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  • #984256

    My hope for this thread is to provide an area of reference on Compressors for newcomers.

    Please feel free to list your compressor, a review, a URL link, and as much information, as well as, opinions as you can provide. A photo would be nice if you have one.[/color]

    I own a Sil Air 50-6 silent compressor that I purchased in the late 80’s. I discovered that Sil Air offered great deals on refurbished/rebuilt compressors. So I bought one of these for approximately $300.00 US. I love my Sil Air compressor! I can’t tell you how much you will appreciate a silent compressor! They are, most of all, quite, portable, reliable, worry and maintenance free! I don’t even hear mine most of the time! The minor maintenance involves draining the tank of moisture and watching and filling the oil level when low. Other than that, I have never had a single problem with it!!!!!! It operates about 6 to 8 hours a day.

    A blurb and technical information:

    Sil Air compressors are virtually “noiseless” and are totally automatic. Each unit includes a tank and line pressure gauge, line pressure regulator, moisture trap-filter-gauge, safety valve,air intake filter, and a carrying handle or easy rolling for models with wheels. Sil-Air models feature one or more heavy-duty 1/2 horsepower “AL” pumps featuring cooling fins, built-in fans, coalescent filter (for removal of traces of oil in the air tank), painted tank interior (inhibits rust) for extreme reliability and durability.

    1/2 HP, 1.5 Gallon Tank

    2.15 CFM Free Air

    84-114 PSI Op-Pressure

    Voltage: 110 V-60

    Weight: 52 lbs

    These compressors can be expensive but well worth the investment! There are several models available.

    http://www.silentaircompressor.com/silair.htm

    SamH[/b][/color]

    My Etsy[/color]
    #1032436
    ABStan
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        Hey Sam,

        Nice lookin compressor mate. I too have a silent comressor that I purchased about 1985 for $NZ900.00. It is a Jun-air and is normally marketed to dentists and the like for compressed clean air. Like Sams, this thing just never stops, all I have had to do is replace the oil and drain moisture from the tank and that is it, also like sams I hardly ever hear it. This particular compressor is made in Denmark and has a very good reputaion world wide. I priced a new one recently at a local compressor shop and they now sell for about NZ$3000.00. That was a pretty good investment I made back in the mid 80s I tell you. My one is excatly the same as the one in the pic but it has the slightlky smaller tank, and it is one heavy beast as well, not really that portable. :) :)

        Stan

        #1032428
        Penny220
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            I have a Sears Craftsman 12 gallon 2 HP compressor oil-less compressor.

            The upside to this compressor, it’s about max size to be portable. It might be a bit much for some and others may be able to get a little bigger but it fits in the back seat or trunk of most vehicles. Because it has wheels on one end and a handle on the other it’s easy enough to move around. For me I can pick it up and move it up stairs although I wouldn’t want to make a habit of it. The 12 gal tank size allows me to use my air-nailer and other tools on it and it allows me to turn the auto off and paint for around an hour or more (dependent on psi used) then charge my tank. This is great because I can charge my tank before everyone goes to bed or during commercial breaks and not disturb anyone in the house. This is how I get around the “loud” part. The other nice thing is that parts are readily and inexpensively available, because of the brand name you know they will be supplying parts for many years to come.

            The downside, it’s noisy. That’s it, it’s just plane noisy, I have gotten around the noise part by turning the “auto” off but if you ever forget to turn it off when you are painting and the compressor kicks on you may jump and make mistakes.

            I’ve had my compressor for about 6 or 7 years and I am quite happy with it.

            “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” Jackie Robinson "No one said it had to be real, but it's got to be something you can reach out and feel" Meatloaf
            #1032429
            Penny220
            Default
                #1032424
                Paul Corfield
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                    I have one of those real noisy, cheap, oil free compressors with a 1.5 tank. I’ve been using it for about 15 years. I keep it in a fairly sound proof box and it’s been problem free in all that time. Because it’s tucked away in a box I do all my spraying at one air pressure. :D

                    Paul.

                    #1032439
                    greenjack
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                        I have one of those real noisy, cheap, oil free compressors with a 1.5 tank. I’ve been using it for about 15 years. I keep it in a fairly sound proof box and it’s been problem free in all that time. Because it’s tucked away in a box I do all my spraying at one air pressure. :D

                        Paul.

                        Like Paul, I have a cheap, noisy, oil-free, 1.5HP compressor in a lined box (but with a nifty flap so I can access the regulator). I’ve only been using it for a few weeks in this mode but no evidence of serious overheating as yet.

                        Jeff
                        #1032425
                        Paul Corfield
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                            That’s pretty similar to my soundproof box greenjack. My box is thick chip board like yours. I’ve wrapped really thick foam around the compressor with no overheating problems at all. It’s been like that for a few years now with no trouble. It used to make me jump even though it’s soundproofed. Now I’m used to it though as you get that split second to prepare yourself as it kicks in and I just carry on spraying.

                            Paul.

                            #1032420

                            I don’t recommend compressors.

                            I use industrial nitrogen, in a 70-lb. cylinder I lease on an annual basis…

                            K

                            Forcing the waveform to collapse for two decades...
                            http://www.syntheticskystudios.com
                            Hilliard Gallery, Kansas City, "Small Works", December 2019

                            #1032433

                            Keith,

                            One might ask… why not? One might also ask…. why nitrogen?

                            I bought a Porter-Cable compressor. Oil-less. Double vertical tank. Max 135 psi. 4 Gallon tank (I think..). Regulator built in. Two air hose ports. Water drain at the bottom of the bottom tank. Air release valve at 135 psi and to quickly drain air when done using it. Was about $275.

                            I keep it in a bedroom closet and run a hose into the next room so when it kicks in it isn’t very loud. It kicks in about once every 30 minutes depending on how much I spray. I usually set the regulator to about 18 psi for my portraits and add a touch of water and medium to thin the ComArt just a bit.

                            So far, no problems. The thing that I’d avoid when buying a compressor is one that doesn’t use tanks. If you just get a piston driven one you’ll see pulsing evident in the output of the airbrush when you spray larger swatches of color at a fast rate of arm movement. Just another thing to avoid if you want to move up a notch.

                            Tim

                            "There, but for the grace of chance, go I."

                            #1032438
                            pr1130
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                                I use an iwata powerjet compressor. It has a 3.5 litre tank that delivers a constant air supply with zero pulsation and is very quiet. When the compressor does come on, it’s on for about 15 sec, and the noise it makes is not an issue at all.

                                Although I haven’t really had it that long, I am quite happy with it and have no hesitations in recommending it.

                                Peter

                                #1032426
                                Milo
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                                    I have had couple of different ones. First I had the noisy giant oilless one gets at sears/wallyworld etc. I would ‘jump’ every time it came on even in another room.

                                    Then my wife got me a smaller one called a quiet air. It was fairly quiet and has a tank and got me by. I did discover when I tried to take a class and really started using it that it would over heat and I would have to let it cool down. Don’t know if its a problem with all units or just that one.

                                    Then for christmas I got a Hammerhead Shark compressor. One of the artists that went to Jurek’s workshop had one and liked her’s. Here are the specs.

                                    Technical Specifications: HP 1/2 Hp; Tank Size 1.5 Gallons; CFM 2.15 CFM at open flow; Voltage 110V, 60Hz; PSI 84 – 114 PSI maximum pressure Cooling Fan : Unique cooling fan positioned to cool the top of the motor/compressor unit which is were the maximum cooling efficiency happens. Moisture Filter: The highly efficient 5 micron Moisture Filter separates out any water before it gets to your airbrush. Pressure Regulator: The pressure regulator provides accurate pressure settings from 0 – 100 psi allowing the maximum use from your airbrush. Long Power Cord: An extra long (10′) and heavy duty power cord allows direct connection into your power receptacle therefore eliminating any overheating problems developed by an undersized extension cord.

                                    http://www.arttalk.com/iwata/shark/hammerhead.htm
                                    http://www.dixieart.com/Sharks.html

                                    It is silent, oil-filled and its very nice. here are some pictures.

                                    Life is good, have fun otherwise whats the point...
                                    My Art | My Gallery

                                    #1032411

                                    About a month ago I started using one of those big mommas from Home Depot (a Porter Cable). It’s great except for the noise. You really don’t realize how loud it actually is until you try to use it in your house. A construction site is one thing but your house….

                                    Right now I have it in a closet in another room down the hall from my studio. I’ve considered moving it to the basement and running PVC pipe through the walls. I’ve also been looking at options to have it out in my garage. I’m still undecided if I would’ve paid the extra money for something silent. I guess if you live in an apartment or something you really wouldn’t have much of an option.

                                    One plus (for me) is that it came with two nail guns. I also know it will run larger spray guns without a problem.

                                    "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye." - Miss Piggy

                                    #1032412

                                    P.S. –
                                    I was thinking of the Hammerhead but it’s more than double what I paid for the loud compressor even with the included nail guns.

                                    "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye." - Miss Piggy

                                    #1032427
                                    Milo
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                                        I know how that is, I tried my noisy big compressor in another room and I would still actually jump every time it came on (really bad when trying to paint LOL) and then there was it bugging everyone else. I got lucky in my wife got me the hammerhead after I had went to a workshop and one of the gals that came had one. It is defiantly silent. Let us know how that goes moving it either in the basement or the garage and using the Piping.

                                        Life is good, have fun otherwise whats the point...
                                        My Art | My Gallery

                                        #1032446
                                        Christer
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                                            I just replaced my Speedaire 2Hp 20gal tank with a Iron Horse 6.5 peak hp, 220 volt, 60 gal tank, I have it in my workshop/ garage, air is piped into my studio so there is no noise. However when I’m in the workshop it is a little noisey, so I’m looking at enclosing it. The reason I went for this size is because of the air tools I use when I’m sculpting, also its nice to have for using paint guns, and with the large tank it’s not running continously. .

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