[Helen]

I have a Badger 360 airbrush. My bro-in-law suggests that a 2 gal., 2 amps, 4cfm mini-pancake air compressor will be sufficient to do little carved birds. Anyone have any ideas about this?
Thank you

[fishcarver2004]

helen you should be fine .
airbrushes don't need alot of air
to work
Stacey

[AlArchie]

You should be fine with that. When I'm travelling, and sometimes at home if I don't want to turn on the big compressor, I use a Campbell-Hausfeld portable (around 70 bucks). It's a bit noisy, has no supply tank and has to be shut off with an extension switch when not painting, but it works just fine. That pancake model you are talking about has an automatic shutoff when max set pressure is reached so you won't need the manual shutoff.

Al

[decoycarve]

Just be sure to put a moisture trap on the outlet of the compressor. A small drop of moisture makes some interesting paint patterns where you dont want them. Most gasses are made by squeezing the atomosphere. One of the first things you squeeze out of the air is water and a compressor will pump some of this up to your air brush.
Goody

[AlArchie]

Good advice from Goody on the moisture trap or water separator. You can also add an inline "drier" available at auto supply stores. This is NOT a substitute for those water separators, but a great addition to them. Basically all they are is a plastic in-line cylinder full of silica drying crystals. They are white when fresh and change to blue when fully saturated. Just toss the old one and install a new one. I think they were 2 for around 6 bucks, and they really make a difference in delivering perfectly dy air. If it's good enough for auto body finish, it's good enough for me, too.

Al

[Colin_Partridge]

Sorry Helen I cant help you at all. I have an Iwata air brush had it probably 8 years it is still in the package I am scared to death to use it. Sits on top of my Fordom power carver that I have never used maybe one day when my life slows down.
Colin