Have I broken my compressor? :-(

[munkster]

So, the one time I forgot to put my compressor on the floor it fell off the workbench - fortuitously onto a reasonably soft landing (some carrier bags) but it snapped off the hose connection at the compressor. Have now replaced the hose and connected it back up and air does indeed come out of the airbrush and it does shut off when pressure is up to the right level.

My wonder is though whether it is pushing out as much pressure as it did before? I never tried to exceed it before dropping it but now no matter how far I turn the pressure dial I can't get it to go past 2bar using the 0.3mm gravity AB and around 1bar with the 0.35mm siphon one (it was one of those all-in kits) which uses a much narrower hose.

It is probable that people may reply saying that I oughtn't need to go higher than this in terms of pressure but I am more concerned that there's a leak somewhere? Do these max pressures sound right or should I be worried? I also thought that a siphon AB needs higher pressure to work effectively and 1bar doesn't seem that much.

It's this one by the way...

AIRBRUSH KIT + AIRBRUSH COMPRESSOR AIR BRUSH NEW ® on eBay (end time 07-Apr-11 14:46:33 BST)

Any help/advice appreciated.

 

[andygh]

It does sound a little low, mine goes up to around 4 BAR but it has a tank, you need someone with the same model I guess

Have you still got the manual?

 

[munkster]

Got the manual yeah, it says pressure adjust range 0-4 bar but if it is cutting off at 2 bar on one AB why is it cutting off at 1 bar on the other? That's what's confusing me...

 

[andygh]

Strange indeed, beyond my limited knowledge of pneumatics I'm afraid

 

[Ian M]

I don't want to be a wet cloth but that compressor looks very like one I have had a while back, only mine was blue. I am sure they are made the same place.

No gentle way of putting it but mine died after an hour of use. I got a replacement from the shop and that died after half an hour. In the short time I had them I don't think they ever come up to pressure. There is no tank, the only form of air reserve is in the 1cm airspace between the rubber clap valve and the "cylinder head".

I ended up pulling it apart and the rubber clap valve had started to melt! I put it down to a bad experience and brought some thing else. Sorry to say it but I think your compressor has not much time left on this earth.

Ian M

 

[munkster]

Hmmm, I doubt it falling on the floor did it any good at all either

 

[m1ks]

Just tried mine for comparison for you.

Pretty much the same setup, I bought mine from ebay about a year ago and still using the same setup, compressor, brushes etc, (got another AB since, slightly better but still use the old un frequently).

The compressor dial is reading max 4 bar, (I work in PSI hence having to try to get the bar readings), on standby with the regulator cranked up as far as it will go.

The instant you press the trigger theres a substantial pressure drop and this varies immensely dependant on the size of the hole it's escaping through.

On my 0.35 siphon it drops to a consistent 1.5bar, on the 0.30 gravity it drops to a consistent 2bar.

I've never needed more pressure than the compressor pushes out so far and I've taken on a few marathon spraying sessions 1+ hours without the compressor hitting the thermal cutout point or any noticeable difference in spraying performance.

I usually spray Enamels at 25psi, (set at dial before pressing the trigger on the gun so flow pressure probably about 20psi) and Acrylics at 15-ish psi, so flow press prob 10-12.

If yours is leaking it would be immediately apparent as you'd hear it and get a noticeable rapid pressure drop quite possibly with the compressor not cutting off at all.

I imagine the most likely problem is that the dial guage has taken a whack and is likely reading incorrectly as a result, (they're hardly precision racing chronometer standard guages to begin with).

 

[munkster]

Great, thanks for doing that - there's no leaking sound and if you just leave the AB the compressor *is* happy to just sit there so maybe it's OK after all?

 

[m1ks]

I think most likely so. Just carry on spraying with it and see how it all goes. Any probs will be v quckly apparent.