Usually, the exact proportion of paint to thinner is more paint than thinner.
Rich
Okay. Sounds good! Thank you, all!
I just bought an airbrush (top pushbutton style) and compressor (with tank) as a kit for a little over $100 on Amazon because I read having a tank evens out the air pressure and makes it constant.
I also bought a second airbrush (trigger style).
For now, I’ll just use a cardboard box placed upon a large sheet of butcher paper as my spray hood.
Thanks again! 
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Did the compressor come with a filter and pressure regulator?
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No. Nobody mentioned the need for a filter and pressure regulator, so I didn’t check for that when I ordered.
Too late now 
Oh, and your logo is the exact shade of green I want!
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I actually did mention the pressure regulator in one of my replies. My compressor did not come with one, so I tried to add one, but I simply could not find the right fittings to connect it. It turned out though that I didn’t need one because the maximum pressure of the compressor was 56 PSI. Once I attached the airbrush and added the paint mix to the cup, the pressure was constant at 28 PSI which was ideal for my spray project.
Check the specifications on your compressor for the maximum pressure PSI.
Rich
Amazon sells a combo regulator/moisture trap for like $12.
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Bernie, can you tell us the exact brand of the kit?
Rich
I searched the old comments and didn’t see any mention of needing a regulator. I don’t doubt you, but I’m guessing your comment prolly got buried in the argument over Harbor Freight and using an air brush vs a spray can, lol.
Anyway, this is it:
I also splurged a bit and bought this, too:
Oh, and this is the locomotive I bought:
https://www.walthers.com/emd-sd75m-esu-r-sound-dcc-undecorated
I’m thinking of painting the whole locomotive pastel mint green, and paint the handrails white, and the interior beige. All the parts of the locomotive body came in separate baggies, so it’s gonna be really easy to paint different parts and details and sections of the locomotive different colors to get sharp lines without using masking tape. I’m then gonna put the LM logo on the sides of the cab, and maybe a Tux decal on the front of the nose. What do you guys think?
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That’s a pretty solid set up you got there. As for paint a lot of people like Vallejo Air and Tru-Color for air brushing. I recently got an airbrush from Harbor Freight myself and am looking to try it sometime too.
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It’s hard to tell from the photo and the limited specs. It has a moisture trap, but it does not appear to have a pressure regulator. You can buy one though. The comments complain about a lack of fittings on the compressor, so you would need to buy the fittings as well.
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Yes, it has a pressure regulator. I went to the VEVOR site to see the exact same kit. If you look behind and below the airbrush, you can see the pressure gauge. It’s behind the airbrush holder and lying flat and facing up on the rear of the pump, which is why it is hard to see.
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I got back into the hobby last year and I bought a 0.3 Procon Boy from Gunze Sangyo. I love this airbrush. Way better than Harbor Freight. I’ve shot both acrylics and lacquers and it never fails. I use an AS-186 compressor which is plenty suitable for model train painting sessions. I’m using between 15 to 30 psi, depending on the paint and how much thinner is added. When I use Mr Color lacquers, I mix 50/50 with Mr Color Leveling Thinner (hard to find outside eBay but worth it). For Tamiya acrylics I use their own acrylic thinner. For Tru Color I thin only about 10% with their own thinner. This is a thin paint to begin with, but sprays very well. Clean up with a little acetone from Home Depot, then followed by spraying airbrush cleaner through it. I never use plain or soapy water to clean my airbrush. I let it soak in lacquer thinner when doing a full disassembly cleaning, but normal clean up is spraying into a pot designed to hold the airbrush and capture the fumes from flushing with lacquer thinner.
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If it turns out that it is just a pressure gauge, and not a pressure regulator, you can always buy that VEVOR pressure regulator that I provided the link to.
Rich
I don’t think that’s a pressure regulator; it’s just the tank pressure gauge. The only ‘regulation’ of tank pressure is the deadband they mention (between 43 and 57psi) which controls compressor operation.
On my compressors, there are two pressure gauges, just as on acetylene-torch regulators: one gauge shows tank or reservoir pressure, the other shows regulated pressure going to the tool. I think that you do have pressure control present on the top of the water separator – that little screw T-handle probably goes to a disphragm under the dome – but you’re only going to be able to set it to pressure with an external gauge or manometer on the airbrush hose, which I’d bet you don’t yet have.
I’d advise installing that $29.95 regulator or something like it if you want the ability to set pressure quickly and effectively at any time.
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Can you provide a link to the correct pressure regulator, as I understand there are several different hose connector sizes.
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The more precise regulator would replace the one that comes with the compressor – you’ll turn the gray knob the same way you’d adjust the T-handle. Whatever nipple thread comes out of the tank gauge is the size to use – either ½" or ⅜" are the common sizes and all this is ahead of the fittings that reduce ‘tank’ or ‘regulator output port’ size down to airbrush-hose supply size.
The bad news is that the VEVOR regulator in ½ inch input size shows as ‘Out of Stock’ and in ⅜" size as ‘Discontinue’. It might be time to consult Harbor Freight or eBay… 
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I found a site in Europe that had the VEVO regulator in stock, but I had to search a lot of places before I found it. It was sold out on Amazon, Ebay, and all the usual suspects.
Why would a company sell a product that needs a part that’s not included and is out of stock everywhere? That makes no sense!
Anyway, I just bought an HO scale tardis on Ebay for, like, 8 buckazoids to practice on before I attack my locomotive. If it turns out good, I’ll place it on my layout in an out-of-the-way location, lol.
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It looks like it may have a combo regulator/water trap attached to the compressor..
I think you’ll be set. I’d at least wait until it arrives before buying any additional parts you may not need.
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It does. That little T-handle on top sets the output pressure.
What he does not have is a gauge that shows him the regulator pressure. That would be easy enough to make with a conversion fitting and something like a car (not bicycle) tire-pressure gauge, but it might be tedious to measure the number of turns from closed to each target pressure he might want to spray with.
I think the regulators Rich found for him are intended for use on much larger compressors.
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You may be misinformed about spray paints. Tamiya for example makes an excellent series of spray can paints that come with a finer nozzle than the old hardware store “rattle can”. I’ve been using them instead of an airbrush for maybe 15 years now and am very satisfied with the results. Spray cans really make sense if this is just a one-time deal.
At least, get a can of their gray fine-surface primer and try it out on a model and see what you think. You can shop around at a model railroad flea market and find an old undecorated Athearn blue-box or MDC freight car kit for $3-5 and try it on that.
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