Reddit reviews PORTER-CABLE Air Compressor, 6-Gallon, Pancake, Oil-Free (C2002)

If you have the space, I highly recommend you buy your own. I have this lil guy and it's great. Small and fairly light weight, but more than enough to fill your tires, run a nail/staple gun, and clean out your garage with a spray nozzle attachment.

I got sick of scrounging for quarters. And now I have no excuse for riding on under-inflated tires or waiting for them to be embarrassingly low.

Vacuum chamber and pump ~ 150

Pressure pot ~ 104

Air compressor ~90

I used these or similar in the past to get started. Most people don't need a 600+ 10g pressure chamber or a giant air compressor.

>1: You say you use Vallejo paints, what is the reason for using that brand, Cost? Quality?

Boils down to really just two things.... the model air/game air paints are pre-thinned for airbrushing which is super handy, especially when starting out, and two, dropper bottles are infinitely better for airbrush work than those stupid-ass paint pots GW makes. I have LOTS of GW paints as they are amazing paints. (expensive, but amazing) Typically i brush paint with GW and airbrush with Vallejo.

>2: For some reason, that airbrush costs nearly 60 pounds :D (i live in the UK, if you hadnt guessed!) if i were to get that specific airbrush, what else would i need to make it work, you mention an Air Compressor (brand? type?) and a Water Trap (whats the purpose of that - as i say, bit of a noob here!), what else, some sort of Hose to connect the compressor to the brush i assume? any cleaning supplies? which specific paints do you use?

WTF?! That airbrush is 60 fuckin pounds in the UK. Shit. At any rate, ANY TANK compressor will work. A tank compressor compresses air into a giant tank that is THEN let out of the tank through the brush, which allows for smooth flow. If it were an air compressor without a tank then it would "putt, putt, putt air out." which is deadly for airbrush work. You want smooth constant air flow.

Airbrush to Compressor Hose

Water trap for air compressors Note: these aren't 100% necessary for a larger tank air compressor as the large tank somewhat does exactly what this little guy does. These are usually only necessary for a compressor that isn't a tank fed. Moisture through condensed air is a real problem and if it gets into your paint, it'll fuck up your smoothness of airbrushing.

My exact compressor, which can be used for LOTS of things, not just airbrushing. Note: the only downside to these types of compressor is how goddamned loud they are. Pretty much HAVE to be used outdoors.

I connect the airbrush to the hose i linked earlier. I connect that hose to the water trap i linked earlier. I connect the water trap to a standard thick cheap air compressor hose. I connect the cheap air compressor hose to the air compressor.

I assure you it's FAR less complicated than it seems. That masters brush i linked you earlier comes with a 'quick release' that is STUPID handy. It connects to the airbrush hose (the blue-ish one linked) really quickly.

I use pretty much exclusively Vallejo Air paints.

Model Air Standard Colors

Model Air Range

Game Air Range

Only difference between game and model air ranges is the color vibrance and ability to be touched repeatedly and not wear off. (should not be a problem at all if you varnish your models though). Game air colors are generally formulated to mimic the GW range as well.

The only difference between Game and Model vs Game Air/Model Air is that the Air versions of them are pre-thinned and ready to shoot through an airbrush straight outta the bottle. You can buy almost any of those colors individually from amazon.

Also, Airbrush Guru is THE best resource I've seen on the subject. TON of helpful tips and tricks. Great in-depth reviews of noob friendly airbrushes and how to clean them. Most of the things I've linked you to buy can be used for things OTHER than airbrushing. The reasons for that are they are cheap. Good airbrushes run for hundreds of dollars. Shitty ones that still work awesome are priced accordingly. Start small, then dive in from there.

Lastly but not in the very least... safety is king. DO NOT AIRBRUSH IN A CLOSED ROOM WITH NO VENTILATION.

Airbrushing acrylics is the safest of the paints to shoot through, but even they can get in your lungs and over time cause problems. If you are going to try to airbrush indoors make sure you setup a proper ventilation system or have in place a spray booth. Something like this would be fine.

P.S. This is incredibly handy as well, like, more handy than anything I've shown you so far. It is obviously NOT necessary, but once you start airbrushing I would guarantee you that it'll be the next thing you buy. Helps when you need to sit the airbrush down but you still have paint in the cup. Enjoy! Again, go to that website, The Airbrush Guru for the best information. It's fantastic, seriously.

This one has almost 2000 reviews and is over 4 stars. Also in your price range. PORTER-CABLE C2002 Oil-Free UMC Pancake Compressor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000O5RO1Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Br82Ab38ES082

Pancake compressors, like this

PORTER-CABLE C2002 Oil-Free UMC Pancake Compressor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000O5RO1Y/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_i_EDskDb46AT7KW

Tend to be louder because of the way the diaphragm works to pump air into the tank.

Compressors like this one

Campbell Hausfeld 30 gallon 2 Stage Air Compressor (XC302100) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RD8JKC7/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_i_jHskDbDCPF1VY

With a cylinder connected to a motor by belt are much quieter because the piston has a full stroke to pump air.

While both of these links show prices those are not definitive and I chose them because they illustrate my point. Belt driven cylinder compressors are quieter than diaphragm compressors. Prices vary.

I also use a 6 gallon pancake air compressor; you can set the air pressure so it's not too high. That model doesn't come with a hose, so I bought this kit which also includes an attachment to hook it up to the pump basket. After I've lowered the water below the skimmers, I blow the lines and plug each jet/skimmer as bubbles blow from them.

I used cheap-ass Master airbrushes and a 3-gal shop compressor with a digital regulator and a moisture trap in between the compressor and the brush. The below, plus a few trips to a hardware store for pneumatic fittings, should be enough.

https://www.amazon.com/Master-Airbrush-Multi-Purpose-Gravity-Dual-Action/dp/B00EKUU0WY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1527561384&sr=8-4&keywords=master+airbrush

https://www.amazon.com/PORTER-CABLE-C2002-Oil-Free-Pancake-Compressor/dp/B000O5RO1Y/ref=sr_1_3?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1527561398&sr=1-3&keywords=compressor

https://www.amazon.com/PointZero-Airbrush-Compressor-Regulator-Water-Trap/dp/B004KNAHE2/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1527561429&sr=8-6&keywords=airbrush+moisture+trap

https://alclad2.com/finishes/

People regularly say you should get a more expensive, higher quality brush, but to date I've yet to have major problems with my cheapo ones. It seems like the main benefit of the better brushes is ease of cleaning and durability.

https://www.amazon.com/PORTER-CABLE-C2002-Oil-Free-Pancake-Compressor/dp/B000O5RO1Y/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1482369874&sr=8-3-fkmr1&keywords=porter+cable+compressor+refurb

Don't Buy Harbor Freight. It's trash. Buy the Porter Cable for life.

> Porter cable

Awesome, is this what you are talking about: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000O5RO1Y/ref=psdc_9022396011_t1_B006CVXGR0

PORTER-CABLE C2002 Oil-Free UMC Pancake Compressor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000O5RO1Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_6.nSAbK87TTRW

I use it to clean mainly as well as using it for my Brad nailer.

Yes that compressor will work fine with a finish nailer. For a framing nailer you'll need something beefier. I use this compressor with my Senco framing nailer and it works just fine for me. You can usually find them slightly cheaper when on sale at Lowes.

Doesnt look like there was anything above that could have leaked on it. I used it for about 20 minutes today and it ran fine. I did notice that the tube leading from the pump to the tank was hot as hell. Nearly burned my hand on it. Thermal gun read about 170 F, not sure if that's normal though.

You appear to be corrected about it being oiless. This is the one I own https://www.amazon.com/PORTER-CABLE-C2002-Oil-Free-Pancake-Compressor/dp/B000O5RO1Y