Part 2: Equipment

Hello Back again for the second half of the equipment post. This one should will be a short one, but next we can finally jump into how I finish my compositions!

Before I get into the compressor I am using, I thought I would answer a question I got over instagram about the water traps on my sprayers.

First, one should Keep in mind that I am spraying water base finish. So why the traps? That will be covered when I get into spraying in the next installment. The question I was asked was “what kind are they?” The answer is Central Pneumatic. For those less familiar, they came from Harbor Freight. They were very inexpensive and work well. When attaching them to my sprayers, I use the brush on thread seal instead of tape. This makes it a bit easier to remove if need be.

Now on to the second part of the equipment post. Now that I have coved the sprayers, I think I should touch on the compressors I am using.

Husky Compressor

For everything but detailed work and creating burst, I am using a 20 Gal., 150 PSI, 1.5 HP Husky brand compressor. Its not the most expensive one out there, but I have found that it is very compatible to my needs and has served me well for the last 4 years. At the time I purchased it, I was looking for the biggest bang for my buck. I was very novice in my understanding of the whole compressor and sprayer thing. So I did what I do, ask a bunch of questions and read up on the internet. After a lot of looking around, this is the one I kept coming back to. For the cost and performance, Im thinking I did not do to bad!

Grex Compressor

For detail work with my small Grex airbrush, I am using a very, very nice Grex AC1810-A 1/8 HP portable piston compressor. The max pressure is 60 PSI. It is CE, CSA and RoHS compliant certified. It is a real pleasure to use. It came with a set and lock regulator and water trap. They can be removed and replaced, but I have never had need to do this. Needles to say, this is a very serviceable compressor. The thing with this one is, It cost all most as much as the 20 gallon Husky! However, I full well know that good small precision tools and equipment are not inexpensive. I also have various attachments to accommodate the different hose configurations that found on the smaller airbrushes and they were not cheap either, but having al these attachments on hand has allowed me fo be a lot more creative in a modular way.

So thats about it for the basic equipment I use. Any specialized things I might employ, I will cover at the time of use.

Next post we will be jumping into the finishing process. Finally!

See ya next time.