into the cap. K&S make ali pipe the same size as the air hose, you'll need two pieces one 80mm long the second lond enough to go down to the botom of the bottle less 20mm both must stick out of the cap by 30mm.
The long pipe is the inlet the short, the outlet, then loosly stuff some kitchen roll into the bottom of the bottle just to act as a second moisture trap, screw the cap onto the bottle and connect up the hose, which you'll have to cut and flash up the compressor 1.5 bar should be adequate for all your needs.
The paint needs to be thin enough to go through the airbrush but thick enough to stick on the model without giving you any sags/runs a ratio of 50/50 should be a good starting point, you can thin more form there is necessary. Tamiya decanted from the rattle can is a good guide.

What you might want to do is get a scetching pad and a bottle of artists ink and run that through the airbrush start signing you name big at first then reducing it until you have it about the same size as you would sign a document. Then straigh lines, just play around with it and get comfortable with it.
The ink is water soluable, shouldn't make too much mess and is eay to clean out of the airbrush with water and dishwash liquid.

That there is good solid advice!, about the best ive heard so far, thanks Colin

I have 2 airbrushes, a single action with interchangable heads and a double action. Both bought as gifts (from Builders Warehouse ), think they are called artline, or some such.
Been using the single, to get the general idea, and practice, and getting the paint right is my battle at the mo. As was suggested to me elsewhere, try get the consistancy of milk.

After trying the lines and signature thing, I think i might get a couple of pocket money kits and have a go on them.
From my earliest tryouts, must say that tamiya acrylics seem to be the easiest to work with, but that only because i think i thinned out the humbrol too much.

Again, thanks for the good advice

Hi Steve, Glad to be of help, isn't that what this site is about, helping each other? Any qestions, just shoot me a line. Tamiya and their thinners is a good choice, maybe a touch more than 50/50.

Hi Steve, just for interest sake you could also try importing from China. You could easily land a pretty good mini piston compressor for about R 1000.00. I have imported a couple of the bigger industrial compressors and I have had no problems with them and they are CHEAP. I have recently sent a request to my supplier for this unit and as soon as I get back a price, i'll let you know.

jugjunkie wrote:

Hi Steve, just for interest sake you could also try importing from China. You could easily land a pretty good mini piston compressor for about R 1000.00. I have imported a couple of the bigger industrial compressors and I have had no problems with them and they are CHEAP. I have recently sent a request to my supplier for this unit and as soon as I get back a price, i'll let you know.

Coolo
Thats great, thanks

Steve