need sum help

[sparkplug0069]

hey yall,im new at airbrushing and am thinking of getting a paasche vl,so heres my question.i have a small compresser with no tank that im sure is made for ab's so do i have to have a regulater just now starting out or can i just hook my airbrush up to my compresser? im not sure what kind of compresser it is,it just has a "T" and what looks to be an "I" on the back of it.
also i am wondering what kind of fitting i will need the one i have is hooked to my compresser and looks like the one in the pic.any help is greatly appreciated

[KDSilverBrush]

I wouldn't work without a regulator, Sparkplug, if your doing very small jobs, ya may pass for a while without one, but it may burn your compressor up if it runs to much.
The pic ya have looks backwards to me, I think that fitting should be on the hose , I believe it is a male coupling, and the female end should be on the compressor.
I'm sure someone else will chime in on this with more info for ya. Welcome to the forum !

[CANONFUJI]

Yes KD is right. You also need a moisture trap/ filter. Have any friends who know a bit about plumbing? I'm sure they can hook up what you need

[fontgeek]

I'll second the comments already made, and add a couple to it.
First, a little compressor like the one you described will be running hot. My guess is that it is an oiless compressor, so having it run all the time at full bore will give it a short life span. The small compressors need to have the regulator on them, as KD and CanonFuji said, working without one would be a mistake, for both you and the compressor. Besides the extra labor you would be putting on the compressor itself, trying to lear to airbrush when your air pressure fluctuates would be a tough battle. Having the regulator on the compressor would solve that issue.
Personally, I would add a regulator at the compressor, along with a water/moisture trap, but I would also add a 50' length of hose between the compressor and your work site, then add a second water trap and regulator right where you work. You will catch a good bit more moisture in the second trap, and the long hose in between the compressor and your work area lets the air cool down, and lets the moisture go from steam back to it's liquid state (read WATER), and that is what the moisture traps are made to catch, not steam. The long hose can also change the air pressure, so having a second regulator right where you work lets you see exactly what kind of pressure you are working with. If your compressor doesn't have an automatic shut off, then you need to make sure you shut it off any time you are not spraying, and also to pay attention to how hot it gets. If it is an oiless compressor, and doesnt' have fans or other cooling aids, then you may have problems in a real hurry if it gets hot. Try to keep your compressor where it has clean air to work in. If it is sitting right where you are painting, or in a dusty environment, then it is trying to pull in dirty air to compress, and to use for cooling. Covering your compressor with paint and dirt is no help.

I use quick disconnects on all my stuff, having them on everything from the airbrush itself, to the hoses, the manifold, the regulator/water trap sets, and the compressor, means that I don't have to muck about with wrenches/spanners to set my work area up. It means I can add additional hoses, filters, etc., in as needed, and lets me severely reduce the amount of wear and tear on the airbrushes and equipment. The down side is that you really have to keep on top of making sure all the seals/connections are good, and not leaking air. Leaking air means that you are making your compressor work harder for nothing, and or you are losing consistency in quality air supply if the leak is in the airbrush hoses or fittings.

There are lots of companies out there making fittings, and some you can get really cheap, but beware, lots of those cheap companies don't follow good quality control practices, so the tolerances on their fittings leave a lot to be desired (they leak like a sieve). The cost of a new compressor is a whole lot more than the difference between good fittings and poor quality ones.
You may find good quality ones at low prices, but be sure of the quality before you invest a lot of money and time in them.

I would also strongly suggest that you start saving your pennies for a good compressor or a CO2 tank of a good size. The small compressors are great for small work, makeup, cake decorating, etc., but for bigger jobs, or work that requires higher pressures (T-shirts, automotive, murals, etc.), those tiny compressors have a tendency to live short lives.

Good luck!