Thoughts on handheld compressors?
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If you mean a cordless airbrush, there’s a wide range to choose from, cheap, on AliExpress. I bought one of these for $39.95 and I was pleasantly surprised when I tested it out. It shoots well and holds a charge. It’s great for one color coats and base painting, also clear coats. It can also be taken with you in your travel kit. I don’t know how long it will last, but it wasn’t a waste of money. Here’s the one I got, for the unbelievable price of $10 with free shipping -
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807861666574.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.2.778649c87xyzFY&algo_pvid=e7e30b00-ce7d-4818-b012-cb7d582f48b5&algo_exp_id=e7e30b00-ce7d-4818-b012-cb7d582f48b5-1&pdp_ext_f={“order”%3A"69"%2C"eval"%3A"1"%2C"fromPage"%3A"search"}&pdp_npi=6%40dis!USD!40.07!10.28!!!270.92!69.52!%402103212b17789403612407607e1e83!12000043490784058!sea!US!0!ABX!1!0!n_tag%3A-29910%3Bd%3A63c1b666%3Bm03_new_user%3A-29895%3BpisId%3A5000000203712600&curPageLogUid=P6kiyonAUa0a&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch|query_from%3A|x_object_id%3A1005008047981326|_p_origin_prod%3A
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Is there actually an air compressor in there, or does it run on compressed air cartridges? Is disassembly easy for cleaning?
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Yes, there’s a real diaphragm compressor in there. It hums but there is no vibration. The airbrush is removable and a typical dual action internal mix airbrush (think Sparmax). It disassembles easily and is no problem to clean.
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Yes if you are referring to cordless air rushers then I have one from Micro Mark. You plug it in to charge the electrical and then when you use it you are unplugged. Mine works great. I believe it has a .3 needle (or .03, I’m not sure) and is great for priming and base colors and clear sealers. I was able to do the camouflage on this A-4.
I bought it to use as a travel kit so I could build at work when we knew we weren’t going anywhere. That’s about the best reason for getting one … the portability.
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Thanks, all. 
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Two more questions: what are the two (one large and one small) containers with metal tops for; and can you fit an airbrush of your choice in place of the supplied one?
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I have a couple of these little portable airbrushes. They are inexpensive, but useful. So far I have dedicated one to only for Future acrylic clear coat use. It is not a precise pencil line airbrush, but better than a rattle can. After the clear coat, I have been cleaning it with Windex and then alcohol rinses. It seems to work well. Easy to handle and much more quiet than the full size compressor.
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The " containers with metal tops" are larger paint cups for the airbrush. They’re just inverted. And yes, it has a standard 1\8" fitting, so you can switch airbrushes if you want.
Thanks.
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You’re very welcome Leo. Anytime.
Forgive me,gentlemen. I was too vague in my original query.
I’m a complete nube with an airbrush.
What I was really wondering is does anyone feel the air pressure a bit high?
In another vein, I just bought 600 Master .50cal shell casing. They are black. I’m hesitant to run metallics through the AB.
Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.
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If the the fitting is 1/8 BSP would it be possible to fit an airhose using an adaptor set which are also available on Amazon? Also what kind of run time do you get from a charge?
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Small compressors rarely deliver too much pressure for an airbrush. As for metallic colors, as long as you are referring to modelling paints there should be no problem. Just ensure to clean thoroughly once finished.
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I don’t see why not.
About 30 minutes run time.
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