Compressor Muffler

[darkside]

It seems my hold hobby once again is useful in this one. I replaced my compressor today with a barely used one, same brand and model. I found out after the sale it has about 20 minutes of use.

The old one being beat to heck for the last 35 years made a familiar soft fafafafafafa sound. The new one has a lot more power and along with it more noise and a much sharper one at that. I decided to try a muffler design I used for airpumps on the compressor.

The Badger has a foam filter that fits into a plug on the end of the compressor.



The plug from my old compressor up close with the foam removed.



To do this mod, you'll need a piece of PVC to fit to the intake of the compressor, A container of some sort and a deadening/filter material. I like Fiber-fill.



Cut the PVC to reach withing about 3/4-1" from the bottom of the container. I rounded one end to make it easier to slide into the plug for the compressor.



Now cut a hole in the center of the lid so there is a snug fit over the PVC, followed by a series of holes for the air to get in.



Now fill the container with with your filler. I can't find my bag of Fiber-fill, so I shredded and crumpled up some paper towels for now. Don't pack it too tight and restrict the airflow, and by the same hand, don't pack it too light as it won't filter the sound or the air properly.



The assembled muffler.



On the Compressor.



Don't expect this to work miracles, but even with it just loosely packed with paper towels, it softened the sound considerably. I'm sure when I find the Fiber-fill it will work even better.

[Bill aka Gramps]

That looks like a diaphram compressor so I hope you're runnin the discharge into a surg tank and using a regulator on it. If not, you're probabily gonna get a pulsating air flow. They usually max out at 40 to 45 lbs pressure. There should be a pressure adjustment that you can screw down and increase the max on it, but that also causes more ware on the rocker arm and diaphram.

[darkside]

I've been using one of these compressors for about 35 years. There is no need for a tank nor do I need a regulator.

[Bill aka Gramps]

Mar 27, 2013 20:06:24 GMT -5 darkside said:

I've been using one of these compressors for about 35 years. There is no need for a tank nor do I need a regulator.

I had one many yrs ago and I got a pulsating air flow. Perhaps they've changed something since then. It's your compressor and you know best.

[darkside]

Mar 28, 2013 17:24:02 GMT -5 Bill aka Gramps said:

Mar 27, 2013 20:06:24 GMT -5 darkside said:

I've been using one of these compressors for about 35 years. There is no need for a tank nor do I need a regulator.

I had one many yrs ago and I got a pulsating air flow. Perhaps they've changed something since then. It's your compressor and you know best.

When I was a kid learning to airbrush I tried a diaphragm compressor and it pulsed like you said. I don't remember anything about it other than thinking "How can anyone airbrush with this, it pulses so bad".

Many years later I tried again with a different one and it worked fine. I guess some work and some don't. As for the regulator, I've personally worked with an airbrush so long, I've learned to work without one.

[harron68]

Huh, I never thought about quieting a compressor, but aside from putting the whole unit in a box of fiberfill, that is one good bit of invention. For folks who need it to be quiet that really would help. Thanx for sharing an idea and fotos of the steps to success.

[vypurr59]

The Badger I had pulsed very much, so I purchased a kit from the auto parts store to convert a freon tank to a tire fill tank, then I combined all these parts to have a compressor filling the tank, while I used the airbrush, and it smoothed out the pulsing. I still use that outfit, as my travel along paint center.

[Bill aka Gramps]

Apr 3, 2013 9:11:29 GMT -5 vypurr59 said:

The Badger I had pulsed very much, so I purchased a kit from the auto parts store to convert a freon tank to a tire fill tank, then I combined all these parts to have a compressor filling the tank, while I used the airbrush, and it smoothed out the pulsing. I still use that outfit, as my travel along paint center.

That's what I did 40 yrs ago with the one I had. I also had a small piston compressor that I had to run through the tank and regulator.

[Bill aka Gramps]

Mar 27, 2013 20:06:24 GMT -5 darkside said:

I've been using one of these compressors for about 35 years. There is no need for a tank nor do I need a regulator.

Maybe you don't need a regulator for painting models, but if you do something like this, you sure as heck do.

[darkside]

No tank, no regulator.

[Bill aka Gramps]

Ya but you stenciled 90 percent of yours. Mine is a 90 percent freehand. LMAO

[Steve-o]

All i have to say about all of this is :
Nice work fellas !!!! ;D ;D ;D
But i to have a bager compressor ,
And it has seened better days !!!! ;D ;D

[darkside]

Apr 6, 2013 13:22:45 GMT -5 Bill aka Gramps said:

Ya but you stenciled 90 percent of yours. Mine is a 90 percent freehand. LMAO

You painted those?

[Bill aka Gramps]

Apr 7, 2013 17:27:23 GMT -5 darkside said:

Apr 6, 2013 13:22:45 GMT -5 Bill aka Gramps said:

Ya but you stenciled 90 percent of yours. Mine is a 90 percent freehand. LMAO

You painted those?

Those and a lot more. Back about 25 /30 yrs ago, that's all I got done in my free time. Anything from cycle tanks to vans and tire covers. I used the regulator to cut the pressure down to about 10/15 lbs and could get a line as thin as a hair with my Badger 150s. I hated cuttin stencils and only did it when I had no choice. If you use a regulator, you get much more control and a lot less over spray. You'll get a softer more realistic picture. These are about 12 in tall and for the figures I had to cut a stencil to make them black and then add all the detail in white. You should give it a try, I think you'll like the better control you'll get from your airbrush depending what brush you're using..

[vypurr59]

Nice work there. Makes an old man wish he were young again!!! Oh and the painting is good too.
LOL all kidding aside. That is some very nice work, I am lucky to paint a straight line with a piece of tape.