I'm thinking about setting up w/ a CO2 tank for airbrushing.
What size tank should I get and what sort of fittings/accessories do I really HAVE to get?

the20cu ft is a decent size. i use that It's not too heavy when full.

I also have a 20 lb tank. I have one pressure gage and regulator. Wish I had two gages - one for current pressure in tank and one for the regulator for pressure to the air brush.

Something I acquired was a collapsible luggage dolly. One of those you can get at Walmart to tow old luggage without wheels. I took a couple bungy cords and strpped the C02 tank to the dolly. The dolly makes moving the tank easier and helps keep it upright.

So 20# tank w/ regulator for the brush and maybe one to monitor the tank.

What sort of fitting do the tanks come with? Do I have to get adaptors to fit my airbrush hose? And do you think the welding shop will have those or will I have to go somewhere else for those?

The regulator should come with the fitting for the bottle.

On the outlet side it's a standard 1/4" NPT thread.

Greg,
If the 20 pound tank is the one about the size of a scuba tank I have one you can have. I don't use it. I have two compressors. I don't have any idea how to get it to North Carolina, however. I don't think UPS will touch it. Shipping it on an LTL carrier will cost you more than it is worth.
If you have any ideas, let me know. It isn't going anywhere. It has been in a corner of my basement for about two years.
There is an outside chance I could get it Asheville fairly quickly for free or to Chapel Hill around Thanksgiving (if my sister drives home) for free.

Shaun

UPS should take it as long as it's empty...... you may need to prove it's empty to them though.

Weight is going to be a real factor with UPS. I imagine he could almost buy one for what UPS will charge to ship it there...

Shaun

Harbor freight sells them for 60-70 bucks......... But yep... they are heavy even empty

One thing you may want to check is the cost in your area to refill. I was useing CO2 tanks, but the refill cost was going up and up, and eventually it was worth while to buy a compressor.

A 20 cu ft is around 15 bucks......or so. not having to deal with the moisture problem is well worth it to me!!!

Keenan, I appreciate the offer of the tank. I'm not familiar w/ size of scuba tanks...how tall is it? or if you have an idea of the weight that would help. I can look into shipping costs if you do. Sounds like it may not be worth the expense though.

The main reason I'm looking at CO2 is because it's silent. I have a compressor now but it's so loud I don't like using it, and the quiet ones are way too expensive.

According to several online retailers the weight is about 25-30 pounds (empty)

Matt, where are you seeing those tanks online? I was looking last week without any luck.

Beverage suppliers.......

yep, beverage suppliers, homebrewing folks and some paintball stuff.

Ive got a 20lb tank, a dual guage regulator, and needed one fitting to bridge between the airbrush hose and tank fittings. I got mine at a auto parts (mostly for repair shops) place, I would have had not idea where to find it, but a friend in the local club runs a body shop.

Teflon tape the fittings, and turn the tank off after use and bleed the lines, other than that it's almost hte best $170 I've ever spent.
I get my whole setup sans the one fitting from a Welding supply place.

Love that silent constant pressure.
Mike

Hey Greg, how about one of those pancake compresors. What i mean is, with the cost of building one and w/ parts, you might get one at the same price. I have one that i use and it's great. Small in size and came w/ both the gauges too. But it's 110 volt and i don't know if thats what your after. Any home supply center will carry them. Home depot - Lowes. Ipaid around $120 for mine. good luck

I use a 20# tank. I bought the tank and a two stage rugulator at my local rental place( they handle welding and beverage stuff). I also bought a seperate 0 - 30 # gage to be able to fine tune my output to the airbrush. 900# lasts a long, long time when only building 2 - 5 models a year.
capnjock