[REVIEW] China Airbrush + Compressor Set Review + Mods

So I recently got one of those cheap airbrush compressor sets.

One issue with these kinds of compressors are its relatively short operating time and long breaks due to the motor heating up. Since I haven't got the mood to work on any of my projects at the moment, I decided to mess with the compressor for now.

Since I had some old PC fans lying around, I decided to add one to the compressor. I know this will not solve the heating issue or increase operating time but this may help in cooling the motor faster. I'm not planning on increasing it much anyway since the 10-15 minute operating time is already too much for me.

Before I do any thing with it, I wanted to see 1st the inside so I could plan what I actually wanted to do. Looking inside, it's a bit cramped so there's not much space to put anything else inside.

Once I get the layout of the parts, it's time to make the holes where air will pass through. I decided to add the fan underneath so I drilled holes under the case. 

I felt that the holes are a bit too small so I cut up and filed the holes to make them bigger. I also connected the fan to the supply socket so it can work independently with the compressor. That way, even thought the motor is turned off, the fan still runs cooling the motor. This works best during breaks where I need to cool the motor so I just leave the compressor plugged to a wall socket.

Without trying to complicate this project, I hot glued the fan to the underside of the compressor. The direction of the fan is such that the air blows into the compressor case.

So this is pretty much how it will turn out. It looks that I attached the mini water trap the other way around and I've already fixed that by attaching it underneath the airbrush.

For exhaust, I just drilled a few holes on the top of the case so the air has somewhere to come out.

I also put blobs of hot glue to act as risers and dampeners so the fan can suck air in and also prevent the compressor from vibrating too much.

Also, the set I bought comes with a 2A power adapter. I replaced that with a 3A power adapter. What it does is it drives the motor faster, hence pumping more air and giving more pressure. This may cause the motor to heat up faster but that's what the fan is for anyway.



Test results look good. I wasn't able to do some tests before the mod, but I don't think the added fan has any impact to the pressure or any other aspect. The compressor still isn't very noisy which is a good thing. My existing DIY air compressor still works albeit very loud. so this new air compressor is a really good alternative.

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[REVIEW] My Airbrush Setup

Since I've finally started painting, might as well share with you what I use to paint my kits.

I'm currently using an cheap unbranded 0.3 mm gravity feed airbrush. For the Air compressor, I'm using 2 generic tire pumps with a 12v 5A power supply.

I'm using 2 pumps since 1 pump doesn't have enough pressure and that it pumps out air in pulses which is not good for airbrushing. With 2 pumps, I get around 25 psi with the airbrush pressed.

The fittings and hose came from a pet store in the aquarium section, These are what they normally use in aquarium pumps. Good thing they fit quite well to the airbrush and pump. 

To prevent the pumps overheating, I turn on the pump only when I'm about to spray on a piece. I use a DIY extension socket with a switch that I can press with my foot to better control the pump. I make sure to give the pumps some rest around every 30 mins to prevent overheating the pumps, and since I'm only able to work on painting for very short periods of time.

Even with this setup, I'm very satisfied with the results it gives. I know that this setup will not be able to achieve advanced effects. But this setup works well for basic painting.

As with other, regular air compressors, moisture buildup is an issue. This setup builds up moisture in the tubes quite quickly so you will get some splatter quite quickly.



To deal with that, I got a mini moisture trap to prevent water from mixing with the paint. I also got a quick release valve mo make removing the airbrush easier during cleaning and other stuff.



Though the moisture trap slightly dampened the pressure, It does a really good job of preventing the water from reaching the airbrush. That much water was just from around 15-20 minutes of running the air pump.





So far I'm really satisfied with the result this set up provides. I know I wouldn't be able to do much more than basic coats with this but I can see myself working with this setup for the foreseeable future.

Though I still suggest getting a proper airbrush setup. For the total price I've spent here, I might have been able to buy a proper basic air compressor. The air pumps cost me around 10 USD, the power supply cost around 13 USD, other stuff like hose and fittings cost around 5 USD. Still proper airbrushing equipment is a very good investment which will serve you well in the long run.

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