Compressor recommendations

J

john d

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Joined
Nov 14, 2006
Messages
11
Looking for recommendations for a new compressor to push my GraverMax G8. My old SilAir finally gave up the ghost after 15 years of service. I’d like to try an oil-free unit but the main concern is QUIET operation.
Any suggestions based on your experience would be greatly appreciated.
 
FANCYGUN

FANCYGUN

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Funny you should ask about compressors. Im presently packing everything up for a relocation move to Pennsylvania and I will need a different compressor than the one I have been using which is a big husky that I keep in my garage and pipe the air to my shop. In my new place I will be utilizing a room in the house and I will need to have a quiet compressor in the same room an hopefully not disturb anyone in the rest of the house.
Rex suggested one of the California compressors that only emit 60 decibels of sound. It' s oiless, small and rather inexpensive So I think thats the one I am going to go with an give it a try. If it doesn't work out I can always use it in my basement workshop and not feel like I blew a ton of money
 
J

john d

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Nov 14, 2006
Messages
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Thanks very much for your response. And best of luck with your move to PA. I’ll check out the California compressor.
 
Ryan138

Ryan138

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Matthew Evans said:
Val air is your best bet for the noise. I have it for my apartment and does not disturb my wife in the other room and she works a call center job if that tells you anything. Thought I was going to have to stop engraving from the reaction I got from the California air, it’s loud.
Click to expand...
Yes. 60db is by no means quiet. M Half my bedroom is my studio so I sound proofed the closet and had to shut the door or I would get the same look you got. I would spend the extra money on something truly quiet. I think it will be disappointing when they hear a 60db compressor so close in person.
 
AllenClapp

AllenClapp

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60 decibels is considered to be like the sound of two people in normal conversation at a distance of 1 meter. Ask yourself if people talking in your studio room would disturb folks in another room. Also ask your self if someone coming up behind you and starting to talk would startle you.

https://www.google.com/search?q=how...i57j0i512l9.5257j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

My first compressor was the "quiet" one that GRS sold in the middle 1990s. For various reasons, I stopped engraving for a couple of decades. When I started back, I found myself occasionally being startled when the compressor came on. So, when I went to a GRS class in July 2019, I looked at the compressors while the others were touring the plant on Thursday afternoon. The California one was in their demo room; it didn't sound all that much quieter than the one that I had been using. Then I was taken back into the classroom to look at the Silentaire unit. It turned out that the instructor table was out in the room so that folks could gather around; it was fed by a Silentaire unit. That unit had been coming on and off for 3.5 days and I hadn't noticed it. I fell in love then and there. As much as I hated forgoing other desired things, I ponied up the extra $$ for the Silentaire and have never regretted it.

I don't move my compressor much, but I bought an inexpensive plant pot dolly at Lowes to make it easy to move. If you think that you might want to move it frequently, ValAir makes a version on wheels. I bought the smaller 4 gallon one and it has met my needs. They also make larger ones.
 
J

john d

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Nov 14, 2006
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Ryan138 said:
Harbor freight sells a 2gallon that’s a 60db. The biggest issue wasn’t really the sound but the vibration. After buying my silentaire I would never go back to oiless.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Ryan. Yeah, I’m a bit conflicted on the oilless vs the oil thing. Seems like you’re going to have to settle with a somewhat louder compressor with oilless. I miss my Silentaire but they don’t come cheap.
The search continues.
Thanks again for your input.
 
FANCYGUN

FANCYGUN

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Well I bit the bullet. I spoke with my Friend Aaron yesterday at GRS and bought a compressor. They are holding it for me. I will be picking it up on my way to Pa when I drive back from Colorado as I will be passing through Emporia
Thanks again for setting my head on straight
 
A

Addertooth

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Sep 4, 2015
Messages
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Far Southern AZ
Don't rule out the Badger Millionaire. They were originally made for the Airbrush market, but use a nearly silent refrigerator compressor. As a general rule, if it will run an airbrush (which is air-hungry), it will run a graver too. They show up on eBay all the time. Air Brush dudes tend to get disinterested in the craft when they figure out how hard it is to make a buck (unless they live in a tourist trap).

I have a California Air Compressor as well. It is not as quiet as the advertisement would lead you to believe. There is a little rubber hose the factory wedges into the intake silencer, that when it falls out, it is even more noisy.. ask me how I know.

Both of those compressors were a huge improvement over my initial pancake compressor. Since the badger arrived, the California Air Compressor has been relegated to use in the garage to run air tools and the spray mister for the milling machine.
 
Big-Un

Big-Un

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I went with the "silent" compressor from Lowe's only for the three year warranty with it being advertised at 60db. Not too bad in my new studio and if it gets too loud to deal with (hasn't so far) I just remove my hearing aids!
 
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