Does anyone use a compressed air cylinder for their air supply?
I recently moved to a small apartment and a compressor, even a quiet one, is not really an option for me. I absolutely must resume airbrushing, to maintain my sanity! 
I seem to recall an article or social media post somewhere about somebody using a carbon dioxide cylindeā¦ 
Thanks in advance.
ā¦But seriously, a tank will work. Charge the tank at a local gas station? You will need an adaptor to connect a compressor to fill then to connect your AB hose.
Any recommendation for an air tank with a Schrader fitting? Wondering what kind of volume and pressure one might hold? Knowing this could keep me from feeling like Iām āAll out of Loveā. 
Get your self a dive tank, depending on where you live and the regulations in your country you will need to get it tested every couple of years but if itās not being used for diving it should last a life time.
I do have a 10ltr 300bar tank but donāt use it for airbrushing mine was used as a fill station for my paintball gun on gun tank. For that it would last all day, I was getting though around 1000 paint a game, not a day! My role in the team was on the back line supplying suppression fire.
Not trying to be funny with this but automobile wheels filled to max pressure can be air supply for your AB.
Also, you can buy air pressure tanks for compressed air. Then fit them with the adaptors youāll need for your AB. Drive away from you apartment bldg and fill this tank with your air compressor.
I use a small quiet compressor connected to a 30Gal air tank from a larger compressor it useually only come on one or twice a week. I am in an apartment and I have it connected to a timer that keeps it from coming on at night.
Cheers Rob.
Scuba tank with a pressure regulator is your best bet since the air is dry. Plus it last for a really long time. Only drawback is the certification end of it.
Oh thatās a grand plan right there, excellent.
Now that takes me back! I started with a spare tyre in the garage before discovering those cans of tinned wind. Compressors came much laterā¦
OK in all seriousness, If you want to use CO2 for airbrushing you will need a tank, a 20 pound size is just about right., Note, CO2 has no moisture in it so a water trap is not needed. There are several ways ot get a tank. There will be a company around where you will get the tank refilled. mine lasts a very long time between refills. The company will have tanks for sale. Normally you give them the empty tank and they exchange it for a full tank. My first tank I got from an auction. You will need a regulator, You can get this from the gas company also. Check around for a used tank, just make sure it is in compliance. Look for used welding equipment. To me the advantages of a CO2 tank set up outweigh those of a compressor. Silent, no electricity needed, completely portable, few parts to wear out, no water issues.
This is it, nothing more needed.
THIS is where I lean. Iāve got AirGas, Linde, etc in my area. Iām pretty skookum on whatās needed to do this setup, was more wondering if anyone had experienced it then - LO AND BEHOLD!!! Thanks for posting the pic. Are you still using this setup as your āfront lineā? Or is this a nostalgic backup kit?? SlĆ”inte.
So, how do you hook the airbrush hose to the regulator? Not knowing all the adapter needs has me paralyzed; I have an ancient Testors airbrush and compressor but donāt know what to look for to hook up a different manufacturerās airbrush.
I use a CO2 tank also, it is great.
I was lucky enough to win a BIG tank 25 years ago at my model clubās raffle, a member was moving to another state and he just donated his, Iāve used it ever since. Its BIG and heavy, it has 26 lb engraved on the tank, I guess thatās what it is.
The only drawbacks are: you canāt ever be absolutely sure when itās going to run out. It gets lighter and lighter (you can barely lift it when itās full) but it still may run out right in the middle of a project, donāt ask me how I know! Also, once youāve swapped it out 4 or 5 times at AirGas or similar, youāre approaching the cost of a cheap compressor.
But itās way worth it to me for the absolutely bone dry airflow, and the dead silence while youāre using it.
I live in an apartment also so itās perfect, no one hears a thing. But after years and years I decided to look around for a compressor as a backup. I researched and bought this a year ago:
It really is QUIET, Iāve even used it when people around me are at home, but no one has ever mentioned anything about it. You can also just fill up the tank and then turn it off and airbrush away for quite a while, no noise at all.
It looks like, in the picture, that it would be putting out industrial strength noise but it absolutely does not.
You can get it for less than this price, just keep looking for a coupon or a sale at Harbor Freight, highly recommended.
And look on YouTube for reviews, pretty much 100% people who use it love it.
If I didnāt already have the CO2 tank I would be totally happy just having this.
(ignore if youāre not in the USA, I couldnāt tell from your profile)
Michael Smith
Noise levels:
A silent compressor uses a motor-pump unit which is similar to the ones in refrigerators.
The big difference is the lubrication system, a compressor
from a fridge will die after a short time of usage.
The CLICK when the pressure controlled power switch decides that it is time
to run the compressor again has startled me many times.
Total silence (except for the faint pshi-pshi from the airbrush) and then
CLICK
and the compressor starts.
If the noise from a silent compressor is too much then the noise from the fridge is also unbearable.
The noisy garage type compressors make an ungodly racket, the trick here can be to run it to fill the tank early in the afternoon, shut it off and paint with the contents of the tank. There is PLENTY of air left in the tank when the pressure switch decides that the air pressure is too low.
